Thank You! - Edmonds, WA

The Eustacian tube to the ear is in area near the airway at the back of the mouth. The little valve in the Eustacian tube opens and closes normally. When milk is present at the back of the mouth, it can get into the Eustacian tube--where it can sit, causing fluid in the ear. The sugars in milk will grow bacteria, as does any fluid that just sits for a long time.

The sugars in the milk can cause cavities in teeth.

P.

J. T
I had similar issues with my daughter -- had HORRID ear infections. Try mixing the milk with more and more water so that you switch to a water bottle. As a working mother myself I get the need to make this painless and workable. But you also have to make the switch.
Hope this Helps.

S in Seattle

J.,

I just wanted to let you know I had this problem with my second son. He had ear infections from 2months old until he was two. I thought because I was breast feeding and he fell asleep drinking that it was causing his ear infections. My pediatric doctor said their is no study to prove this. Some children are pron to ear infections. It has to do with how the ear develops. Most children tubes are straight and as they get older they grown downwards helping the ears to drain and keep them from getting ear infections.

Hello J.!

It is very true. Do not lie a child down with any drink. I've been so fortunate that my daughter has only had a few ear infections. As a matter of fact, she rarely gets sick. She's 11 right now and is very healthy. so, if you have to, hold her in your lap while she drinks out of her bottle.

To help her off of the bottle, you need to add more sippy cup drinks throughout the day (or whoever is watching her during the day). If she continues to drink her milk or sugary drinks out of the bottle, she will get cavities. She is at the age where she does need to get her teeth checked. Also, another pointer is to get her eyesight checked out by a professional doctor. Get an opinion on her eyes because some children can develop a "lazy eye" and if it if caught too late, your child will be considered legally blind and will not be able to get a drivers license when she is 16. That is really sad to even think about. I wish I had a professional catch that eye problem with my daughter when she was a baby. I do recall her having a lazy eye, but never thought twice about it. Didn't think it was an issue really. So, today she wears glasses and we caught in the nick of time, because she was on the cusp of improving or becoming legally blind. The glasses helped her to correct her eyesight. She's 11. I just felt that I should share with you regarding my little girl.

Yeah. So encouraging her to be off of the bottle is very important. Just have to let her know "it's sippy cup time!" Then she can go to bed. It's important that she develops her independance.

Yes, it's true. Lying a baby down to drink is a bad thing, it can cause ear infections. It's because their ear canals aren't angled downward yet, so the fluids don't drain out as easily. It is also bad for their teeth.

I have heard this before. It can also cause their teeth to decay. Falling asleep with a bottle makes the milk, or whatever is in the bottle sit in the sides of their mouths over night. I know a gal who recently had to take her 3 year old to the have all 4 top teeth removed because they were rotted.
Putting them to bed with a bottle is a tough habit to break, but it can be done with a lot of patience.

Try trading the bottle for a sippy cup before she lays down. Thats what I did. It wasn't easy for a week or so, but now she doesn't use bottles at all. I did this around 13 months.

Good Luck...!

You could put water in the bottle and she my decide she doesn't want it anymore. Putting them down for a nap with milk is also bad for their teeth formation. The milk just sits on the gums and can cause dental problems in the future. Just another motivation to ween her.

I switched to water, because it won't cause the teeth to decay. Also, water doesn't cause mucous like milk does.

Hi J.. Good job! You're doing a great service to your child by weaning her from the bedtime bottle. Having a bottle or sippy cup in bed also creates tooth decay because the liquid will pool around her teeth as she falls asleep sucking on the bottle. Bacteria (in the mouth) turns the sugar from milk/juice/breast-milk/formula into acids and actually dissolves tooth enamel. (I experienced this with my 1st child. Now my cutie 5 year old is sporting a silver cap on a molar until it falls out in a few years. At age 1, I wasn't thinking about cavities...)
I would suggest diluting the bottle with water if she won't drink pure water. Increase the water each night until she'll take just water. Have that special time right before bed, reading her a book or rocking and singing to her while she sucks her bottle. (baby's teeth should be wiped or gently brushed, but I'm guessing this might interrupt the special mood you're trying to create while weaning..?) Then put her in bed without the bottle but give her something to hold like a soft teddy bear(or pacifier?) I hope this helps. A great tool I've used is www.babycenter.com where they can send you free email newsletters pertaining to your child's age, etc. http://www.babycenter.com/0_ear-infections_83.bc
From one mommy to another... Happy weaning, I hope! Jen

Hi J.,
I have 4 grown children 27,25,23,19. I also have a 5yr old when he was a baby he was always getting ear infections it was really bad then a friend told me to take him to a chiropractor and have his neck adjusted this enables the ears to drain properly he has not had an ear infection since. I took him to a Dr Tom Saeman Back to Health Chiropractic ###-###-####. He is the nicest man and adjusts many, many babies. I sure didn’t miss the sleepless night or the Dr visits and antibiotics I only wish I had been told sooner. Hope this helps.
L.

Hello, putting your baby down with anything in her bottle increases the likelyhood that she will get an ear infection. Small amounts of milk settle in her throat while she is sleeping and the dark, warm, milky enviroment promotes bacteria to grow which then often travel up her tiny eustansian tubes and you have an ear infection in the making. Can you switch her over to a pacifier? You might try diluting the milk gradually, and decreasing the amount of milk/water over a few days until it is just a small amount of water.
Happy Birthday! I LOVE my 40's-- you are in for a nice suprise.

J.,
Yes, not only the ear infections but putting them down with a bottle of anything also causes bottle rot in their mouths. Maybe try a new routine of giving her milk before bed and just roughing it out for a bit not giving her the crib bottle cold turkey.....

AT

Hi J.,
Yes, it is true laying a baby down with MILK is not a good idea. My son is now 13 years old and has limited hearing in one ear and a reconstructed ear drum in the other ear. Ear infections are nothing to ignore. What may be inconvenient for you now may help in saving your daughter from surgery, and ultimately, poor hearing. I would talk to your doctor. Back in "my" day, I would prop my son up on pillows so he wasn't flat with a bottle of soy - while I think I did him a favor, now I am not too sure.

My son had a lot of ear infections and it is true that laying them down with a bottle can make them worse. The fluid can drain into her ears as she are laying flat. A good way to avoid the ear infections is to never put your baby down with a bottle (it's bad for her teeth anyways) and cover her ears if you go out on a windy and cold day (especially if she already has a cold). Sometimes an ear infection can't be avoided, it just comes with the cold. Doing these things will help keep one away though. Also, never be afraid to ask your pediatrician questions. I know that I can always get a hold of my pediatriacian or nurse. Good luck!!

Hi J.,
I'm a 49 yr old mother of 4(2 grown-2teens)& 3 grandkids. I've worked with kids all my life(daycares, schools, scouting, etc.)I have never heard of this before, but they discover stuff all the time or it could just be a doctors theory. What I can tell you is this: It's easier and quicker on Moms and the kiddos the earlier they get off the bottle. Yes they will cry and throw fits, but the longer you keep her on it the longer/harder it will be for you both. Also, once you take it away, never, ever give it back. Some of the children that I have dealt with that have been left on too long seem to have some emotional issues when the parents finally do it. With my own children, I gave them freedom from the bottle for a 1st birthday present, and it was pretty easy and quick for them to adjust. I think it has to do with their memory processes. ie, the older they are the longer they can remember. My daughters also said it was the best advice I gave them and they also weened around the age of 1.

Hi J., I am a registered day care provider and mommy who has raised 3 (4th is 8) children. (I certainly don't claim to know everything about kids but here is my feedback to your question). Yes, I have heard that ear infections can be induced by bottle while laying down. Try rocking baby with bottle (her head will be slightly elevated from rest of body) then putting baby down when asleep or almost asleep, let her cry if she needs to. If you put her down at the same time daily her body will be used to going to sleep at that time and she'll get used it this new bottle routine fairly quickly...as in most habit forming issues with kids, consistancy will probably be key to making your life easier. When I worked in a public day care facility for the county and now as a registered day care provider it is against the "rules" to put a baby down with the bottle because it is actually dangerous - a choking hazard. Good luck! Peg

Garlic juice in the ear will knock it out; you can also choose from hydrogen peroxide or colloidal silver. In my experience antibiotics do not work as well, and have not-worth-it side effects. For garlic juice you can get the minced garlic in olive oil from the store and drain the juice. I have used this several times on children and babies of all ages. It can also work for a sore throat.

I put all of my babies down with milk in bottles and can count on one hand the ear infections the 3 of them have had. Only one of my kids have any cavities at all; he's the one I used cow milk on. The other two got goat's milk and no cavities. Goat's milk is alkaline, not acidic so the cavity problem is non-existent. My youngest is 15 months and he's had one ear infection (ever). The garlic juice took care of in it under an hour.

If you have any pop up or aeresol room deoderizers in your home or any other aeresol containers in your home...please get rid of them....they contain phenols which research has related to ear infections and allergies in children and adults.

My kids had lots of ear infections too..part of it was allergies for them...I now use safer, more natural home cleaning, laundry and personal care products. Wish I would have had access to these safer products when I was a young mom.

Have a great mommy day.

I have heard that - but I would be more concerned about the milk. Putting a child down with anything other than water in their bottle is going to cause cavities - the milk or juice pools in their mouths after they've fallen asleep and just eats away at the enamel on their teeth. I think it's okay to use a bottle to put kids down, but they should be propped on a pillow or blanket, and the bottle should be water.

J., I'm glad that you figured out that putting her down with a bottle is not a good idea, especially milk because it can promote tooth decay (bottle rot). I would discontinue laying her down with a bottle, but if this sounds drastic you could make the transition to water by diluting the milk or just replacing it with water as soon as possible. Also propping her up would be a good idea too.
~R.

I had them, and my 1st brother, too ... so I always elevate(d) my kids' heads even while nursing, to drain the fluids down the throat and away from the ear canals ...

but on the back, even elevated, is physiologically most likely to get into their ears (I use(d) a sideways elevation: my arm).

I'd guess it's probably best to consciously choose to suffer through a re-training (you hold her while she bottle-feeds and goes to sleep, then put her down), knowing it will work after a while, and prevent the ear infections

I am against back-sleeping, but I am WAY on the fringe on that one (has to do with international concern that SIDS is related to anti-inflammatory chemicals in the matresses, and that mammals' organs naturally hang from the backbone instead of squishing the backbone, and fluids can drain out the nose) ... definitely I am only telling you "there is another thought to consider about backsleep," not "you should flip her over" ... that decision has claerly been put in the realm of life or death and obviously I am not an authority in your life ;)!

I have heard of this a lot. It has to do with the immature angle of the ear tube. It might be a pain to retrain her to go to sleep without a bottle, but it will save pain and anguish and more trips to the Doctor. It might take a couple of weeks but it will be worth it.

Do you ever look around on the web to places like 'babycenter.com"? The site has a bunch of free information.

-jem, mom to seven

Dear J.,

If fluid is likely to get-into the ears, it could be due to fluid spilling into the ears when trying to drink while laying down. Proping the baby allows liquid to move down. Not even adults can drink while laying flat on their back without proping the head up enough.

Unfortunately dairy such as (particularly cows) milk can be the cause for ear infections.

It's possible that reducing (dairy) milk products could help reduce ear infections.

I'd highly recommend to read this book: "The Body Knows," by Caroline Sutherland.

Goats milk is much easier on the body then cows milk.

The challenge with drinking while being on your back is difficult for anyone. Especially baby's since they're still developing, they can chok. If you want to give a bottle when putting your baby down, try proping your baby with a pillow.

Good Luck!

Hi! Not only can laying down with a bottle lead to ear infections, but it can lead to tooth decay as well. Milk will settle in the back areas of the mouth. I would give my baby her bottle right before she went to bed while rocking her. I would try that. The rocking motion soothed her. That coupled with the bottle and some lullaby music made her very sleepy. Good luck.

Hi J., I did hear that too. Although, I also hear that babies naturally have the tendency for ear infections because of the shape of their tube passages in their ear, fluid can get in there (natural fluid, not necessarily bath water or milk from a bottle). I would talk to your Dr. It is a good sign that your baby has not had an ear infection until now. BTW, I turned 40 on Monday, and I have a 12 month old girl (her Bday is this coming Monday!)She is our first. It is amazing. The pressure is too much though to have another one soon if we will at all, because of my age.. are you experiencing the same?

C.

Its true. The milk pools in the back of their throats where the ear canals come into the pharynx, making a great medium for bacterial growth. Even without laying down, cow milk increases the likelihood of ear infections, because the body recognizes casein as a foreign protein, and a histamine reaction occurs. All those inflammatory chemicals are dumped out, the ear canals swell and become mucousy, and again, a nice environment for bacteria to grow.