Ear Infection - Framingham, MA

My 4 year old daughter unfortunatly gets eat infections every winter like clockwork. And if it is as bad as it was last year then we may be looking into tubes for her. As for the medicine they give to get rid of it, it has always worked on my daughter with no side effects or complants. My 2 year old daughter on the other hand has only had one ear infection so far. It was when she was 9 monthes old. And up til now we have had no problems with her and her ears. I always make sure that in the cold months my childrens hats always go over their ears too to keep the entire head warm and out of the elements. Good luck to you.

There might be something to what Michelle said about soy-based formula vs. milk based. My daughter had an ear infection every other month until she was 2. She wasnt breastfed and was in full time day care. My son was nursed until he was 9 months old and after i weaned him he starting getting ear infections. When he was 1 i took him off his milk-based formula and he drank soy milk, almond milk, rice milk...whatever was on sale...he never had another ear infection and at age 2 i put him back onto milk products and all was well. Until the age of 2 kids are more susceptible. As for antiobiotic use (and over- use) since you work full time , you need to use them. Your son could take a week to bounce back from one, and wont be let back into day care until its over (temp is normal, etc...) I'm sure there are plenty of natural products that do a fine job but they dont seem to be as FAST as antibiotics are. (I know I only had one week of paid sick leave per year when my kids were that age!) Look into Mullein Oil, put directly into the ear on a Q-tip, for one. Good Luck, J.

Honestly, the recurrence depends on the kid, the virus and soooo many other things. I know one of my daughters is a ear infection machine, no matter when she gets one she goes through 3 to 4 courses of antibiotics, and amoxy doesn't touch hers anymore. The other (and I'm knocking on wood) has had one in her life, they're twins, so like I said, depends on the kid.There are some drops that my sister has used successfully on her kids that are made for ear infections that are the results of cold viruses, unfortunately, though, sometimes they just don't work, and the only option is antibiotics, for your sanity and the childs pain relief. I will add that even at a young age, my daughter had tell-tale signs when one was coming on, usually above anything else, she would snore (which she never did). Good luck! Face them one at a time, and don't worry too much about it recurring.

As a baby, I suffered several ear infections. The doctor had my mother switch to soy formula, and the infections subsided. I am not allergic to milk, but the formula didn't agree with my system. This is something to consider if the infections become reaccuring.

Hi Raine-
As far as I know, ear infections are caused by the colds that precede them. A baby's eustacian tube is short and horizontal, so they are more susceptible to infection. My son had 2 ear infections as a baby. I would say if they are numerous and recurring a lot, talk to the pediatrician. Like others have said, if they are recurring, they may recommend tubes. He took erythromycin with both.

"Babies are particularly susceptible to ear infections because their Eustachian tubes are short (about 1/2 inch) and horizontal. As they grow to adulthood, the tube triples in length to 1 1/2 inches and become more vertical, so fluid can drain more easily. Ear infections are one of the most common childhood illnesses." -found on babycenter.com

Check out this webpage from babycenter.com. It tells all about ear infection causes etc. in babies 0-12 months. Hope your little guy is feeling better soon.

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/83.html

my son and nephew were always getting ear infections and both got tubes put in.meanwhile my other two nephews only got one or two.i guess it depends on the child.i would advise that if he starts getting them alot then talk to the dr. about tubes it will be alot easier on him and you too.

Hello Raine! (Great name). I have a 3 1/2 year old son and an 8mos old daughter (named Raen). Both have had numerous ear infections due to seasonal allergies. Antibiotics do help to clear them up, though I also wish they did not need them. Homeopathic chamomile tablets are great to take the edge off their discomfrt (I find it works as well as tylenol) and is better for them (I believe). Neither need tubes..they just need to grow so their own ear tubes can manage better. As my son has gotten older this has become less of a problem and our doctor beleives he will outgrow it completely (just like his father did). I hope this helps...I know it is always hard to see them uncomfortable (Remember that after 2 or so days on antibiotics he may get cranky because the ears can crakle and itch while healing). R.

Hi Raine,
I have a son that is almost two and he has had only one ear infection so far. Yet my friend has a two 1/2 year old who has has numorous ear infections... i think it depends on alot of differnt things... whether the baby was nursed... is there smoking around the baby?... all children's immune systems are different...as far as i know the only preventive messures u can take is to nurse as long as possible (six months is good!) and not to smoke around the baby, but besides that its hard to prevent them, plus children in daycares are prone to more illnesses verse children that stay at home. antibiotics do help but keep in mind that if you use them too much they can lose their effect and your body can become immune. good luck!

Hey Raine,
I am literally going through the exact same thing that you are. It bothers me a little that your DR didn't look in your child's ear when you first brought him in though. When I called my DR to make an appt and then brought him in, the first thing they did was look in his ears. Then they listened to his chest. My son (who is 6 months) is on his second ear infection. It's not uncommon for a baby to get them. It can be caused by many things. For instance, a cold. But I also found out that it can be causeed if too much water gets in the ear and doesn't get out. But either way, it is no big deal. Your child's DR should have asked you to come back after you were done with the meds just to check again to make sure that the infection has gone away. If he didn't I would call and ask to go back in to check. If you need anything else don't hesitate to ask. I am a veteran of ear infections. :)
K.

Hi Raine!

J. here, mother of a 20 month old boy that has also had ear infections. I myself had severe eustachia tube problems and found that sometimes it can be hereditary. My son had a double ear infection and conjunctivits on his first birthday and he's had only one ear infection since.

However, you should talk to your pediatrician because they now make an optional vaccine that is supposed to protect you child against ear infections in a daycare setting. That's what I had for my son, and although he did have that one last infection, he hasn't had one since and that was 8 months ago!

If your child is prone to ear infections and gets colds, also encourage your ped. to check your sons ears even if it appears to just be a cold. sometimes if they can catch it early, it means less pain and suffering for the both of you!!!

hope this info helps! :)

-J.

Hi Raine~I have 2 boys age 4 and 2 and between them they have had 3 ear infections. All started out as colds. It sounds like you have given him a fantastic start with nursing. I think though when your child spends the day with different children, they are just bound to catch what is going around. I have put them on antibiotics for all infections without any problems. Just make sure he goes in for a follow up after he is finished with his antibiotics. Hang in there, it isnt easy when your little one is sick. Hope he feels better soon!

every child is different. My 2nd daughter was also sick when she was only a couple of months old. After SEVERAL trips to the Dr.,and different medication they tried to tell me that she had a double ear infection and put her on an antibotic. I tried to tell them that she had a cold when she was born that she just couldn't shake, and I wanted them to send her to a Ear Nose and Throat specialist, because she sounded like her nasal passages were to small for her, but they didn't. If she had a double ear infection then she was the best damn baby ever ( no fever, not crying, not pulling at her ears). Needless to say she turned 6 years old this year in Aug. and at the end of june she had to have her tonsills out, her adnoids out and tubes in her ears because she had over 50% hearing loss.( Oh did i mention I changed Dr.'s after the first inncodent). She has not had any problems since then ( thank god). My cousins kid was constantly fighting with her daughter and ear infections, to the point her daughter's front teeth were rotten because of all the medication that she was put on, and belive it or not she took her daughter ( at the age your son is now) to the chiropractor's. after her second visit she has NEVER EVER had an ear inffection after that. There is a tie between your back and your ear's. if a certain part of your back is out of line, you will experience ear problems. You need to check with your insurance company ( some cover chiropractor care, some don't). Also your "medical" doctor's DO NOT belive in chiropractor care, so you prolly won't get a referral to one, so you may have to look at different chiropractor office in your neighborhood, some charge very little for cash customer's, and some charge based on age of customer. It does work!!!!!!! Also to help prevent ear iffection's ( and I should know I suffered as a child with ear infections myself) keep ear's covered at all times while outside ( even if it's not to windy but chilly), keep ears dry ( when washing hair put cotton balls in the ear's but take them out after you are done), also if your son drinks a bottle laying down at all, make sure he is proped up at an angle ( put a roled up pillow under his mattress) prop him up on a pillow if he is laying down on the floor, do not have him lay flat while drinking a bottle. GOOD LUCK. and I hope this helps.