Your Child's Health - Archive

Also in this issue: Teach Your Child the Goal of Sports Eating Healthy on a Budget Prevent Household Poisonings Dealing With Dental Injuries Register to be a bone marrow donor NEWSLETTER HOME PAGE		Too Many Ear Infections? Learn how to protect against this common childhood illness Ear infections account for some 30 million doctor visits each year, making them the most common illness of childhood. Approximately four out of five children have had at least one ear infection by age 3. A baby who is too young to describe the pain may tug at an ear, fuss while eating or cry when laid down. Fever often accompanies ear infection, and some children have trouble hearing due to fluid buildup in the middle ear. Mild earaches often go away on their own, requiring no treatment. But do call the doctor if symptoms persist longer than a day or worsen. Applying a heating pad or warm towel to the ear and giving over-the-counter painkillers may comfort your child. The doctor also may prescribe soothing eardrops or an antibiotic. How Many Is too Many? A promptly treated ear infection rarely develops into a serious problem. But some children fail to improve with treatment, while others get better only to become infected again. Experts estimate that about 20 percent of children suffer repeated ear infections which can impair hearing and delay speech development. That’s why some doctors suggest taking further action if a child has six infections in one year, or three in six months or if the fluid in the ears does not resolve in three months. How to Protect Against Ear Infections These preventive measures may help: Breastfeed your baby. Nursing can delay the onset of ear infections and reduce their number. Decrease your child’s exposure to smoke. Keep your child away from children or adults with colds. Moisturize dry winter air with a humidifier. If infections keep occurring, your doctor may suggest further diagnosis and treatment. Diagnosing and treating allergies, for example, reduces ear infections in some children. A doctor might prescribe preventive antibiotics in low doses to decrease the number of ear infections during peak seasons. Your doctor may send your child to an ear, nose and throat specialist who may recommend ear tubes. The surgical insertion of tiny ear tubes into the eardrum itself ventilates the negative pressure of the middle ear space and can help reduce infections. A youngster with ear tubes can swim without ear plugs, but should avoid going more than two feet underwater. Repeated ear infections can be difficult for your child and for you, too. But time offers the promise of relief. By school age, a child’s immune system is more mature and his Eustachian tube is longer, stronger and more vertical, decreasing the chance of an ear infection. Watch a video about ear infections. Dr. John McClay, a pediatric ENT specialist at Children's, discusses the symptoms and treatments for ear infections and "swimmer's ear" that may be causing your little one some discomfort this summer. Resources Children’s Health Library: Ear Disorders Last reviewed: April 2009		Find a Doctor Find a Speciality & Service Support Children's About Children's childrens.com
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