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5 April 2010

Give Your Baby a Fighting Chance Against Ear Infections

Posted by admin under: Health .

It’s hard to find a child today that hasn’t had an ear infection. What can you do to give your child a fighting chance against them? The truth is you don’t need to do anything drastic to prevent ear infections.

Hear are some hints that will improve your child’s chances.

Avoid other sick kids whenever possible.

I know that may seem like a tall order, but do what you can. Instead of giving you’re OK to a visit from that playmate or relative that “just has a little cold,” reschedule for another day. Too many of us may be afraid of hurting feelings, just explain your child is susceptible to ear infections and colds often lead to ear infections.

If at all possible, move your child to a smaller daycare.

The more kids, the more germs are being swapped. Some studies suggest the magic number is five or less children. The smaller number of children could mean that fewer children are on antibiotics to treat ear infections, leading to a lesser chance of your child catching and antibiotic resistant strain of bacteria.

Never expose your child to second hand smoke.

Although this may seem like a no-brainer, try to take notice of situations you may have overlooked. Like that restaurant that you may love, but the smoking section is right next to the non-smoking section. If you have relatives that smoke, invite them to visit at your house, where they must smoke outside or not at all. This way you will be able to more easily detect if a caregiver breaks the rules and smokes inside. Smoke can irritate the Eustachian tube, causing them to swell.

Breastfed babies get fewer ear infections than their bottle-fed piers within the first six months of life.

Breast milk contains antibodies that help fight disease. If you are using formula to feed your baby be sure to feed in the semi upright position and never prop the bottle. This can lead to fluid dripping into the Eustachian tube and causing irritation.

If your child does get an ear infection, follow your pediatrician’s advice. Don’t pressure him or her into giving antibiotics if they say to wait and watch a few days. About 80% of ear infections will get better within 10 days. The problem is that there is no good way to distinguish between them and the other 20%. Therefore, doctors often treat all the infections with antibiotics. If your doctor does prescribe an antibiotic be sure to use the entire dose over the prescribed number of days, even if symptoms improve. This will also help avoid creating antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Do all you can to make these adjustments. The good news is that after age two, children’s ear infections are far less common. After age two the Eustachian tubes grow longer and are less susceptible to irritation. The child’s immune system is also much stronger. So hang in there, do what you can and administer lots of loving care.

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