Exposure to smoke can increase the risk of ear infections. Don’t smoke, and keep your child away from any second-hand smoke.Transition your baby from a bottle to a cup by 1 year of age.

Never put your baby to bed with a bottle. Avoid bottle-feeding your baby when they are lying down.Wash your child’s hands and your own often to keep germs away.How can I prevent my child from getting an ear infection? still has an earache after 2 days of treatment with acetaminophen or ibuprofen.remains in a lot of pain despite at least one dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen, or.has redness and swelling behind the ear,.is older than 6 months old and has had a fever for more than 48 hours,.When should I call the doctor?Ĭall your doctor if you think your child has an ear infection AND: Children can usually go home the same day. Putting tubes in requires a brief operation by an ear, nose and throat surgeon. The tube helps to keep air pressure normal on both sides of the ear drum and helps fluid drain from the middle ear. If your child has frequent ear infections, or if they have trouble hearing because of ongoing fluid in the middle ear, they may need a tube inserted through the eardrum and into the middle ear. When do children need tubes in their ears? Fluid can remain in the middle ear without inflammation for a few weeks. Your doctor might want to see your child again to be sure the infection has cleared up completely. The only exceptions are medications used to treat fever, such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen.Ĭhildren usually feel better within 1 day of starting an antibiotic, but make sure to finish it. Do not give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months old without first talking to your doctor.ĭo not give over-the-counter medications (ones you can buy without a prescription) to babies and children under 6 years without first talking to your doctor. Only give ibuprofen if your child is drinking reasonably well. The doctor might suggest acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce the child’s pain. Children over 2 years of age will take an antibiotic for 5 days. the condition has not improved for 48 hours, orįor an uncomplicated ear infection, children between 6 months and 2 years usually take an antibiotic for 10 days.your child is moderately to severely ill with a high fever (more than 39◦C),.You child’s doctor will prescribe antibiotics if:.If the child does not improve or gets worse, contact the doctor again. If a child doesn’t have too much discomfort or a high fever, the doctor will likely wait 24 to 48 hours (1 to 2 days) to see if the ear infection gets better on its own.Common viral infections can make the ear drum look red, but antibiotics are not needed. They look for fluid in the middle ear, at the colour and position of the ear drum, and monitor the pressure in the middle ear. Doctors diagnose ear infections by looking at the ear drum (tympanic membrane) with a special light called an otoscope. Some children with an ear infection may also have fluid draining from the ear. While younger children might not be able to say they have an earache, they may: Older children will usually complain of an earache. How do I know if my child has an ear infection? Children of First Nations and Inuit descent, though it’s not clear why.Children with cleft palates, as their eustachian tubes are often inflamed.When they are old enough to hold their own bottle well, they should be taught to drink from a regular cup (not a “sippy cup”) and no longer given a bottle. Children should be held upright while drinking a bottle. Milk can enter the eustachian tube and cause inflammation, which increases the risk of an ear infection. Babies who are being bottle-fed, especially if they swallow milk while lying too flat.Breast milk has antibodies that help fight infections. Smoke causes inflammation of the eustachian tube, making ear infections more likely. Children who are exposed to cigarette smoke.Children who attend daycare, because they tend to have more colds.Children less than 5 years old, because they have shorter eustachian tubes.Who is at higher risk for ear infections? Germs travel from the back of the throat when the eustachian tube is swollen from a cold, causing infection in the middle ear.

The eustachian tube connects the middle ear with the back of the throat. Viruses or bacteria (germs) cause middle ear infections. Most ear infections happen when a child has already had a cold for a few days. Although not contagious, the viral illness that caused the infection can be. They are very common, especially in children between 6 months and 3 years of age. Middle ear infections are also called otitis media.

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