Category: 2. Ear Infections

There are several steps you can take to reduce your child’s risk of developing ear infections, including: Vaccinate your child: Children who are up-to-date on their vaccines get fewer ear infections than their unvaccinated counterparts. The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) protects against 13 types of infection-causing bacteria. Consider breastfeeding: Breast milk contains antibodies that may help reduce the…

With children over the age of 2, ear infections that are not severe are likely to clear on their own, without treatment. “In the meantime, you can treat pain with over-the-counter medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen If there’s no improvement after two to three days, antibiotics may be warranted. Unfortunately, some children suffer from…

For children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends shared decision-making between parents and providers about whether to treat ear infections that are not severe. The best course is often to watch the child for two to three days before prescribing antibiotic treatment. If the child…

Babies under six months almost always receive antibiotics. At this age, children are not fully vaccinated. Equally important, there’s no research about the safety of skipping antibiotics for babies under 6 months of age — and complications from ear infections can be more severe when they occur in young babies. Bacteria trapped behind the eardrum…

Most ear infections go away without treatment. “If your child isn’t in severe pain, your doctor may suggest a ‘wait-and-see’ approach coupled with over-the-counter pain relievers to see if the infection clears on its own,” The reason: Treating an infection with antibiotics may cause the bacteria causing the infections to become resistant to those antibiotics—and…

The telltale sign of an ear infection is pain in and around the ear. Young children can develop ear infections before they are old enough to talk. That means parents are often left guessing why their child appears to be suffering. When your child can’t say “my ear hurts,” the following signs suggest an ear…

Ear infections happen when there is inflammation— usually from trapped bacteria—in the middle ear, the part of the ear connects to the back of the nose and throat. The most common type of ear infection is otitis media, which results when fluid builds up behind the eardrum and parts of the middle ear become infected and…

Ear infections in babies and toddlers are extremely common. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, five out of six children will experience an ear infection before their third birthday. “Many parents are concerned that an ear infection will affect their child’s hearing irreversibly—or that an ear infection will go undetected and untreated,” says David…