Ear Infection Prevention

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 risk of ear infections and a host of other ailments. Whether you feed milk or formula, make sure your child sits up during feedings to prevent fluid from flowing into the middle ear.
• Wash your hands frequently: The best way to protect your child against cold and flu is to keep your hands clean. Wash your hands with soap and water and scrub them clean for a full 20 seconds each time you visit the sink.
• Steer clear of sick people: Don’t allow your child to spend time with children or adults who are sick.
• Avoid secondhand smoke: Studies show that children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are up to three times more likely to develop ear infections than those who don’t have those exposures.

Whether your child has ear infections or not, it’s important to ensure they’re able to hear well. “No child is too young to have a hearing test,” Tunkel says. “We use a variety of techniques to test infant hearing and we can identify a hearing problem even in newborns.”