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| E Etomi |
Ear
infection is an allergy caused by bacteria infection. It can also be referred
to an inflammation of the middle ear and if carefully observed, you will see
mucus dripping out your baby’s ear. If not treated on-time it will result to a
ruptured ear drum. Ear infection is one common illness in infants between ages
0 – 3 years. Infection of the ear in children induces pain which
results to fever and if not paid attention to, it gradually ruptures the
child’s ear drum thereby reducing the baby’s ability of a child to hear
properly. Read On
Does your
baby cry more often than usual? If you have observed your baby’s unusual
fussiness, then something is wrong or when you lye your baby on one side after
a few minutes you notice some discomfort but when you change the position to
the other side the baby is calm; it means the ear facing down may have pulse
filled inside that needs to be drained and treated quickly to avoid further
damage. Ear infection comes with severe pain in adults (It’s not a pleasant experience)
much less an infant and you know an infant cannot tell you where he or she is
hurting.
There are several signs to tell your baby may have an ear infection. Take for example,
when your baby is lying down with his or her side with the infected ear facing
up, you will notice some sort of discomfort and pain because the pressure is on
the "Eustachian Tubes" but that is not all. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention recommends consult a doctor if your
baby shows any of the below signs:
Signs Your Baby Has an Ear Infection
- Tugging or batting at the ear
- Irritability – Making the baby unwilling to lye down flat
- Pain – Baby cry often
- Trouble sleeping
- Loss of appetite – your baby may find it difficult to swallow food
- Fever – Between 101 to 104ยบ F (At this point consult a doctor)
- Pus dripping from ear – white, yellowish fluid or blood dripping from the ear with a filthy smell
When you notice the
above signs as listed above do not waist time, ensure you take your baby to see
an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) doctor for immediate and adequate treatment.
Home Remedy/First Aid
- Water: Give your child enough water help open the Eustachian tube so the trapped fluid can drain.
- Olive Oil and Sesame Oil: A drop of “slightly warm” olive oil or sesame oil in the affected ear may help relieve inflammation and pain until morning.
Preventing Ear Infection
- Vaccinate your child at the appropriate time
- Proper Bottle Position helps reduce risk of infection in infant
- After feeding, slightly raise your baby’s crib at the head to improve your baby’s sinus drainage. Place a pillow or two under the mattress but not place pillows directly under your baby’s head.
- After feeding/breastfeeding your baby, please wait for a while for the baby to belch by burping the baby at intervals (in between meals and after meals).
Conclusion: Infection of The Ear in Babies between Ages 0-3 years
Kindly share your own experience (good or bad) with other mothers out there by leaving us a comment - What
remedy did you used to treat your baby's ear infection successfully? New and
intending mums wants can learn from your experience
to avert making a mistake that may reduce an infant’s ability to hear or deafness
of their child. Is there a topic you want us to write about? Send us a mail via momsandbabiesnaija@gmail.com
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