Lottie
New Member
During the first year of life, your baby will reach many milestones. Unfortunately, her first ear infection is one of them. Ear infections (or otitis media) often appear between 4 and 6 months of age, following a baby’s first cold or other upper-respiratory infection, such as the flu or strep throat. These bacterial infections cause pressure to build up in the middle ear, making your child irritable, especially at night. Ear infections usually merit a trip to the pediatrician’s office, where the doctor will most likely prescribe antibiotics.
Though ear infections are common, diagnosing them as a parent isn’t easy—especially when your baby is non-verbal and can’t explain the source of her tears. If this is the case, watch closely for telltale signs, such as your baby pulling at her ear and crying. Babies with ear infections may cry even more during feedings because sucking and swallowing can cause painful pressure changes in the ear.
What Causes Ear Infections?
Babies and toddlers are particularly susceptible to ear infections. For starters, they have weak immune systems, causing them to contract lots of colds. Another strike against them is that their Eustachian tubes—the narrow canals connecting the middle ear to the back of the throat and nose—are shorter and more horizontal than those of adults. Therefore, when a young child catches a cold or the flu, his Eustacian tubes become inflamed and swell up. This allows for fluid in the ear to pool and become trapped in the Eustachian tubes, creating the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria and viruses. The end result: a painful infection.
More infor go to the source, click here: Parenthood.com
Though ear infections are common, diagnosing them as a parent isn’t easy—especially when your baby is non-verbal and can’t explain the source of her tears. If this is the case, watch closely for telltale signs, such as your baby pulling at her ear and crying. Babies with ear infections may cry even more during feedings because sucking and swallowing can cause painful pressure changes in the ear.
What Causes Ear Infections?
Babies and toddlers are particularly susceptible to ear infections. For starters, they have weak immune systems, causing them to contract lots of colds. Another strike against them is that their Eustachian tubes—the narrow canals connecting the middle ear to the back of the throat and nose—are shorter and more horizontal than those of adults. Therefore, when a young child catches a cold or the flu, his Eustacian tubes become inflamed and swell up. This allows for fluid in the ear to pool and become trapped in the Eustachian tubes, creating the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria and viruses. The end result: a painful infection.
More infor go to the source, click here: Parenthood.com