Preventing Ear Infection

Infection is one word which can send chills down the spine of parents. It is needless to say that babies are more prone to infections since they have a weaker immune system. Ear Infection is one of the most common infections that occur in children. It is said that 75% of babies have had at least one ear infection before their third birthday.  

Like any other infection, an ear infection too requires antibiotics for treatment. To rescue your baby from this annoying illness, we will discuss with you how you can prevent it.

What Causes Ear Infection?

When the Eustachian tube, a small tube that connects the middle ear to the nose and throat, gets swollen or fluffy, there is no clear tract available. With a choked tract, the fluid that is supposed to be drained out of the ear gets trapped and leads to germs that cause ear infection.

In kids, ear infection often begins with sore throat or cold. Often, the bacteria in the respiratory system also spread to the middle ear, thus causing ear infection.

Preventing Ear Infection

When your little one is down with infection, it is certainly not a good feeling. And like any other good parent, you would desperately want to get your baby rid of that vexing infection. Prevention is definitely better than cure. So let us look at the various ways to safeguard your nipper from the worrisome ear infection:

1. Cold and flu are contagious and they cause ear infection. Keep your baby away from others who are suffering from cold or flu.
2. Breastfeeding your baby can help reduce the risk of ear infections.
3. Kids should not lie down and take feed from a bottle. This could lead to the liquid getting trapped in the Eustachian tube.
4. Maintain proper hygiene of your baby and keep their surrounding absolutely clean.
5. Pacifier is also a reason for ear infections. Try to keep your baby away or at least limit the use of pacifiers.
6. Children whose parents smoke are more prone to ear infection.
7. Get all the vaccinations done on time.
8. For regular check-ups or vaccines, take your baby to a renowned baby care center with special attention to the cleanliness.

These are the ways to help reduce the risk of ear infection in your child. As Benjamin Franklin rightly said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”