How To Deal With Ear Infection In Your Baby During Winters?

Ear infections are quite painful and if your baby happens to have an ear infection it becomes all the more difficult to deal with. Your newborn is not able to express himself or herself and hence you are not able to gauge whether the child is crying because of pain or is there any other related discomfort.

Scroll down to read how you can prevent ear infections in your baby’s ears, but before that let's understand some signs and symptoms of it. 

Ear Infections In Babies – Signs, And Symptoms

1. Irritable baby: If your baby is showing signs of irritability and is crying more than usual and then it can mean he or she is suffering from ear infection.
2. Fever: If your baby has a fever and there are no other signs of discomfort then it can be an infection and if there is fluid drainage from his or her ear then it is an ear infection.
3. Decreased appetite: If your baby who used to take frequent feeds has suddenly stop taking your feeds then it surely means that he or she is suffering from ear infection and you need to consult a doctor immediately.
4. Keeps pulling his or her ear: If your baby is pulling his or her ear frequently and has been crying a lot then there are chances that he or she may be suffering from ear infection. But do look for other symptoms like decreased appetite and fever.

How Can You Treat Your Child's Ear Infection?

Here are few things you can do to ease the pain from ear infections in babies.

1. Breastfeeding: If your baby is less than 6 months then frequent breastfeeding will help in fighting the infection. Your milk has sufficient antibodies to help your baby fight the infection.
2. Elevate your baby’s head: Let your baby’s head be slightly elevated so that there is no blockage and instead there is an easy drainage.
3. Warm compress also helps in easing pain: In order to reduce the pain in your new-born’s ears, you can place warm and moist compress on his or her ears for 10-15 minutes. It will ease the pain
4. Keep your baby hydrated: If your child is older than 6 months then you can offer him or her warm fluids that will keep him or her hydrated. And if your baby is less than 6 months then breastfeeding is the best option for him or her.

Useful Tips To Prevent Ear Infections In Your Child

Exclusive breastfeeding till 6 months: Breastfeed your baby exclusively for 6 months to avoid any sort of infections be it ear infection even

1. Up to date vaccinations: Keep your newborn vaccination chart updated and ensure that your baby has received all his or her vaccinations
2. No smoking or passive smoking: Avoid smoking at any cost – no passive smoking even to avoid ear infection in baby.
3. Maintaining general hygiene: Whenever you are dealing with your baby, maintain general hygiene like washing your hands before and after handling your child to avoid germs transfer.

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