How Can I Prevent My Baby From Getting An Ear Infection?

Is your child up to date on scheduled vaccines?

Are you breastfeeding your baby?

Do you know that it is recommended that you breastfeed your baby for at least six months and that you can continue for as long as your baby and you want?

Have you reduced the use of a pacifier?

Do you avoid feeding your baby with a bottle while lying down?

Do you wash your hands and your baby's hands regularly?

Do you avoid exposing your baby to tobacco smoke, given that smoking is associated with an increased incidence of ear infections?

Do you try to limit your child's exposure to other children as much as possible, especially if other children are ill?

Based on your answers, there are several other ways to prevent an ear infection in your baby. Your child should be up to date on its vaccinations. The flu vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine will protect your child from the most common causes of ear infections. You should breastfeed your baby as much as possible because breast milk is rich in antibodies that can protect your baby from various infections. If your baby is six months old, this is the right time to wean it from the pacifier because there is evidence that sucking a pacifier can interfere with the proper functioning of the Eustachian tube.

Based on your answers, you know a lot about preventing an ear infection in your baby. Young children are more likely to suffer from ear infections than adults because they have shorter, flatter and softer Eustachian tubes, which makes it difficult for fluid to drain out of the ear. You should avoid feeding your baby with a bottle while lying down, because that way the milk can collect in its throat and enter the Eustachian tubes. Milk will be an excellent medium for the growth of bacteria in the ear. Regular hand washing will prevent the spread of germs that cause colds and ear infections.