How to properly clean your child’s ears at home – all about cleaning children’s ears

The accumulation of sulfur occurs in children’s ears in the same way as in their dads and moms. And “kind people” often advise parents to clean the ears of the baby every day and as deeply as possible so that “a plug does not form.” Unfortunately, many mothers do this, not even suspecting that such a deep cleaning of the ears is permissible only under certain circumstances and exclusively at the ENT.

How do you really need to clean the little ones’ ears?

The content of the article:

1. How often and with what can you clean the ears of children?
2. How to clean the ears of a newborn baby – instructions
3. Rules for cleaning ears for children older
4. Questions about cleaning children’s ears – pediatricians answer

Can babies ‘ears be cleaned – how often and how can babies’ ears be cleaned at home?

Cleansing children’s ears should be carried out strictly according to the rules and as carefully as possible!

Rememberthat the eardrums of the newborn baby are not yet protected. In addition, the length of the auditory canals remains small so far. Therefore, we perform this procedure carefully and in accordance with the instructions!

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Why clean the ears of a toddler, and is it necessary at all?

Of course you do. But – not too often, and without much zeal.

And as for the earwax, which annoys mom and dad so much, it is forbidden to clean it at all.

Despite its unattractive appearance, there are several functions that it performs in the body:

• “Lubricates” the eardrum, preventing it from drying out – helps to moisturize the ear canal.
• Provides the function of protecting the ear canal from the ingress of germs, dust, etc.

In addition, it should be noted that after deep cleaning of the ears, this substance will be released several times faster, so mother’s diligence is useless here.

Also, deep cleaning can lead to …

1. Penetration of infection.
2. Injury.
3. Otitis media (approx. – cleaning the ears is the most common cause of otitis media in babies up to a year).
4. Violation of the integrity of the tympanic membrane.
5. The formation of an even denser sulfur plug.
6. Hearing impairment.

If you suspect that there is a sulfur plug and requires immediate removal, go to the ENT immediately!

It is forbidden to perform such manipulations on your own!

What else do you need to remember?

• How to clean your ears? The most popular options are a cotton pad or an ordinary CHILDREN’S cotton swab with a stopper. This restriction prevents the stick from penetrating too deeply into the ear and protects it from injury. Important: the cotton flagellum can leave villi in the baby’s ear, which can not only cause discomfort, but also inflammation.
• How old should you start? Cleaning the ears is a delicate process, and in the first weeks of life, the baby does not need such a procedure. You can start cleaning after 2 weeks, when the baby adapts to the outside world.
• What can not be cleaned with? Any devices that are not intended for these purposes – from matches and toothpicks to ordinary cotton swabs. Also, do not use oils, milk and other “improvised” means to lubricate the flagellum or stick.
• Permitted funds. The list consists of only 1 item: hydrogen peroxide is extremely fresh and no more than 3%. True, babies, with the usual cleaning of their ears, do not need it either, and besides, it is permissible to use the product no more than once a week.
• How often should you clean? Starting from 2 weeks, the little one can clean the ears once a week and a half. The procedure includes cleaning the auricle and the outside area around the ear.
• When to clean? The ideal option is to bathe the baby, feed it and immediately start cleaning the ears. After bathing, the wax in the ears will soften, and as a result of the sucking movements it will come out of the depths of the ear canal.

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How not to clean your baby’s ears?

1. With uncut nails.
2. With a toothpick or a match with wound cotton wool.
3. A flagellum made of non-sterile cotton wool.
4. With penetration deep into the ear.

Prevention of ear diseases – remember the main thing!

• Peroxide is not used for ear problems, and ENT copes quickly and professionally (and safely!) with sulfur plugs!
• After bathing, we check that moisture does not remain in the children’s ears… If available, we use cotton pads with which we carefully absorb water in the ears.

When to see a doctor?

1. If you suspect a sulfuric plug.
2. If there is discharge or blood from the ears.
3. With unpleasant odor from the ears.
4. When the color and consistency of sulfur changes.
5. When redness or inflammation occurs.
6. If a foreign body enters the ear.

How to properly clean the ears of a newborn baby – instructions and rules for cleaning the ears

The main rule of cleaning children’s ears is caution and a sense of proportion.

After an evening swim in the daily “mode”, it is recommended to prevent the following infant problems:

• Crusts behind the ears… They are usually caused by milk dripping down the cheeks and falling into the folds of the ear. If not properly cared for every day, milk residues dry out and turn into irritating and itchy crusts. It is recommended to wipe the skin behind the ears daily and thoroughly absorb moisture with a cotton pad after bathing.
• Crusts like allergies. They can also occur behind the ears due to the use of low-quality baby cosmetics or due to inaccuracies in the mother’s diet.
• Diaper rash behind the ears… Most often they arise due to poor-quality drying of the skin after bathing or insufficient hygiene. After bathing, you should not immediately pull on the cap to the crumbs – first make sure that there is no moisture in the ears and behind them. If the diaper rash persists, see your doctor.

How to clean baby ears – instructions for parents

1. After bathing, moisten cotton swabs (with a stopper!) Or cotton balls in boiled warm water or in a weak solution of peroxide. We do not wet it too much so that it does not flow from the “tool”!
2. We put the baby on its side on the changing table.
3. We carefully clean the area around the ear canal (not inside it!) And the auricle itself.
4. Next, moisten a cotton pad with boiled water and gently cleanse the ear folds (behind the ears). Next, we blot these areas dry so that there is no moisture left.
5. It is recommended to wipe the auricles and areas behind the ears every day, and near the ear canal – once every 7-10 days.
6. It is unacceptable to use one stick (flagellum) for both ears.

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Rules for cleaning ears for children over – how often can you clean your ears?

Older babies, newborn crumbs, also clean their ears without much diligence to avoid ear inflammation, skin irritation and other troubles.

For a healthy baby, ear treatment is enough every 10 days and easy cleaning of the auricles after bathing.

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• We buy 3% peroxide (ideally 1%) at the pharmacy.
• We use an exceptionally warm solution!
• We dilute peroxide 1 to 10 with boiled (distilled) water.
• We put the baby on a barrel and put 3-4 drops of the product in the ear using a regular syringe (without a needle, of course).
• We wait 5-10 minutes and carefully process the area around the ear canal, removing the wax. It is forbidden to climb inside the ear!

Remember that 6% peroxide solution can cause chemical burns!

For severe traffic jams, it is strongly recommended visit to ENT – the baby will get rid of traffic jams, and the mother will learn how to clean the ears correctly.

Pediatricians answer all important questions about cleaning ears for newborns and children.

Mothers always have a lot of questions about cleaning the ears of toddlers.

The most popular of them with answers from pediatricians – to your attention!

• During cleaning, the child bleeds from the ear – why, and what to do? The most common cause is ear canal injury. True, damage to the tympanic membrane cannot be ruled out. In this case, it is recommended not to delay and immediately contact the ENT.
• A child coughs or sneezes while cleaning his ears – is it harmful in this case to continue cleaning his ears? Of course, you should not continue – there is a risk of damage to the eardrum and serious injury to the ear.
• There is a suspicion that the child has a sulfur plug in the ear. Can I clean my ears at home? It is not recommended to remove the sulfur plugs at home by yourself! The specialist carries out the removal of plugs quickly, using special tools and rinsing.
• After cleaning the ears, the child is constantly crying, the ear hurts – what to do? The main cause of pain after cleaning your ears is too aggressive and deep cleaning. It is unacceptable to get inside the auditory opening! If the baby cries constantly, even with external cleaning of the ears, it is strongly recommended to consult a doctor – otitis media may develop or there may be an injury.
• Is it harmful to drip hydrogen peroxide into a child’s ears to remove sulfur? This product is not recommended for cleaning the ears of babies under 6 months old. Also, you can not use peroxide for otitis media and hypersensitivity. The decision to use peroxide is made by the ENT, according to the disease.
• How to dry your child’s ears after bathing? It is unacceptable to dry the ears with a hairdryer (sometimes it happens), warm them up with a heating pad, use a syringe, shake the baby or shove sticks into the ears to absorb water! Moisture is removed by soaking with a cotton pad or by introducing cotton cords to a depth of no more than 0.5 cm. After bathing, the baby is placed on one barrel so that all the water flows outward, and then onto another barrel.

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