2020-04-01_Mother_&_Baby

58 | April 2020 |motherandbaby.co.uk

MAMA!

Here’swhatyouneedto know aboutyourlittleone’s ears

Listen up,

MEETTHE

EXPERT

DrHeshamAbdalla

is a dad-of-four,

consultant

paediatricianand

spokespersonfor

theRoyalCollege

ofPaediatricsand

ChildHealth

B

ig ones, little ones, stick to the

head or stick out – just like belly

buttons, our ears are unique

• and a little more complicated
  than you might think! Caring
  for your baby’s ears begins when
  he is just a few hours old and, depending on
  your tot, can be a challenge. If you’re feeling
  a bit all at sea with it all don’t worry though,
  read on to discover all you need to know...

What to look for

Common ear infection symptoms include

grumpiness, her tugging or batting at her ear,

or that she’s not happy being held in a position

where her ear is being touched.

Tiny tubes

Infectionscanoccurin

differentpartsof theear.When

in theear canal, theear canlook

red, feelitchyandpainful, and

mayaffecthearing.

Middle-ear infectionsare most

commonin babiesagedbetween

sixand15 months,becausetheirtiny

Eustachiantubesslopelessthanin an

adult’sear,whichmeansit’s harderforfluid

todrain.Andwhenfluidbuildsupbehind

hereardrum,virusesorbacteriacanget

trappedinside.

Keep

them clean...

Milk,dry skin and other grime can build up

in andaround your little one’s ears, so it’s

importantto keepthem clean. All you need to

dois to weta flannel or cotton bud with clean

warmwater and gently wipe around the edge

oftheear,paying particular attention to the

crackofskin behind. Try not to get any water

intotheear canal. Gently towel dry.

...but not too clean

Earwax might not look pretty,

but it’s there to protect and

lubricate your baby’s ears. You

don’t need to remove it and

never be tempted to stick

anything, including a

cotton bud, into your

child’s ears: ‘You run

the risk of poking

a hole in the thin

piece of tissue

that separates

the outer ear

and the

middle ear,

theear drum,’

saysconsultant

paediatrician

DrHesham

Abdalla.

It takes

all sorts

Ear infections are very common in

children aged six months to three years,

as their immune systems are still

developing. Research suggests that boys

are more prone to getting ear infections

than girls. However, breastfeeding beyond

four months has been shown to lower your

baby’s risk of ear infections. There are

also different types of ear infections.

‘Ear infections are caused by

viruses, bacteria and – rarely

• fungi,’ says Dr
  Hesham.

Testing times

If you give birth in hospital, you may be offered

a newborn hearing test for your baby before

you’re discharged, or you’ll be asked to attend

an appointment in the first few weeks of your

baby’s life. A small, soft earpiece is placed in

your baby’s ear and sounds are played gently

to test her response. It’s not always possible

to get clear results at first, so you may

be offered a second test. The vast

majority of babies do not have any

issues, but if there is a problem you

will be given support.

WORDS KATIE MASTERS PHOTOGRAPHY SHUTTERSTOCK, ISTOCK