Ear Wax….ugh!

Have you noticed that your baby seems to have a lot of earwax. Sometime earwax can build up in a baby’s ear faster than the baby’s body can remove it. It could possibly cause a problem for your baby or be uncomfortable to your baby.

The buildup of earwax is a natural way for the ear to clean itself. The glands in the ear trap dirt and micro-organisms that try to enter the ear canal. The earwax will then harden and be removed from the ear and so taking the dirt with it. Sometimes with a baby the earwax production can build up faster than your baby’s ear can remove it, hence creating a build up of earwax. Babies who have a build up of wax often don’t show any signs of discomfort, however you may see your baby tug at her ears or put her fingers in her ears or you may not. But you will notice a soft or sticky yellow substance in her ear. Most of the time this earwax build up is harmless. However, if it is excessive then it could be more of a problem, your baby may not be able to hear so well and so it could cause speech delays and if your baby were to have an ear infection it would prevent your pediatrician from seeing this properly. You can remove the earwax at home by putting a little hydrogen peroxide in your baby’s ear or a little mineral oil and then a couple of days later flush the ear with a little water to remove the build up. This is much better than using cotton swabs as this may push the wax in deeper. The best thing to do is to check with your pediatrician as he may feel it’s better to remove the wax in his office.

Apparently keeping your baby hydrated can help to prevent thicker earwax production.

Lets help keep those little ears clean!