How to Clean your Baby’s Ears

One of the concerns many new parents have is how to clean baby ears from wax buildup. You may already know this can be risky business due to the sensitivity of an infant’s ear drum. So, how do you safely remove earwax from your baby’s ears? There are in fact, many safe ways to do this without rupturing or hurting your baby’s ears, but there are important things to know before.

Before you clean your baby’s ears you should know earwax is actually part of keeping your ears clean and healthy. Earwax, which is also called cerumen, traps the dirt, dust, and other particles that enter the ear canal and can potentially cause harm. The waxy buildup is made from a mixture of discharge from your sebaceous and sweat glands found in your skin near your hair and ears. Babies shouldn’t experience much buildup because they don’t have an abundance of discharge from these glands. If you notice your baby has more than the usual amount of earwax buildup in his ear, contact your pediatrician right away because it could be an ear infection.

The best way to handle earwax is to leave it alone. Never go mining for wax in your child’s ear because you could rupture their ear drum or they can get the idea of sticking a Q-tip into their ear from watching you and seriously hurt themselves. If you must clean your baby’s ear you can try the most commonly used technique of using a damp, warm wash cloth. Using the wash cloth gently clean around the outer-ear and just a short way into the canal. Never go any further or stick or pour any liquid down the canals without speaking to your pediatrician first. Using a damp cloth is the safest way to clean your baby’s ears, but there are a few other home remedies you can try with the permission of your doctor. One of these is only if your baby has an ear infection. You can use hydrogen peroxide mixed with water and carefully use a dropper to drop the solution into your baby’s ear to remove the built-up wax below. However, this procedure is mostly used on toddlers and older children. Your doctor may have other methods to use on your baby.

Normally, bath time should keep your baby’s ears clean. You should only clean your baby’s ears if you notice unusual buildup, otherwise leave the normal wax alone. If your baby is showing signs of discomfort in his ears it should never be overlooked. Earwax buildup can seriously affect your baby’s health and cause painful infections which can trigger the ear to drain a yellowish liquid. Furthermore, if the infection continues without acknowledgment your baby’s hearing can become muffled or even lost.

Make sure to keep a close eye on your baby’s ears, especially during bath time. It’s important to practice safe hygiene to prevent earwax buildup and infections.

 

 

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