Ear infection tips?

10 month old with chronic ear infections?

• This was my question before, but i want to add some info to get some more feedback.... My son is 10 months old today. When we took him in for his 6 month check up he had an ear infection and was put on antibiotics. We took him back two weeks later for a recheck and he was clear. Went in for his 9 month well visit and he had another ear infection. He was put on antibiotics. Took him back two weeks later for a recheck and he still had the ear infection. Doctor put him on stronger antibiotics. He goes back Saturday to be checked again. I need some tips on what to do to prevent it. I run the humidifier, wash his hands, try not to get water in his ears in the bath, he doesn't drink out of a bottle or take a pacifier...what else? I asked the doctor about tubes and he told me that he doesn't send kids to an ENT unless they have fluid without infection for 3 months in a row OR an ear infection that doesn't get better with four different antibiotics. That seems a bit much to me. Is that how your ped is? UPDATE: we went back to the ped for a check to make sure the infection was gone (and it was) and he was starting to get a cold. less than one week later, i decided to take him back in to make sure the infection had not returned...it has! what would you do if this were your 10 month old child??

• Answer:

  This actually was my child a yr ago. My daughter also had tonsils swollen so big, they almost touched. The pediatrician said, if he sent her to an ENT, they would want to remove her tonsils and put tubes in her ears, and he wanted to see if the meds would work 1st... And they didn't. I finally told the Dr that I wanted a referral, and if he did not give me one, I was going to take her somewhere else to get it... He gave it to me. She had her tonsils and adenoids out, and tubes in ears. She actually got pneumonia the day after she had surgery bc she aspirated during the procedure. She was very sick with 104-105 fevers and in the hospital for a week. The tubes did help though, every time she got an infection after the tubes were in, her ears would drain, and the infection would clear up with drops and antibiotics. So they did help her. It's unfortunate that she got so sick, and I thank God that she got okay... But it was something that had to be done. From the time I 1st took her for her tonsils with waiting for the Dr to refer us, then waiting for her surgery date was almost 3 mos. She was miserable, she would gag every time she ate, and some times got a little choked. It was horrible.