How to Prevent Ear Infections in Babies

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1Avoiding Risks for Infection

2Preventing Common Illnesses

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Tips and Warnings

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Ear infections (otitis media) are very common among young children, including babies. Watching your baby cope with an ear infection can be frustrating and likely makes you worry. Fortunately, you may be able to prevent them by making a few simple lifestyle changes to avoid common risk factors for ear infections. Additionally, since it’s common for ear infections to develop from other illnesses, protect your baby’s health by keeping them clean, getting them vaccinated, and keeping them away from sick people.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Avoiding Risks for Infection

1. 
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   Breastfeed your child if you can. Breastmilk gives your baby the antibodies it needs to help fight off infection. Breastfeed your baby whenever you can, or pump so you can save the milk for later. Continue breastfeeding until you can wean your baby off of the milk.
2. 
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   Give your baby a bottle only while they're sitting up. Babies who drink from a bottle while they’re lying down are more likely to develop ear infections. Fortunately, this is an easy fix, as you just need to keep your baby elevated while they eat.

   • Be sure to instruct other caregivers on how to best hold your baby during feedings.
   • Don’t leave bottles in your baby’s crib, as they will likely sip on the bottle while lying down.

   Variation: Babies who breastfeed are less likely to get ear infections because of the way they position their head while they nurse. Additionally, breast milk contains antibodies that fight infection. However, it’s not always possible to breastfeed, so do what works best for you and your baby.

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3. 
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   Keep your baby away from cigarette smoke. Babies who are exposed to cigarette smoke typically have more ear infections. To keep your baby healthy, never smoke around the baby or in your home. Additionally, move away from others who are smoking, and ask that people not smoke around your baby.

   • Say, “My baby can’t be around cigarette smoke. Do you mind moving away from us while you finish your cigarette?”
   • If you smoke, it’s best to quit, which will benefit both you and your baby. Quitting is really hard, but your doctor can help. Talk to them about quitting aids, such as patches, gum, or prescription medication.

   Tip: Cigarette smoke irritates the eustachian tube inside your ear, which is why it increases the risk of ear infections.
4. 
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   Avoid using cotton swabs to clean your baby’s ears. Cotton swabs can push bacteria and germs deeper into your baby’s ears, which increases the risk of infection. Earwax effectively cleans inside the ear, so you only need to wipe around the outer ear when you clean your baby. Use a soft, clean towel to wipe the external parts of the ear after your baby’s bath.

   • Don’t ever put anything inside your baby’s ears. If you’re worried your baby’s ears need to be cleaned, take them to the doctor.
5. 
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   Wean your baby off its pacifier at 6 months to prevent ear infections. Pacifiers can be a big help when you need your baby to sleep. However, when your baby sucks on their pacifier, the motion may draw bacteria into your baby’s Eustachian tubes. This can cause an ear infection. To reduce your baby’s risk, take away their pacifier at or before the 6-month mark.

   • Using a pacifier is less risky for young babies. However, your baby’s risk of developing an ear infection from sucking on a pacifier goes up as they get older.
6. 
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   Keep water and shampoo out of your baby’s ears. If water and shampoo get in your baby’s ear, they can cause an outer ear infection. When you bathe your baby, be careful that you don’t direct water into their ear. Additionally, watch shampoo suds so that they don’t accidentally go into your baby’s ear. After their bath, dry the outside of your baby’s ears with a clean, dry towel.

   • Once your baby is old enough to dip their head under water, you can talk to your doctor about using earplugs if you’re concerned about infections.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Preventing Common Illnesses

1. 
   1
   Wash your hands regularly so you don’t transfer germs to your baby. Before you handle your baby, scrub your hands with soap and warm water for at least 30 seconds to remove germs and bacteria. Then, dry your hands on a clean towel.

   • It’s especially important to wash your hands often when you’re in public, as you’ll likely come in contact with germs.

   Tip: Carrying around a pocket-sized hand sanitizer is a great way to keep your hands clean on the go. The sanitizer will kill most germs and bacteria.
2. 
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   Wash your baby's hands before they eat. Wet a clean rag, then apply soap to it. Use the rag to wipe your child’s hands until they're clean. Then, rinse away the soap with a clean, wet rag. Finally, dry your baby’s hands with a clean, dry cloth.

   • This will help reduce your baby’s risk of ingesting bacteria or germs.
3. 
   3
   Bathe your baby regularly to keep them clean. Before your baby starts crawling, they only need a bath 3 times a week. Additionally, give them an extra bath if they soil themselves or get dirty. Once your baby starts crawling, bathe them every day to remove dirt and germs.

   • Bathing your baby too often can cause skin irritation, so don’t give them extra baths.
4. 
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   Get your baby vaccinated as recommended by your doctor. Vaccines protect your baby against the illnesses that cause the infections that may lead to ear infections. Make sure you get your baby vaccinated against the flu every year, starting at 6 months. Additionally, get the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13), which protects against bacterial infections, starting at 2 months.

   • You can find the CDC’s recommended vaccination schedule here: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html.
5. 
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   Avoid taking your baby around sick people, whenever possible. Don’t let your child play with sick children, and stay away from friends and family who may be ill. Try to visit busy places like the grocery store at non-peak times, and move away quickly if someone seems to be sick.

   • Being around people who are sick is one of the biggest risks for catching an infection. It’s easy to come into contact with germs, especially if the sick person coughs or sneezes.
   • Many babies can get illnesses easily from daycare, so try to limit the amount of time your child spends there.
6. 
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   Talk to your doctor if your baby may have allergies. Seasonal allergies can lead to a more serious infection. Just like with other illnesses, an infection caused by allergies may result in an ear infection. However, you can prevent this by managing your baby’s allergies, if they have any. Call your doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms of allergies:

   • Sneezing
   • Runny nose
   • Cough
   • Itchy eyes
   • Rash or eczema
   • Upset stomach
   • Breathing issues
   • Make sure you clean your home to avoid getting mold or bugs since these could increase your baby’s allergies.
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Tips

• Ear infections are very common, especially in children. With treatment, your baby will likely recover soon.
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Warnings

• Call your doctor immediately if your baby has a fever higher than 100 °F (38 °C), is tugging on their ear, is crying more than usual, seems to be having trouble hearing, or has fluid draining from their ear.
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