9 Month Old Having Tubes Put in Ears

Have you tried chiropractic? It's worked for my own kids' ear infections, and many other kids I know. Completely went away except for one kid out of maybe 20 who had a different shaped ear drum and still needed the tubes.

We had it done at 15 months, but she continued to have problems after the tubes were put in.

We later found out that she had a dairy allergy which while she still seems to get every single virus she can now recover from them without it turning into an ear infection or sinus infection. Since we took her off dairy she has only had 1 ear infection.

I do think the tubes have helped her, but finding the underlying cause was the real fix to this. I cannot get ear plugs to stay in her ears and it is a pain in the you know what.

I am a nervous mommy too. I only once had a daughter of mine shot up with antibiotics for an earache. It was a terrible mistake as she had an allergic reaction.
After that I resorted to natural remedies. They have to build an immune system. My kids never got sick before they were a year old.
However, I've been in private practice for many long years and cannot image
why doctors put tubes in the ears when so many other methods exist. I will say this three times. Get your child to a homeopath. Get your child to one who is a classical homeopath. Look up homeopathy on the net. It is a method in wide use throughout the world and all across America.

I was in your same boat with my daughter. We found out she needed them because at 18 mo she was NOT TALKING. She did not say mom, bottle, or even the 1st word every baby seems to day. "da da" She could not hear with the fluid by her ears. So imagine being under water, you hear sounds but it is muffled. Kind of like the Charlie Brown cartoon's adult speakers. :)

After her tubes but in she blossomed with her words, and the ear infections came to a stop.

My son was 18 months when he got his. He was fine for the 1st few months after he was born. Then he started to get ear infections monthly. After he turned a year old he was on an antibiotic for 3 months straight. Nothing worked for him. To this day he can not take regular augmenten (sp) if he happens to get a sinus infection or just recently he had an infection in his mouth due to a problem with his braces.

I was a nervous wreck when he went in. The procedure was less than 15 minutes. It was had to have them take him as it is a minor surgery after all, but it is regularly done that its second nature for the doctors. I wish I would of had it done earlier and would gladly do it again. He now will be 10 in March and in the last 8 1/2 years has had only 1 other ear infection. The first year or so the ear plugs can be a pain, buts its better to deal with that than to deal with the fact I have to tell the dentist that the little amount of antibiotic is not good enough to get rid of an easy infection.

Let him get it done now and yeah the ear plugs will be a pain with the pool and the boat but it will save you from being home with a sick little one and will let you enjoy your summer!

I ant to encourage you to to try something else too. My son was in the same boat as yours until I mentioned to my chiropracter that he was having problems. He asked if I would consider letting him give a try before we did anything. I did and am so happy that I did. He is now 5 years old and has never had another ear infection. he very gently adjusted my sons neck by gentle pressure and playing a game with him. The first time he did it my sons cheecks got red and he gave this big old smile. A chiropracter to explain why it helps, I just know it does. My daughter now 1 is also a regular and we have seen very little illness in her and no ear issues. I think it is worth a try.

You will need to do the earplugs, I would do them anyway if he has that many ear infections. He may have gotten some of them from the water in the pool. Water had minuscule critters in it and any water that gets in the canal can cause infections. Ear plugs are not such a big deal and there are other ways of keeping water out and aren't so invasive, like ear bands. They fit over the head like a headband that covers the ears during snow skiing.

The surgery may be hard for you but the baby won't remember any of it after a few hours. The tubes will help him be healthier.

My son was 1 1/2 when we finally put tubes in. Honestly if I would have known what a change for the BETTER it would have been, I would have done it when he was younger. The main thing I was worried about was the anesthesia. But by the time you go and sit in the waiting room...they are done. I would DEFINETLY have it done again!!! Believe me it will give him much relief and you as well, my son hasn't been sick like he used to be before especially with the ear infections since we've gotten the tubes. The doctors office also gave us special ear plugs to use and he loves them! I was so suprised because he used to hate anyone touching his ears, and never kept the wax plugs in at all! Good Luck!

My son had tubes put in at nine months (he's now 18 months old). We ended up deciding right before surgery to have his adenoids taken out as well due to all of his issues. Within the few months following the surgery, he had three ear infections, but so far, none since the fall. He previously had ten infections in a six-month period, so it was a vast improvement. One tube was ineffective as it was blocked with blood from the surgery, but it finally cleared itself out. It definitely is difficult to have your child get surgery, to watch them be put to sleep, but in my opinion, the pain that they go through with all of the infections is harder on them than the five-minute surgery. Good luck!

Three of my four kids got tubes between ages of 9 and 11 months. Despite my breastfeeding, they had "flat" ear anatomy. They were in day care and were getting infections on top of each other and it was terrible medicating them constantly. The kids did fine with the surgery, and the tubes stayed in for a long time. Good luck!

My daughter got her tubes in last March when she was 10 months old. Best decision EVER! She hasn't had a single ear infection since then (knock on wood).

I was very nervous also, but the procedure literally takes 10 minutes. It was done in the morning and by lunchtime, she was back to herself and you'd never know she had anything done. They have truly been fabulous and you will be so glad you did it!!

Yep, I'd do it again. My son was about that age when he got tubes. He was much better afterwards. I would like to warn you, however. When he first got out of surgery, he screamed for a good 45 minutes afterwards. He was so young that I didn't know exactly the reason, but from the looks on his face, it seemed like he didn't like the affects of the anesthesia. He just seemed almost confused and unsure -- that was pretty scary. I made sure he wasn't hurt & just held him & tried to console him. After he finally went down for a nap, he was great. No side affects & no more doctor visits/antibiotics. I would do it again! =)

My son was 9 months old when I made the decision to have tubes put in. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. He has only had one ear infection since the procedure ( he is 10 years old now). He had it done at a children's hospital where they worked great with kids. I never worried about the ear plugs.

My son got tubes in his ears right when he turned 1 (surgery was literally the day after is 1st birthday). I would do it again in an instant. His have been in for over a year now and he hasn't nearly as sick as he had been before tubes. No ear infections that I can tell. I was nervous about him having surgery but it was so quick & easy. He was pretty much back to normal the same afternoon as surgery. I'm very glad we decided to get tubes put in. My son has been much happier & healthier!

We did not regret it. My son (now 6.5) had them at 21 months. Worrying is normal! I did not sleep the whole night before and I cried all morning before his "surgery". I was just so scared. The surgery takes 10 minutes (like the other mom said). His did fall out when he was 3, but he did not need them replaced. Funny story...my second son (now almost 4) was born with a complex heart defect. He needed his 1st open heart surgery at 11 days old. I was, understandably, beside myself about it. The only thing that made me crack a smile in the days leading up to his surgery was when my husband reminded me how scared we were when our oldest had tubes. At that time, tubes were the scariest thing we had been through as parents:) You'll be happy you did it!

My son just got them 2 months ago, at 12 months. Would I do it again? So far, yes. Overall he is a much happier child and sleeping all night consistently. I'm SO glad to leave the weeks of antibiotics behind, they wreak havoc on their little stomachs. The procedure is quick. My son was cranky for about an hour, then he slept for 2 hours at home, then he was up and playing happily. It is nerve-wracking at the time, but it really is over quickly and you will have a happier boy. Good luck!

they are helpful for countless kids, and they can cause huge complications for others. we belong to the second group. even with that in mind, when you have to then you have to, but no matter what anyone tells you, earplugs are a must after tubes are put in. otherwise water will get in, cause infection and have the tubes come out earlier than supposed to. also remember, tubes last for about 9 to 12 months. so it may not be a permanent solution and you may be asked to have them put in again. my advice is, do it once. no more. the eardrum gets scarred, can collapse, cause more problems than you want to know.

My son got tubes at 12 months and it was THE BEST THING we ever did for him. He started walking and talking DAYS after the tubes went in... both things were being hampered by his hearing/equilibrium. He's had a couple ear infections in the past two years, but they can be gotten rid of quickly with ear drops rather than oral antibiotics. The earplugs were not a big deal -- we have a pool and my son actually loved wearing them with his swim cap this summer. We got the silicone kind that are like balls you push over the ear. The sculpted kind the ENT gave me did not work - they fell out. Your little guy isn't going to be doing a significant amount of underwater swimming this year anyway. You don't need the earplugs for just splashing in the pool -- only for full submersion. Good luck!

ETA: Also, the tube insertion itself literally takes 10 minutes. You'll have to wait around for the doctor to be ready, but once he goes back, seriously, you will have time to pee and pick up a magazine and they will be out to tell you it's all done!

Hi K.!
My daughter is now on her 3rd set of tubes. She was 10 months old when she got her first set. It did wonders for her. Before her tubes, she had an ear infection every month. She can no longer take amoxicillin because it doesn't help at all! Your little boy will do great! She didn't even have any pain after the surgery.

Good luck!

My ds was 8 mos old when he got tubes this past summer and I would absolutely do it again. I was nervous, I have to admit, but he has NOT had a single infection since. He had been dealing with a constant infection for 6 mos, no lie. He had a couple of days, literally, that he was not on some sort of medication. Best decision we made! You're doing the right thing. It's normal to be nervous, he's your baby and you're mommy. Just trust your instincts and the people that are advising you medically. Good luck!

My son had tubes put in when he was 20 months, and my daughter just had tubes put in last month (she was 17 months old), and I would do it again in a heartbeat. With my baby girl, she had an awful time in the fall, and from September to December (when she had the tubes put in), she was fever-free for maybe 8 days total, and went through 4 different antibiotics, trying to keep her healthy. Since she had the tubes in, she has run a couple low grade fevers for a couple days, but no high fevers & no antibiotics!!! :) she is so much happier now, and I'm so glad we did it. It also really is not an invasive surgery at all - for adults, they actually do the procedure right in the doctor's office, without anesthesia, but since kids cannot sit still that long, they have to put them under to get the tubes in. The actual procedure takes less than 5 minutes - with my daughter, I literally was in the waiting room for 3 minutes before the surgeon came out to get me to come back in to recovery for her.

good luck with you decision - i hope your little guy feels better soon! :)
~T.