How to Maintain Clean and Healthy Ears?

I would leave them alone. The wax is a good thing! Its a sign the ear is doing what its supposed to, it sort of self cleans. If its visible then yes, clean it with a cloth like you've been doing but there's no need to clean in a 2 month old's ears every bath. My pediatrician has told me this and none of my 3 children have EVER had an ear infection. Good luck.

Johnson's makes something called Safety Swabs that is designed so that you can't put the swab too far in.

Ditto about not putting anything in the ear canal, ear wax is how your ears clean themselves out, and I also heard from a science professor that the smell of the ear wax is offensive to bugs so that they won't enter the ear.

When your child is older, while you are bathing your child, warm water will melt the wax and it will wash out. It depends upon the child whether they like their head in the water - very shallow so that it does not reach the face, just enough water so that it covers the ears while laying on their back in the tub. Keep ears in water for a little while to allow wax to melt and then be sure to get water out of ears afterward so that the wax will come out.
That's how I get my sons' hair wet to get ready to shampoo during a bath. They are much older than your daughter.

Do not allow water into ears of a child who has ear tubes or ear infections.

Pouring warm water down into the ear may end up washing the wax back into the ear which you don't want.

That's what I do, not sure what the medical professionsals would think of it.

As your pedidatrician would probably tell you if asked, ear wax is the body's natural and very healthy way of maintaining "ear health." Even though you don't see it happen, larger wax clumps work their way out, not in, on their own. Sometimes you might notice a greasy spot on a crib sheet, for instance--ear wax. My boys are 20 months and 3 years, and I had the same question initially. While I cleaned just inside the shell of the ear with a Q-tip or wash cloth after or during baths, I did not go inside the ear. My older son got his very first ear infection one month before his 3rd birthday. He is quite a healthy guy! Whatever virus he had, his little brother had a double ear infection at the same time, at 17 months (also his first infections). My pediatrician reminded me that bacteria and viruses do happen, and that cleaning their ears as uninvasively as possible is actually what keeps them healthy. So I wouldn't worry about your daughter getting an ear infection. Whether they do or not has less to do with how you clean their ears and a lot more to do with what germs they're exposed to. If she goes into daycare at some point, she'll likely have ear infections because exposure to so many germs is unavoidable. Of course, in the long run, her immune system will be able to withstand more when she gets to public school and could theoretically have fewer absent days than a child who hasn't had the broad exposure to life's little ickies. You're doing fine!

The ear wax is a blessing in disguise. It will not cause an infection, it is keeping out the bad things that can get in to cause the infection. Just ask your baby's doctor.

Try gently using your pinky....this ear wax is very common. I asked my pediatrician about it, and he told me is is normal.

hi C., we use Hydrogen peroxide a few drops from a wet cotton ball 2-3, in each ear. LAy her down on her side and do one ear at a time. then let her tip and just wipe what you can see w/ a q-tip w/out going in the canal. it will bubble up and tickle, sometimes you can even see the wax being pushed out w/ the bubbles. You can do it a few times a week and it is safe and harmless. Plus some people believe it is a way to help prevetn ear infections. My son is 4 and half we have been doing this since he was 2 and I also do it in my ears all of the time bcuz of wax! The pedi and my gp say it is ok. good luck

Our doctor has always told us to leave the babies ears alone. Clean around the ear but never enter the lobe. If children are prone to infection, it's going to happen if there's wax or no wax. I think you can continue as you are and the wax will work it way out.

C., i would call your pedia doctor and ask one of the nurses or at your daughters next visit, this would be an important question that you might have for them

do nothing.. your dr will tell you it will work itself out on it's own.. mention it at the next appt (they look in there anyway) but they probably won't do anything about it..she won't get an infection. it's actually protecting her from getting one.

My son has had alot of ear infections and finally i went to a childrens hospital with him and they said to just leave the wax alone it will eventually fall out on its own. I was surprised that there was no other advice but i was always using qtips and then found out i was the cause of the infections. I felt terrible but since i have left it alone he hasnt had an ear infection in months. Or i have heard you could use a drop of mineral oil to loosen the wax to help if fall out faster. No harm i heard. I work at a pharmacy so usually thats what the pharmacist recommends .

Ear wax is the way that ears clean themselves. Aside from the rare person who actually has a problem with wax build-up that causes hearing problems, just wiping really is enough. The wax will not cause an infection.

Hi C.,

I noticed that my son has a lot of ear wax. Part of that is that their ears are so small that it looks like they have a lot. I asked the Peditrician about it and he said it is normal and healthy and to not really worry about it. You can use a cloth or tissue to just wipe the outside, but I wouldn't worry much beyond that. If they get really bad, the Dr can clean them with a water pic. This doesn't hurt. I actually remember having done as a kid and I always thought it actually felt good.

Good luck

C. - they actually sell qtips for babies. They are shaped sort of funky so that way you cannot go to far into the ear canal. If this doesn't seem to help the problem, I would check with your pediatrician at your next check up and see what he advises. Good luck.

There is Debrox, an ear wax remover thatyou can pick up just about anywhere

M.

i was always told from our doctor to use a small drop of olive oil in each ear and it makes the wax fall out all on its own. WORKS like a dream.

You don't have to do anything. You are not supposed to put anything smaller than your elbow in yours or your daughter's ears. The wax will take care of itself, it will come out eventually. The hairs in your daughter's ears will ward off infection. The best advice is not to do anything, what you are doing by washing her outer ear is enough. I have had four children and never put a q-tip in any of their ears, by advice from their doctor. I have found this to be good advice.

Hi C.,I just went to my 2 month old sons checkup yesterday he is my fourth child and my first to have so much wax outside the canal she said his ears were so clear due to the wax constantly coming out.My other children always need their ears cleaned out.So i guess what i am trying to say is this is a good thing.

You are so right in not using a Qtip. I have 4 children that have tubes and 3 of them have had surgeries beyong that on them. Their ENT's rule is nothing smaller than your elbow goes in ears. Wax is there to protect from infection. If the wax bothers you...bring them to teh pedi and let them suck it out if they even will.

Hi,
My daughter has the same thing and I just wash her ears with a facecloth when she's in the tub. The wax is supposed to be there. Also, I would not go for the Q tip and as you read you will understand why. I was cleaning my ears one day with of course a Q tip,(generic brand) and of course did not heed the advice of nothing smaller than the elbow in the ear. Anyways the tip of the Q tip fell off into my ear. My husband attempted to pull it out with tweezers, ouch. I was able to get it out, myself but it's a good lesson to learn. I won't buy generic anymore and will not use them on my daughter. Hope this helps!

I always used a q-tip and with a rolling action, swab the wax out. It never seemed to do anything adverse to them.

Hi C.,
My daughter had this same problem as an infant. At times the wax coming out of her ear was in clumps the size of a pencil eraser! I was concerned that all the wax might indicate an infection or a problem with her ears/hearing. Her pediatrician reassured me that many babies do produce an overabundance of wax in their ears and that the presence of wax indicates that the ears are doing their job, as wax is the ear's way of protecting itself from irritants. At the doc's advice I let the wax alone to come out on its own. Everything turned out fine; my daughter is now nearly two. She hears and speaks very well and has never had an ear infection. I hope this puts your mind at ease!
L.

At a visit to my daughter's doctor the other day for an ear infection, she told me the wax actually prevents germs from entering the ear canal. You can clear out the easy stuff with a wet cloth, but don't go further than that or you can increase the chance of infection!