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mary
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| Posted: Jan 27 2007 at 5:49pm | IP Logged
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i wonder if any of you have any advice regarding ear infections. none of my other children had them, but my 7mo baby has had 3 in three months and twice both ears were infected. our ped has recommended antibiotics and my baby throws up all medicine and so she has had Rocephin injections instead. now the ped is suggesting that we consider tubes.
so, i'm hoping you ladies might have some advice for treating ear infections in an infant. what remedies do you use? at what point would you take an infant to the pediatrician? do you have any suggestions for building up her immune system? or avoiding thrush?
i'd appreciate any advice!
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JodieLyn
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I've heard chiropractic adjustment (they do them real soft on tiny ones) are one of the best ways to prevent them.
For the occational one here I use a garlic oil as ear drops (it's purchased.. there's several different types.. mine is mullien oil and garlic)
I've had it clear up an infection in about 24 hrs.
I believe there are studies now that conclude that antibiotics do not help clear up ear infections any faster than leaving them alone.. of course they don't touch viral infections anyway.
You want to take acidophyllus while on antibiotics and for 30 days afterward to keep the good bacteria up while the antibiotics are killing any and all bacteria.. good and bad. That will prevent the thrush and other yeast overgrowth problems.
I don't know about when to take one in because at the first hint of one I use the ear oil and it never gets past a "suspicion" or "precaution". The only time I know we actually had an ear infection was with an almost 3 yr old.. and that was because we'd found a tick on him 3 days before he had a high fever and he kept saying his LEG hurt and never once gave us a clue it could be his EAR.  Soon as the doc said it was his ear.. we thanked him for the offer of antibiotics and left.. got the ear oil and gave one dose of decongestant.. use the ear oil and it was gone in about 24 hrs (no fever at all.. never gave a fever reducer)
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Elizabeth
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We use mullein and garlic in an olive oil infusion for earaches (usually swimmer's ear). I have also used Hyland's drops once after an airplane flight left a little one with an earache. Mary, I found that a persistent ear infection in an infant responded well to chiropractic and the elimination of dairy products. If the baby is nursing, mom drinks/eats no dairy and there is no dairy in baby's diet either. If you are using formula, make sure it's not a dairy formula. I've been dairy free since my second baby and none of those children have had ear infections. My first had chronic ear infections and tubes at six months. We later discovered milk sensitivities. He hasn't had tubes or an ear infection since we eliminated milk.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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guitarnan
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When my ds had dozens of ear infections, I let the pediatrician put him on a "maintenance" dose of amoxycillin. This solved the infection problem but created a different one...he's now allergic to penicillin. I think I would have done tubes as opposed to endless antibiotics, if I knew then what I know now.
Certainly for a tiny baby I would try some of the things the knowledgeable ladies here have suggested, before going to tubes. If that doesn't help, and you're still battling infections a year from now, tubes are an option.
It is also possible that the three infections are really only 1 or 2 that didn't entirely clear up.
My son really had trouble with all oral meds (even tylenol) and we had to use suppositories for him when he had fevers...I don't even know if they make those now! It may be that your daughter is like that...and that the doctor is just frustrated.
Perhaps another doctor would have different ideas for treatment...tubes at 7 mos. sounds really drastic...at least to me.
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mary
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are the drops a particular brand? i have also heard that chiropractic adjustment is helpful and my dh will ask his chiropractor if he will adjust the baby. she was a vag breech birth and has had such a rough start that i really do wonder if adjustments would solve a lot of her issues.
i realize now that i probably shouldn't have been so quick to take her in for ear infections. i didn't know that all ear infections would be treated with antibiotics and that i would then be on a ticker tape of acceptable amounts of ear infections before tubes.
nancy, you are right, the ped is frustrated because baby gemma throws up all meds (and yes they still make tylenol suppositories!) in addition to the ear infections, she has had bronchitis and early on, horrible colic - which was probably reflux. so, she has been to the ped more in 7mo than my other children have ever been.
jodie, how will i get the acidophilis into the baby? she nurses and isn't interested in any food yet.
elizabeth, do you mean just cutting out milk in my diet? (i bf exclusively.)
i so appreciate the help!
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Elizabeth
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Cut all the dairy out of your diet and get her to a chiropractor. Knowing her birth history, I'm SURE chiropractic will be some help.
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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JodieLyn
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I haven't needed to give it to an infant.. but my Dr. Sears book.. recommends it for thrush and you can get it as a powder or liquid and give it to the baby by mouth.. for thrush he mentions applying it on the thrush in the mouth..
perhaps a dropper that you can slip in the corner of her mouth while she's nursing?
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aussieannie
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Jodie's and Elizabeth's suggestion of garlic and mullein oil has solved these problems at our house!
Just a little on a teaspoon, heating it until 'toasty' (that means testing it by putting a bit on my finger and putting and sitting it on the inside of my own ear) then pouring it in and having the child lie down with the treated ear ceiling up, they lie there for 5-10mins and then I pop and bit of cotton wool in the ear for them.
I have always been alternative with our health but the odd painful earache always had me panicking and running to the doctors but this natural remedy has cured it quick every time.
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mary
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we went back to the ped today and the one ear is still not clear dispite 3 shots of rocephin. i suggested the garlic oil, chiropractor and the ped said that he had seen children cured of ear infections after seeing a chiropractor. so, we have an appointment on thursday with my dh's chiropractor. i'm also taking in my older son who struggles with sinus issues.
i did get the garlic oil and put it in the ear that is still infected. the feeling made the baby uncomfortable and she screamed until i got her into the shower and washed it out. is that a normal first time response to having the oil in the ear?
thank you so much for your advice. i really feel like i know so little about alternative remedies. elizabeth, i did get that herb kit and the herbal book you had recommended. there's lots i need to learn!
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Courtney
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I'm impressed that your ped encouraged the chiropractor! My ds had ear infections his whole first year of life. I didn't know much then about chiropractic care. Instead, my ds was on tons of antibiotics and got tubes at 13mths. His tubes never fell out, but grew into his ears and had to be removed at 4yrs old. If I had to do it all over again...definitely chiro! We'll keep your little one in our prayers for a speedy recovery.
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doris
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I'd heard that it's to do with just how long your baby's Eustacian (sp?) tubes are -- ie if they're too short, and it's winter (=more infections around) then they will get more infections. This was the case with my eldest dd who was born in September. She had lots and lots of ear infections. Some doctors gave her antibiotics, some didn't and said that they didn't make any difference.
My other 2 children, born at different seasons, barely had an ear infection between them.
That said, I'd definitely try these great alternative remedies. I took all my dc to the cranial osteopath and that really sorted out various minor ailments. (I didn't know about it when eldest was a baby, or I'd have taken her then. Like Courtney, she ended up with grommets, but is now grommet-free and fine, thank God.)
My only concern would be if the eardrum is actually perforated -- presumably, in that case, you don't want to be putting anything in it at all.
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Topic: advice for treating ear infections
