How to Clean Ear Wax from Your Baby’s Ears

by Dr. Sharad ENT All about Health and ENT

It is important to keep your child’s ears clean, but remember that having some earwax is not harmful.

Earwax is beneficial for children as it —

protects their ears from dust and dirt,

lubricates the ear canal, and prevents it from drying out.

I would like to inform you that children under one year of age do not require any special cleaning of their ears on a daily or regular basis.

I often come across parents in the clinic who, in their attempt to clean their child’s ears excessively, end up injuring the ear canal or even puncturing the eardrum.

The maximum cleaning that parents can do for their young children’s ears is to clean the area behind and around the ears while bathing.

This can be done by using a cotton ball or a soft cloth soaked in lukewarm water. Parents should ensure that water does not enter the child’s ear.

There is no need to do anything else to clean a young child’s ears at home.

Remember —

1) NEVER let water enter the child’s ears while bathing,

2) Avoid putting any type of oil in the child’s ears,

3) NEVER USE EARBUDS on a child.

If a child keeps touching or pulling their ears, it may indicate that they are experiencing itching in the ears.

However, If the child is crying while touching or pulling the ears, it may indicate an ear infection, and it is necessary to promptly consult an ENT specialist.

If an ENT specialist examines the child and confirms the presence of earwax, ear drops for softening up the ear wax will be prescribed by the doctor.

You can find a video on how to properly administer ear drops on my channel, and I will also include the link in the description.

For 5 to 7 days, two drops of the ear drops are administered three times a day. The child should be placed in a lying down position with the affected ear facing upwards. Gently pull the earlobe downward to fully open the ear canal.

Two drops of the ear drops are then instilled into the ear. The child should remain in this position for 3 to 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, you can turn the child over so that the medicated ear is now facing downwards, allowing any excess ear drops that have not been absorbed by the wax to come out.

If there is wax in the other ear as well, you can repeat the same steps on the other side.

After administering the drops for 5 to 7 days, visit an ENT specialist who will either perform ear irrigation, also known as syringing, or may even perform ear microsuctioning to remove the wax.