Day 105 - Ear infection

Today's Tip - A trip to the pediatrician and some antibiotics or a comparable home remedy are needed to stave off an ear infection

Our son had his first illness today...an ear infection. I was surprised to learn they're one of the most common ailments for infants. The pediatrician thinks our son got his from bacteria in the stuffy nose he's had for the past few days. The bugs got back in there and wreaked havoc. Our son had a fever of 102 F and was sleeping quite a bit during the day. (if yours does this at a young age like 3 months, you should head in to the pediatrician)

Some common signs of an ear infection are:

• Fever
• Increased difficulty sleeping
• Fussiness, crying, especially when laying down
• Shaking of the head

Of course, these symptoms separately might not indicate an ear infection, and they could have one without some of these symptoms.

Our pediatrician prescribed amoxicillin. Here's some information about the drug. There are home remedies out there too, and if anyone knows of something they've had success with, I'd love to hear about it.

If your baby's fever doesn't go down within 48 hours of starting the amoxicillin, call your pediatrician for advice. And of course, if the fever gets above anything but a low-grade fever, call your pediatrician as well. The good news is, even though they are common, ear infections are completely treatable and rarely lead to more serious complications unless they're allowed to run rampant.

It's important to treat an ear infection because they can lead to meningitis or to problems with hearing and speech development.

Parenting, Ear, Infection, Amoxicillin