How To Clean Earwax From Your Baby’s Ears?

When the babies are small, their bodies are more vulnerable and sensitive compared to ours. Therefore, as a mother, you ought to be more careful about maintaining your baby’s cleanliness and general hygiene. One of the tricky areas that is a bit difficult to clean is the baby’s ears, especially the earwax deposit.

So, why does earwax accumulate in the ears and what is the safest way to clean it?

What Is Earwax?

Earwax finds its way to the outward region of the ear canal after being secreted by the ear glands and is also known as ‘cerumen’. It plays an important role to keep our ears healthy by (1):

• Trapping any dirt, dust or foreign matter/particles that may cause irritation to the ears.

• Providing lubrication inside the ears, thus preventing itchiness and discomfort.

• Shielding the ear canalwith a water-resistant protection, so that the area remains dry and free from infection due to bacteria, insects, and other germs.

• Also, it has been found to be antibacterial and antifungal in nature.

However, if there is excess earwax, then it may cause problems to your baby.

How Does Excess Earwax Affect Your Baby?

An excess of earwax can cause blockage of the ear canal and, therefore, may affect your baby’s hearing. Sometimes, if any fluid gets trapped inside the canal, it may lead to ear infections and pain (2). Hence, it is a good idea to get your baby’s ears cleaned periodically.But a baby’s ears are extremely sensitive as well and if you are not cautious enough, you can actually cause harm to the delicate organ.

So, let us examine some dos and don’ts regarding your baby’s ear cleaning ritual.

Important Safety &Hygiene Rules Regarding Earwax Cleaning

• Use Of Cotton Swabs:

You may feel that using cotton buds is a safe and gentle way of ear-cleansing, but it can be quite risky. Pushing the swab beyond a limit can puncture your baby’s delicate eardrum, which can cause moderate to severe hearing impairment.

• Putting Fingers Inside The Ears:

Putting your fingers inside the ear passage may cause irritation to your baby’s ears. Plus, if the finger isn’t clean, there are chances of infection.

• Using A Washcloth Or Wipe:

You can safely use a washcloth dipped in warm water or a wet-wipe to clean the wax from the outer region of the ear, but you must be very careful while cleaning the inner region. Squeeze out all extra moisture from the washcloth or water may enter your baby’s ear canal, which could lead to infections.

• Use Of Ear Drops:

Ear drops are an effective way of cleaning the earwax build-up, but it has to be administered with caution.

1. Never administer any drop without a consultation and prescription from your doctor or your baby’s paediatrician.

2. Plan to administer the drops when the baby is relatively calmer and seems ready for the intervention.

3. The prescribed dosage of the medicine should be accurately filled in the dropper.

4. When you administer the drops, hold the dropper right on top of your baby’s ear canal and make sure that you are pressing the dropper gently and slowly, allowing the drops to enter one by one.

5. Make sure that your baby is not changing his position or getting up immediately. This can result in outward flow of the medicine.

The accumulation of earwax in babies is not uncommon. But it can cause enough irritation or pain to put your baby in distress. Thus, it is important to get your baby checked for excess earwax in case s/he hints of discomfort in the ears. Do consult a doctor and follow the tips mentioned above so that your baby is comforted as soon as possible.

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