Parents hate to see their infants suffer the pain that comes from ear infections, so they're eager to do whatever it takes to help their babies find relief. Antibiotic medications may be an important part of an ear infection treatment plan for some infants, but for others, antibiotics won't be necessary. Parents need to work with their infants' doctors to decide what's best for their babies.
Watching and Waiting
About 80 percent of children with ear infections see the infections clear up without the use of any antibiotic drug, the medical information website BabyCenter reports, and pediatricians are becoming increasingly cautious about prescribing antibiotics since overusing them can lead infants to develop a resistance that makes antibiotics less effective. So, in some cases, it makes sense for parents to wait and see whether their infants' ear infection symptoms go away on their own. The MayoClinic.com recommends that parents of otherwise healthy infants age 6 months or older who have mild ear infection symptoms wait 72 hours to see if the symptoms improve or worsen. Drugs.com says that often parents simply need to treat infants' pain while watching to see if their symptoms resolve, but if the infants are under 6 months old, parents should take them to a doctor to examine their ears and get prescription antibiotics. Also, says Drugs.com, parents of older babies should take them to a doctor if they have: severe pain, other medical problems, or a fever that's higher than 102 degrees F. Doctors are most likely to prescribe antibiotics for babies older than 6 months of age when their ear infections don't improve in 24 to 48 hours, Drugs.com reports.
Choosing Amoxicillin First
Most doctors prescribe an antibiotic called amoxicillin first to try to clear up ear infections, according to the MayoClinic.com, because it's mild and generally considered safe for many patients, including infants. But Drugs.com cautions that amoxicillin can cause an allergic reaction in babies who are allergic to penicillin, because it's in the same group of medications. Amoxicillin stops bacterial cell walls from forming, which kills bacteria because they need cell walls to live in the body. The MayoClinic.com urges parents to give their children the entire course of amoxicillin prescribed for them, even after the infants' symptoms disappear, because failing to finish all of the antibiotic can cause the ear infection to return in a stronger form.
Progressing to Stronger Drugs
BabyCenter recommends that parents take their infants to a doctor to get their ears checked after completing an entire course of amoxicillin to make sure that the drug completely cleared up the infection. If not, stronger antibiotics such as Augmentin or ceftriaxone may be necessary to totally get rid of the ear infection, says Drugs.com.
