When it's time to clean your baby's ears, don't poke inside them with a cotton swab. Although swabbing the outside of the ear is fine, pushing a cotton swab into the ear may push the wax into the ear canal, creating a blockage. If your child is suffering from an ear wax blockage, she may have trouble hearing and may experience pain in the ear. If you think your child has a blocked ear canal, contact her pediatrician for further care. Otherwise, you can prevent the buildup of ear wax at home.
Step 1
Give your baby lots of water to drink during the day, according to BabyCenter.com. When a baby is dehydrated, her ear wax becomes thicker and becomes more difficult to remove from the ear.
Step 2
Leave your baby's ears alone if you don't see any wax on the outside of the ear, says Dr. David Goo, pediatric emergency physician at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Earwax will migrate out of the ear gradually and does not need to be removed until it reaches the opening of the ear canal. Otherwise, the ear may become clogged with wax.
Step 3
Wipe your baby's ears in the bathtub with a warm washcloth. Carefully cleanse the outside of the ears, the back of the ears and the opening of the ear canal to remove excess wax and prevent wax buildup on the outside of the ear.
Step 4
Swab the outside of the ear and the opening of the ear canal with a cotton swab. Dip the cotton swab in warm water, then carefully wipe the ear to prevent wax buildup between baths. Do not swab inside the ear.
Tips and Warnings
- If your baby's ear becomes impacted, your doctor may use a curette, a curved metal instrument, to remove the blockage, according to Baby Center.
- Consult a doctor if your baby could have difficulty hearing due to ear wax blockage.
Things You'll Need
- Washcloth
- Cotton swab
