Seventy-five percent of all children will be diagnosed with at least one ear infection before age 3, according to the American Speech Language Hearing Association. This makes ear infections the most commonly diagnosed illness in young children. A study published in the "Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine" found that 31 percent of the children diagnosed with acute ear infections in the study's sample group did not have fevers. High temperatures are not always a symptom of this sometimes painful childhood illness, so knowing what the other symptoms are is critical to being able to spot an ear infection in your baby.
Ear Pulling
Tugging or pulling at the ears can be one symptom of an ear infection in infants, but it will likely not be the only symptom your baby exhibits. Babies tug at their ears for a variety of reasons, including force of habit, itching and even teething. A study published in "Pediatrics" in 1992 found that 0 percent of children involved in the study who had ear pulling as their only symptom were subsequently diagnosed with an ear infection. However, even though ear pulling alone is not a strong indication of an ear infection, it can be a powerful indicator if it is combined with other symptoms.
Fluid in the Ears
Fluid in the ears is another symptom of an ear infection in your baby. Fluid draining from the ears can indicate a more advanced infection, as pressure from the fluid building up on the inside of the ear can cause a small hole in the ear drum. This small hole allows fluid from the inner ear to leak through the ear drum into the outer part of the ear. Call a doctor if your baby has pus or blood draining from her ear.
Moodiness
Excessive crying and moodiness can sometimes be a symptom of an ear infection in an infant. Ear infections become more painful as they get worse, and combined with other symptoms, more tears than usual may be an indicator that your baby is in pain.
Trouble Sleeping
Trouble sleeping can sometimes be a symptom of an ear infection, too. The pain of an ear infection can become worse at night. Alone, trouble sleeping can indicate any of a number of issues that can arise during infancy. Look for other symptoms, such as ear pulling or fluid leakage to determine whether your child's restlessness at night may be due to discomfort from an ear infection.
Hearing Loss
Temporary partial hearing loss is a more serious symptom of an ear infection. It can often be difficult to identify hearing problems in infants. When the ear becomes infected, fluid collects behind the ear drums and the tissues in the ear can swell, distorting sound and causing partial hearing loss. Look for signs that your baby is having trouble hearing. Failure to react to her name being called or not being startled by noises that might otherwise make her jump can indicate trouble hearing.
High Temperature
Infant ear infections don't always involve high temperatures, but they often do. A combination of any of the symptoms of an ear infection with a high temperature can be a strong indicator of an ear infection. Call a doctor if your baby's temperature runs 100.4 degrees or higher, as anything over that is considered to be a fever.
References
- American Speech Language Hearing Association: Causes of Hearing Loss in Children -- Otitis Media
- "Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine"; Signs and Symptoms Predicting Acute Otitis Media; Terho Heikkinen, et al.; January 1995
- "Pediatrics"; Is Ear Pulling Associated with Ear Infection?; Robert E. Baker; December 1992
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: Ear Infections in Children
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Get Smart -- Otitis Media
- MedlinePlus: Ear Infection -- Chronic
