How Do You Prevent Infant Ear Infections?
Ear infections are a common – and very painful – ailment among infants. And there is nothing worse than seeing your baby in pain. Taking steps to prevent an ear infection can save you and your infant from long tear-filled nights. In order to understand how to prevent ear infections, let’s first take a look at why infants are so prone to them. The origin of invasion is the Eustachian tube. This tube acts as a drainage pipe of sorts, taking the emissions created in the middle ear out and away from the delicate ear drum. If bacteria gets into the ear, this tube flushes it out and drains it into the throat. In babies under the age of two, the Eustachian tube is underdeveloped, shorter, and – most importantly – more horizontal than vertical (like it is in adults). Just imagine how inefficient a horizontal drainage pipe can be. And when that tube becomes clogged, bacteria can grow and lead to ear infections. Breastfeed. Among the multitude of reasons to breastfeed, one of the most important
