Health & Baby
Baby Ear Infections Directory
No matter how conscientious parents are, babies are likely to come down with colds, and colds often lead to ear infections. The typical ear infection, called otitis media, occurs when a cold or allergy causes swelling of the baby's eustachian tube, causing blockage that allows bacteria to grow in the middle ear. Otitis media is particularly common in babies because their immune systems are immature and their eustachian tubes may not effectively drain fluid from the middle ear. There are two types of middle ear infections. Acute otitis media often causes pain, fever, and a bulging red eardrum. Otitis media with effusion (OME) occurs when the middle ear doesn't drain properly and fluid is trapped behind the eardrum. Follow the links below to find WebMD's comprehensive coverage about baby ear infections, what it looks like, how to treat it, and much more.
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Placing ear tubes in kids with ear infections often has to be repeated, and age of initial placement is a factor.