How can you tell if LO has an Ear Infection??

gbaby26

LO tugs at her ear here and there but I feel like it is because she is just playing with it not sure...She has never had an ear infection and I just want to know what to look out for.....I know fever is an obvious one but what else??

pinkzebra

My DD has a double ear infection right now. This is the first time she's been sick and she just wasn't herself. She was fussy (she is usually really easy going and hardly ever fusses so this was a big sign for us that something was wrong) and wasn't eating her bottles or solids very well. She also wasn't sleeping well and woke up several times a night screaming when she usually STTN! I honestly thought it was teething because she never pulled at her ears or ran a fever. I took her in just to make sure and it was a double ear infection but we did catch it early so that was good. If you think it could be one, I'd take her in so they can check to be sure!

rileylr215

My LO has an ear infection right now. He did not tug on his ears at all, but he did have a cough/cold that seemed to get worse over the past couple of days. Like the PP said, he just seemed a bit off.

memali26

DD1 had 6 ear infections before getting tubes placed. Our only signs were very slight fever, poor sleep, and a little extra fussy. 

nugget0411

you totally described DS! i'm taking him in for sure..yikes.

no fever but pulling at ears and the past few days has just been off! 

gmc222

DD has been congested for several days and not the humidifier nor saline drops is helping. Today she woke up with her left eye closed shut from all the eye goop, and the pedi said thats a sign of an ear infection. I'm taking her in today at 2:30.

lbgriffith

LO's has always started with congestion/cold issues.  That would then lead to the ear infection.  He would run a fever but that usually came after I had already noticed him being extra fussy and cranky. 

kelklump

i just got back from the doctor with mine- double inner ear infection and not once did she pull at her ears. She would throw up every time we would lay her down - now we realize it was due to the ears.

kikijbunny

LO has an ear infection and I noticed first that he was more fussy than normal.  The other telltale sign for me (though it took hindsight to recognize it) is that he wouldn't nurse on that side, and it took him a lot longer to settle down to sleep.  No fever or pulling on ears, though.

mel1358

DD will be 6 months on January 3rd and I was just lurking

She has been tugging on her ear off and on for the last 2 1/2 months.  I have had her checked for ear infections even though she had no other symptoms.  I noticed it picked up right before she got her two bottom teeth a couple of weeks ago and then she didn't do it as much.  I have read that some babies when they are teething pull at their ears because they aren't coordinated enough to pinpoint where the pain is coming from.  Apparently this is our case.  If your pedi can't find an ear infection, maybe your LO is teething?  Hope this helps!

Anne Mommy

memali26:

DD1 had 6 ear infections before getting tubes placed. Our only signs were very slight fever, poor sleep, and a little extra fussy. 

This is the same for DS. He just got his first ear infection and other than a very slight fever, he had no symptoms. Use your mom instincts. If you think something is wrong, get LO checked.

Misch

My LO tugs on his ears all the time, more so when he is getting tired or just waking up.  I think it's a soothing thing...He also sometimes tugs on his hair too.  At first when I saw him tugging at his ears I too thought he had an ear infection but my doc said normally he would run a low fever and be really fussy, not necessarily just tug at his ears