Is it possible that the redness the doctor saw was the beginning of an ear infection?

Question

Hello, My baby is 7 1/2 months old. We saw her doctor about 4 days ago regarding her reflux. At the appointment, the doctor made routine observations and informed me that her ears were red but not otitis. However, 4 days later my baby is playing after her ears and has difficulty lying down at night.

Martin Payer · Accepted Answer

Hello! Yes, it's possible that the redness was a symptom of an early ear infection Does your child have a fever? Does she have any other symptoms (cough, congestion)? The fact that your child seems to have an earache is a good indicator that there may be a problem. The vast majority of ear infections are viral and this is common in children this age The recommended treatment for a viral ear infection is the use of Tylenol (acetaminophen) and/or Advil (ibuprofen) to control the pain and fever (if present). You can alternate between the two treatments. Following the indications according to your child's weight, Tylenol can be given every 6 hours and Advil every 8 hours. This should help and the infection should clear up in 3-4 days. If the situation becomes worse (e.g. blood in the ears) or if the treatments are not enough to control the pain or fever, it would be better to consult a doctor. Hopefully this answers your question :)