Keeping your child’s ears healthy and clean is an important part of their care. Their little ears are highly sensitive organs, and they go through a lot in a day, whether it’s dust, dirt, playdough or even food that can sometimes get where is shouldn’t!
Everyone’s ears produce earwax as a healthy and normal function. Earwax, or cerumen, is created by glands in the ear canal to trap and remove dirt, dust and germs. The creation of earwax part of the ear’s self-cleaning mechanism and also works to repel water[1].
While we tend to think of babies as brand new, seeing a small amount of earwax in their ears is normal and healthy. Normally, the wax should move out of the ear canal and fall out on its own. However, sometimes their earwax requires intervention.
In this article, the team at Earol along with an expert Acute Advanced Clinical Nurse Specialist, address some of the most common questions asked about baby ear health.
Q. When should I clean my baby’s ears?
Hilary Harkin, Acute Advanced Clinical Nurse Specialist at The Hearing Implant Centre comments, “10% of kids aged 0-43 tend to suffer with a build-up of wax in one or both ears. Parents are often tempted to clean the baby’s ears when they see wax at the entrance to the ear canal. However, research tells us that fiddling and / or cleaning inside the ear canal encourages the ear to produce more wax. This can lead to wax building up and blocking the ear canal. This can reduce the baby or child’s hearing, which quickly becomes a cause for concern.
If your child appears to be producing a lot of earwax then just wipe the entrance of the ear with a soft tissue after a bath or shower. Do not insert anything into the ear canal to clean it. It is a good sign if the ear canal is naturally managing the wax and it is coming out of the entrance of the canal where it can be seen and wiped away.”
Q. What do I do if my baby or child is producing a lot of wax?
Hilary comments[2], “If your baby or child is producing a lot of earwax, or they suffer with a dry skin condition such as eczema, they may benefit from one occasional spray of Baby Earol in both ears. Baby Earol can be used to help the ear canal naturally manage the wax. One spray of Baby Earol in both ears once a fortnight can lubricate the wax and encourage its movement out to the entrance of the ear canal, where it can be removed with a soft tissue.”
Q. What is a normal colour and consistency for baby earwax?
Children and baby’s earwax can be brown, yellow or black, and it may be sticky and moist or dry and flaky.
Q. How do I clean my baby’s ears safely[3]?
Just as you wash their face, the safest way to clean a baby’s outer ear is with clean water. Cleaning is best done after bathing, as the wax will already be slightly soft. Lie young babies on a towel on their changing mat to clean their ears.
- Moisten a soft tissue, cotton ball or cloth with clean warm water. Soap can be irritating to sensitive baby skin, so water is enough. If you use a flannel, squeeze excess water out to avoid getting water in the ear.
- Wipe gently around the outer ear and behind the ear to remove wax or dirt. Do not try to clean inside the ear canal, Baby Earol can help with this instead.
- Gently pat the ears dry with a soft towel[4]
Q. Are cotton swabs safe for my child’s ears?
Cotton swabs are not recommended for cleaning anybody’s ears. The danger of cotton swabs is that they may push wax further into the ear, leading to ear wax build-up that can be painful and affect hearing[5]. Clinical advice is to never put anything smaller than your elbow into your own or your child’s ear. This is because healthy ear wax will come out of the ear by itself[6].
Q. Is it safe to clean my child’s ears at home?
It is safe to clean the outside of children’s ears, but the inside of the ear canal can clean itself. If there is impacted or built-up earwax in the ear canal, seek medical advice. Your
doctor may recommend a mild olive oil ear spray for children’s ears, to loosen and break up the impacted wax. They may also ask you to make an appointment for ear wax removal in clinic so that they can remove the ear wax blockage safely[7].
Q. What is Baby Earol and how will it help?
Baby Earol is a clinically proven olive oil-based ear spray for infants from Earol , clinically proven to help clear ear wax blockages in babies and children older than six months. It delivers a metered dose spray of a blend of pharmaceutical-grade olive oil and mineral oil into the outer ear to loosen and break up ear wax blockages and to help prevent future build-ups.
With babies’ safety in mind, the patented design with a tapered actuator makes it impossible to insert it too far into the ear canal. You can be reassured that this is a gentle way to remove ear wax, without damaging your child’s ears.
Baby Earol is available in Boots in-store and online, as well as Amazon. The RRP is £6.50 for 10ml, which provides approximately 180 doses. Find out more at www.earol.co.uk.
Disclaimer: Baby Earol spray should be used as directed by Pharmacist, Audiologist, Doctor or Nurse.
[1] Keller, 2007; Rakel, 2016; Chin, 2022
[2] https://earol.co.uk/ear-care/how-to-safely-clean-your-childs-ears/
[3] https://earol.co.uk/ear-care/how-to-safely-clean-your-childs-ears/
[4] NHS, Washing and bathing your baby, 2021 15 Sep. at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/caring-for-a-newborn/washing-and-bathing-your-baby/
[5] Earwax build-up, NHS inform [Internet] 23 March 23, accessed 24 May 23 at https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/ears-nose-and-throat/earwax-build-up
[6] Dean L. ‘Don’t put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear: the genetics of ear wax.’ 2006 Oct 11. In: Dean L, McEntyre J, editors. Coffee Break: Tutorials for NCBI Tools [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Center for Biotechnology Information (US); 1999-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2333/
[7] NHS, Earwax Build-Up, accessed 24 May 23 at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/earwax-build-up/