Ear Infections and babies

I don’t know if this will be an informational post or a rant post (could go either way from this first sentence).  Little Thing 3 has his 5th ear infection in 4 months.  FIVE.  Which means he is (almost – I’ll explain this is a minute) on his 5th round of antibiotics.  FIVE.  5 is a lot for a baby so little.

So how do I know it’s an ear infection…

• ear pulling
• irritability
• lack of appetite (or my cooking is bad)
• Doc says those little ears are red and infected
• No fever (fevers are a criteria of ear infections but he never gets them)

And my (good) doctor is good not to put the little boy on the same antibiotic twice (we don’t want to build up a resistance right)…so 5 different antibiotics (which have ranged from berry to banana to vomit flavour…this last one being the latest vomit flavour and thus the minute it hits his tongue he throws up…so he’s on it but since he throws up each time I wonder how much is actually being ingested…thus I think he’s “almost” on antibiotics).

I was going to try not to put him on antibiotics this time…after seeing the CBC David Sazuki report: Austim Enigma which linked rampant antibiotic use to upping the chance of autism.  Also connected diet with autism.  It’s a good watch if you are in the autism community (or not in the community).

But back to the ears.

So we are seriously thinking tubes.  And we have had several suggestions of naturopathy – but I believe his ears are infected because they aren’t draining – which would make it structural and not environmental…any opinions on this?

And tubes are scary because putting a 12 month old under general anaesthetic is scary (wait…putting your child…at any age…in surgery is scary).

So I guess this is an informational rant about babies and ear infections.  And it will probably turn out to be a series since we have to wait another 2 and half months to see the ENT specialist.  ugh.