Baby Pulling Ears

my now 11 month old has always pulled her ears since the day she could grab them! she doesn't have an ear infection either. now that her hair is a little bit longer she just started pulling her hair instead but she will alternate between pulling her ears and he hair :o)
Mine does this when she is drinking from her bottle, she is super active so I think when she has to stay still for feeding time she still has so much energy that she needs to occupy her hands with something.
hope this helps, have a great day!

If it's not her ears, she's teething. Even if you can't see or feel the teeth yet, they may be in the process of coming up. Give her a little Tylenol and something cold to chew on like a frozen wash cloth or a teething ring. This is totally normal.

Teething can make babies have a funny sensations in their ears or allergies may make ear/nose/throat area itchy. Also, she may have just discovered them and it playing with them. If the doctor says her ears look ok, I wouldn't be too concerened

All of kids did this. My mom and grandma had be believing this was a sign of an ear infection....my kids are 5, 3 and 21 months and they all have NEVER had an ear infection. It's just something that they did!
Also my middle son was always a hot baby and still insists on not wearing a jacket when it's cold outside. I always make sure to layer his clothes so he can take off or put on as needed or he sweats like crazy.

Most likely she's teething.

My son (who is now 2) has always messed with his ears. Each time we go to the doctor I make them check his ears, but they are always perfectly healthy. For him I think initially it was because he explored and found his ears. Now he does it when he is tired. He likes to have something to play with when he is tired and if there is nothing else within reach he goes for his ears. I think this is part of his way of self-soothing. I would definitely get your granddaughter's ears checked out to be on the safe side, but thought I would share. :)

She is probably TEETHING! :-)

My daughter is 4 months and she pulls on her cheecks while she is eating. I think its a soothing thing. The thing I would be concerned about is getting hot quickly. How warm is it in the house? Is he bundled up too much? Babies need to dress like we do when we are not moving. Not layed in a tremendous amount of clothing. If everyone is in a shirt and pants, that is what he should be in. Does he just get hot when he eats or cries or all the time? Could very well be an allergic reaction to milk protien maybe? Or maybe his body is taking a little longer to regulate body temperature.

try to distract her with a toy or something when she does it. maybe she needs to do something with her hands and she knows where the ears are.

Grandma is correct- check with the international Chiropractic Pediatric assn- they will give you a referral for someone trained to check this- thank goodness you have grandma!!!
best,k

Every time my daughter has pulled on her ears, it was because she had an ear infection. Now she is old enough to say her ears hurt and then I can have her checked, but back then, when she could not speak, tugging on her ears was her way of showing me she was in pain, sort of how some children point at their throat when they have a throatache because they are too young to say "my throat hurts". She has done this when she has a cold and her ears popped when swallowing, as well as when her ears were newly pierced. Have the doctors tested to see if she has a cold? Does your granddaughter wear earrings? Maybe she is allergic to something, if not metal in earrings, maybe a sheet or pillowcase on which she lays her head down. Better safe than sorry, take her to the doctor for a checkup, to rule out any health problems or maybe consider getting a second opinion. A doctor should not be so quick to dismiss something like this unless they have run all tests necessary to rule out a problem or can offer an explanation for the tugging, so I would consider a second opinion if you're not getting any answers.

Teething. Ask your pediatrician if there's an ear infection. Could be allergies as well.

Trust your instincts - they're usually leading us in the right direction.

My daughter has her 6th ear infection (2nd since having tubes put in a year ago) - never once has she pulled on her ears. Her first ear infection was at 6 months. The only way we ever know she has one is because she begins to drain horribly from her nose.

Be prepared to answer how long this has been going on, any other changes (such as introduction of new foods if she's started solids, switching from breastmilk to formula or trying different formulas). All this information will better help them in making a diagnosis if there is something medically wrong.

Possible sensory integration issues???

At 4 months old is when babies start actually being able to somewhat control their arm and hand movements and grab at things. My first instinct would be possible ear infection and it's good that you had that checked. Maybe she just discovered her ears at this stage and likes how they feel and just wants to touch them. If you feel strongly about something being wrong, it can't hurt to get a second opinion from a different pediatrician.

Best wishes!

I would keep taking them in to the doctor and have them really look. It could be the start of an ear infection, and it will cause other things to occur. Start to look for loss of sleep, not want to eat as much, getting warm, and watch for a fever.

Good Luck

N.

I have a 7 month old that also pulls her ears...it is my sign to know she is tired and ready for a nap. Her grama also thought she had an ear infection but we had it checked and nothing. The getting hot thing I would be concerned with, unless she is fair skinned and also may have too many layers on? i know that our area has had some SUPER cold days lately, for florida, so, def. check though on the flushed face, it could be a sign of something more serious.

Hi S.,

Grandma instincts are rarely wrong! There may be something going on. I was able to dodge ear tubes by taking my little one to the chiropractor. Infections can come up quickly so it may not be there when a doctor looks at her and then appears. The principled upper cervical chiropractor that I use has had extremely good results in keeping the immune system working properly in little ones. If you don't have one go to upspine.com and look for one in your area. If a chiropractor says they can't help youm then you are at the wrong office. Chiropractic is essential in keeping the immune system working properly.

God bless,

M.

It looks like an allergic reaction
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