Baby's Itchy Ears!

I agree with the others, it looks likek an allergy to her shampoo. Try using another shampoo, and only wash her or wash her hair every other day.

In the mean time, put Vaseline or lotion on her ears where she scratches. This will make them itch less.

Go have your doc check her out. You want to make sure she doesn't have an ear infection or any type of rash. Also, you may get offended, but wash her ears really well. Then lotion them up. (I often find food caked behind my boys' ears when my husband doesn't do a good job of cleaning them after meals.)

You may want to get her ears looked at, it could be an ear infection. My son has chronic ear infections and that's one sign I know he either has one or one is coming.

Take a look at the products you are using to bathe her. She might be having a reaction to the shampoo and/or bath soap. Try to change her shampoo and see if it clears up - this might take about a week or so. I have a bad allergy to Pantene shampoo - only effects my ears. They get really itchy and usually start to peel. Trust me - if this is it, she probably wants to rip her ears off. It's an awful allergy.
You should definitely check w/ your pediatrician as well.

Since you are committed to having a healthy family, you most likely already have your family under care but my suggestion is chiropractic. Have you ever had your daughter's spine and nervous system checked by a chiropractor? She may have interference in her nervous system and need to be adjusted. There is great information at www.ICPA4kids.org and you can also find a local chiropractor who sees children. My husband and I are both chiropractors and we have a family practice in Mt. Airy, Maryland.
Another thought is the possibility of allergies or food sensitivities, most common foods are milk, gluten, soy, corn and egg. I hope you and your family find a solution to keep you on the road to healthy living!

Hi J.~I am allergic to most fruit (apples, peaches, strawberries, pears-anything that you could pick off & eat from the source/tree/bush, etc.)& what happens is that my ears & throat get extremely itchy. It is more of an itch on the inside if you know what I mean but to a baby, the feeling would feel like it is on the outside. I definitely feel like I need to rub my ears hard when I am having a reaction! Maybe check what fruits she is eating--I am guessing that at almost a year, she has been eating more solids. I can however, eat cooked fruits, like applesauce but cannot drink any fruit juices. Hope this helps, good luck!

This may sound strange, but my husbands family has a history of being allergic to corn syrup-one of the signs they discovered- (years later)- was the ears turned red, and were itchy. Check your daughter's diet. Corn Syrup(high fructose...) is a hidden ingredient in a lot of things -like juice. Try eliminating different foods, and see if her ears improve. It may take some detective work, but you may be surprised.
Also, you might try a mild cortisone cream to help, but don't use very much, or for very long.

Hi, J., I shop with Melaleuca, which has fabulous wellness products. This might we right up your alley, as you are already being proactive in regards to health and wellness! Our dry skin lotion has passed two double-blind studies, and has come out ahead of Eucerin on all counts. Terrific for any type of dry, itchy skin. Laundry detergent and/or bath products could also be causing the irritation; Melaleuca can help! Please feel free to conatct me if you'd like to hear more. N. Boecker ###-###-#### or ____@____.com

She probably has an ear infection or she could be teething. Both cause them to dig in their ears. My son has tubes and when he had all of his ear infections he dug in his ears and they were always scratched up and bleeding.

My own ears are itchy, and the doctor said they were dry and suggested that I put a little baby oil on a q-tip to help moisturize the inside of my ears. This solution has helped me. Of course, you have to be careful not to push the q-tip too far in...

It turned out to be a reaction to a milk allergy in my friend's girl so in addition to possible allergy to shampoo/soap products, it could also be a food allergy.

Just another suggestion to add to the pile!

I have a three year old daughter who used to scratch her ears all the time when she was about the same age as your daughter. We were watching her one day and figured out that she did it when she was stressed about something or bored. Once we started painting and doing other fun activities as well as playing with playdough she sort of stopped scratching. In order to get her ears to heal up we usually used bag balm.

L. S.

My FIL had this problem when he was a baby and it turned out to be eczema brought on by a dairy allergy. They took him off cow's milk formula and the problem resolved. He subsequently grew out of the dairy sensitivity. A.

Here are a few things that might be going on....Has she ever been seen by pediatrician just for that? It could be an allergy or ear infection. It could also be the way she comforts herself. My daughter rubbed her ears, and I had her checked for everything I mentioned above. I cut her fingernails on a regular basis. Turns out my daughter was allergic to a lot of things. But overall-I would take her to the doctor before she damages her ears, because that is a classic symptom of an ear infection.
http://infant-toddler-health.suite101.com/article.cfm/inf...
Older infants and toddlers may pull on their ears when they have an ear infection. Ear infections are very painful so some toddlers may even scratch at their ears or stick their fingers in their ears. If your infant or toddler is tugging on his ears for more than a few days and exhibits unusual behavior or shows any sign of pain, he will need to be seen by the pediatrician.

http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/infant-allerg...

Hi J.,

Where is the itch? Inside her ear or outside of her ear.

Have you taken her to an Ear, Eyes, and Nose Specialist?

or a Dematologist?

This needs to be looked in to professionally.

Good luck. D.