Water in Babies ears

I have a 3 and a half month old baby. For about a month now, I have
been putting him right in the bath tub so he can kick and move around
and he just loves it. His left ear is pretty much in the water the
whole time, because he tilts his head that way while in the bath. Will
the water in his ear hurt him or give him an infection? Like I said, I
have been doing it this way for about a month, and he hasnt shown any
signs of discomfort. Should I continue bathing him this way, or should
I listen to my MIL and not do this, because it will cause him an ear
infection? ALos, i dont know if it matters, but he was breastfed for 2
months and i do still breastfeed in the middle of the night, so maybe
this will prevent ear infections?

Water in the ear canal won't cause a middle ear infection, which is the
one you typically think of when you think of a young child with an ear
infection. Water in the ear canal is a risk for swimmers' ear, which
involves the tissue lining the ear canal itself.

Having said this, I would counsel you to talk this over with your
pediatrician at your son's next checkup...you never know if the person
who gives you advice anonymously over the internet really is who they
say they are.

Mark, MD

Thank You, I will ask my family doctor ( we dont have pediatricians
unless needed). I guess I just wanted to know if anyone else has had
similar experiences, and bathed their infants like this.

"newmama" wrote in message
ups.com...
Thank You, I will ask my family doctor ( we dont have pediatricians
unless needed). I guess I just wanted to know if anyone else has had
similar experiences, and bathed their infants like this.

Yes we have three year old twins and both had their ears in the bath water
since birth. Usually when rinsing the shampoo out of their hair but also
when playing together. Sometimes they just like to lay on their backs with
their ears in the water and bang on the sides of the bath to hear the
different sounds. Neither have had ear infections that we can attribute to
this but most kids get them at some time - usually linked to colds etc.
Current advice seems to be NOT to use ear buds regularly to clean/dry the
ears as that can just push the wax in.. Our two get their ears dried with
the bath towel and that's all.

Thank you, thats the same with me. I dry his ears out with a towel
after but sometimes he does tug his ears when he cies, but I think he
has always done that. I think its a frustration thing. He does lay
directly in the bath water on his back, but its only like 2 inches of
wate ror so. so anyways, thanks for your help/.

"newmama" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thank you, thats the same with me. I dry his ears out with a towel
after but sometimes he does tug his ears when he cies, but I think he
has always done that.

If he keeps tugging the same ear all the time or if one ear is hotter than
the other for several hours (use one of those digital thermometers) then it
would be worth getting it checked out. Sometimes you can actually smell one
ear has a problem! Sorry of that's too gross.

No thats not gross. that acually happens to dogs too ( stinky ears)
when they need cleaned..