Why do babies pull their ears? Small habits hide big problems

It shows a lack of security. The child cannot express himself, so we need to observe the baby's behavioral habits carefully to discover and solve problems in time. The baby likes to pull his ears, which shows a lack of security. Let's see how to solve it.

Why does my baby pull his ears?

Small habits hide big problems. Generally speaking, babies start to be weaned after they are over one year old, because breast milk provides the nutrients they need for growth, and they stay in their mother's arms for a long time and are familiar with their mother's smell, body temperature, skin, etc. If the breast milk supply is suddenly stopped, it may make them lack a sense of security. This makes them prone to small habits such as "pulling ears, touching nipples, and hugging arms".

How to solve the problem of baby pulling ears

① When facing these little habits of the baby, mothers should try not to scold loudly, because this will not only fail to solve the problem, but may also make the baby feel scared and increasingly lack a sense of security.

It is recommended that you find a substitute for your baby to enhance their sense of security, such as a stuffed doll wearing mother's clothes, because this will make the baby feel familiar with them, making it easier for the baby to gradually shift their attention and accept them.

② Give your baby enough maternal love. They have no sense of security, probably because they are afraid of losing their mothers. Therefore, it is recommended that mothers try to give them enough maternal love every day, play games with them more often, laugh loudly together, and solve the problem of baby's fear from the source, so that the baby's small habits will gradually be cured.

Common reasons for baby's ear pulling

1. Curiosity about the body

During the development process, the baby will gradually become curious about various parts of his body. For example, when he discovers his little hands, he will stare at his hands. Similarly, when he discovers his ears, he will use his hands to pull his ears. At this time, parents will notice that the baby will often play with his ears when he is sleeping or awake, especially when he is having fun, he will also pull his ears. Parents do not need to be too nervous about the phenomenon of babies pulling their ears in a healthy state, as this is not a sign of discomfort.

2. Teething

When babies are teething, as their deciduous teeth erupt, they will stimulate the gum nerves and surrounding tissues, causing them to feel uncomfortable in their gums and drool a lot. When babies lie flat, this uncomfortable feeling can be transmitted from the gums to the ears, so they will keep rubbing their ears. If the baby pulls his ears at this time because of the discomfort caused by teething, don't worry too much. You can give the baby some clean teething gel to relieve the discomfort of their gums during teething.

3. External auditory canal eczema

External ear eczema is an allergic superficial inflammatory reaction of the auricle, external auditory canal and surrounding skin. It is common in babies with allergic constitutions. Babies shake their heads and pull their ears because of itchy and irritable skin on the external ear. Some children come to the hospital for treatment because of secondary infection after scratching. Therefore, if parents find that their baby has eczema on the face or other parts of the body, and the baby shakes his head and pulls his ears, they should take the baby to the hospital for examination and apply anti-allergic drugs locally under the guidance of the doctor.

4. Foreign objects in the ears

Young children are naturally active. When playing, they sometimes put small objects into their ears. Sometimes when playing outdoors, small insects may get into their ears. When small foreign objects get into the ears, it will make the baby feel uncomfortable. When the foreign objects are large, it will not only cause ear pain, but also ear canal infection and even affect hearing. Therefore, if there is a foreign object in the ear, parents should send the baby to the ENT department of the hospital in time for treatment. Do not dig it out by yourself, so as not to cause the foreign object to go deeper and deeper.

5. Earwax

Generally speaking, the baby's ear canal has a self-cleaning function, but some babies may scratch their ears due to excessive secretions (earwax). In this case, parents are usually not recommended to clean the baby's ears to avoid damaging the baby's tender skin. If the baby's ear secretions are too much, parents can use a soft cotton swab to clean the outside of the ear canal, or rub the auricle to help the earwax out. If you find that the baby has a lot of secretions, or liquid secretions are flowing out, or the secretions have a bad smell, you need to take the baby to see a doctor.

6. Ear infection

Among the reasons that cause children to pull their ears, parents should be most vigilant about ear infections, such as otitis media. For children, because the Eustachian tube is wide, short and straight, the physiological narrowing has not yet formed, the tube is close to a horizontal position, and the nasopharyngeal opening of the Eustachian tube is almost level with the bottom of the nose. When the upper respiratory tract is infected, it is easier for bacteria in the nasopharynx to enter the middle ear along this route and cause otitis media. In addition, when the upper respiratory tract is infected, the nasal mucosa and nasopharyngeal mucosa swell and become congested, and even cause the Eustachian tube to be narrowed or blocked. The inflammation invades the middle ear along the Eustachian tube, which may also cause otitis media.

How to adjust baby's ears by pulling them

First, the baby's ear hygiene must be done well. Colds must be prevented and treated in time, because many otitis media are caused by colds.

Second, you should avoid lying down to breastfeed, and hold your baby up and breastfeed in a semi-sitting position. When the baby lies flat to suck milk, the milk can easily enter the ear canal.

Third, adjust the sleeping position to supine or side-lying, because supine and side-lying sleeping positions can increase the baby's swallowing movements while sleeping, thereby promoting the drainage of mucus in the middle ear, reducing the chance of bacteria retention and the risk of infection. When bathing or washing the baby's hair, be careful not to let water flow into the baby's ear canal.