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Posted: 17 February 2008 at 8:01pm | IP Logged

just after a bit of advice please - Hannah is 10 months old and has been really grumpy on and off (mainly on!) since she had a virus early December.  She had a bad cold and was poorly for over a week with a rash and a high temp.  doc said virus so that was that, waited for her to get better.  She hasn't really been right since but I'd put it down to teething as she's cut 4 teeth very close together.

I took her to the docs 3 weeks ago as she was still really grumpy and playing with her ear a lot - he said she had an ear infection and gave antibiotics - after them, she was still really grumpy so took her back - a different doc said that it was still a bit red but the eardrum looked ok and it was just the ear canal that was a bit red - it would be viral (no idea how she knew that?!) and more antibiotics wouldn't do anything.  she suggested that she might just be frustrated (she doesn't crawl yet, hardly moves at all, does go backwards a bit - she doesn't walk if you hold her hands or anything, seems v lazy!) -

I am wondering if there is anything else that could be wrong with her ear - she plays with one of them a lot - even when she's not tired - (too much wax, humming or something?) - can anyone think of anything or what I should say to the doc?  I am going back on Weds as she told me to go back and see her on Weds if there was no improvement - she was v nice about it but said she couldnt see anything physically wrong with her..

Before she got ill, hannah was a content, smiley baby and happy just to sit and play, sit in her pushchair or highchair or activity centre..she is now grumpy and whingy and I'm not sure how much more I can take of her crying and moaning..it's exhausting and it means that Ellie misses out too....I don't think she is teething either.

sorry this is so LONG!!!  please someone help me....!

Posted: 17 February 2008 at 8:10pm | IP Logged

Hun i would tell her the changes you've noticed in her....

that she was a happy contented baby who never played with her ears before.... etc

My little boy had a ear infection and i gave him a warm muslin square to lay on to help and he now cuddles one when he's tired instead of fiddling hair etc, but it always goes over his ear, the one that was poorly never the other one.... i'm sure his ears ok now but it does make me wonder.

Just keep going hun, mum's know better than docs when there is just something not right, we may not beable to say it's xyz but we know in our guts, keep pushing if you get no where might be worth asking for a referal to ENT (ear nose and throat) to make sure her ears etc are working ok.

Posted: 19 February 2008 at 11:23am | IP Logged

oh sweetie this sounds just like what's going on with katie. she's 10 months also (today...yipee!) and has been teething for a very long time but has aslo seemed very grumpy and poorly on and off since december. i had been back and forth too dr's and felt unsatisfied with the treatment, but the dilemma of whether it's teething or worse, made that the situation.

i have to agree with the suggestion o f warm muslin over the ear. i recall my mum doing this as i had alot of ear infections as a child and it really does soothe.

it could be teething or more so here is my checklist. this is mum and nurse info, but please check this through with your gp and/ot health visitor.

1/ look at your family history...do you, daddy or other bubba's have a history of repeated ear infections. helpful for diagnosis.

2/ look inside the ear to see if build up of wax, yukky looking wax (darkish), redness, discharge is visible. signs of infection.

3/do you have concerns for the hearing, have you noticed that she is not manging to hear you? to test this make sounds, when no background noise, and repeat them make it into game to see if they are rpeated back to you. you could try covering ears ( probably v.hard at 10 months)  or the easier option try with your voice at different levels and distances away from her. she could have glue ear.

4/ does she snore? she could possibly be congested in her sinuses and eustachian tube and therefore the irritation is causing her to play with ears and feel uncomfortable.

5/ does she have temperatures or surges in temperatures?record these and present to dr.

6/is she also dribbling lots, chewing, as it could mean teething.

7/remember the changes to being irritable  and grumpy might be due to disturbed sleep hence the changes that you see in her.

8/ try teething remedies but return to your gp with the info you have been given by us and all that you have given us. the best remedy is parsons infant powders, they are in a white box with blue writing. keep up with calpol and try pro biotics for her so that she has a stronger resistance to bugs and protect her if she has more antibiotics.

hope this helps.

take care love sarah x