Answered by Anthony J. Mancini MD
"Every day offers a new surprise, and my job is never dull or boring," says pediatric dermatologist Anthony Mancini. "How could it be with all those kids?"
Anthony J. Mancini, MD, is Assistant Professor of Pediatrics andDermatology at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, Illinois, and an attending physician at the city's Children's Memorial Hospital. In addition to his active clinical practice, Dr Mancini continues to be involved in clinical research and has written for a number of prestigious medical journals and textbooks. Dr. Mancini has special interests in the treatment of skin disorders in infants and children, fetal skin development and skin problems of premature babies, and infectious skin diseases in children.
Dr Mancini trained in pediatrics, pediatric dermatology, and dermatology at Stanford University Medical Center in Palo Alto, California, where he was the chief resident in dermatology. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Dermatology, and an active member of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology and the Chicago Dermatological Society.
Dr Mancini and his wife, a neonatal intensive care nurse, have two children.
Question
What is the recommended method for cleaning the ears of infants and then toddlers? Can you offer any other hygiene-related information or suggestions?
Answer
My suggestion for cleaning your baby's ears is don't. Ear wax serves an important protective function for the external ear canal, as a coating against moisture and bacteria. Probing the canal with a cotton bud or other foreign object is not only unnecessary, it's dangerous. The skin cells in the canal can rub off, leaving painful open areas, and if the cotton bud goes in too far it can puncture the eardrum, resulting in infection, scarring and even hearing loss. Toddlers and older children can sometimes build up excess wax in the ear, which can hurt or interfere with hearing. Putting a few drops of earwax softener or mineral oil in the affected ear canal two to four times a day can help soften the wax and promote natural drainage. If you have other questions, you should discuss them with your baby's GP.
