My daughter has double ear infections :( I never would have known had she not gotten a goopy eye I thought was pink eye. She didn't complain about that...but she's certainly complaining about the antibiotics. They're tearing her poor little belly up. anyhow- a friend suggested I get probiotics in powdered form (I guess it can be mixed in with my breastmilk in a bottle- which is fine because I pump exclusively but anyhow....) she said it would help tame her little tummy. I have never given probiotics to my children so I'm not so sure. Any ideas?
Also if I don't give her probiotics...any suggestions on how to soothe her little belly. The meds are just too tough but I know she needs them to kick this infection. :(
Thanks everyone. I called my pediatrician and he recommended that she take some probiotics. I figured I'd just ask here and get some insight. My first daughter had ear infections galore and wound up with tubes...so I'm guessing i'm in for it with this one too.
Absolutely! My boys are 8 and 5 adn both take probiotics daily, so do I! You can find the refridgerated caplets at the grocery store or health food store, break them open and you can put the powder right into her mouth, no need to mix with breastmilk, just put it right on her tongue. What probiotics do is replace the bad bacteria with good, and fights of yeast and fungus in the body.
I believe probiotics are the best way to go. Yogurt is another option, but not the best for her age and it would be hard to get enough in her to make a difference at that age.
If you haven't already, talk to your doctor about the antibiotics. There are options that will do the job without being too harsh. I've been there with the ear infections. My daughter was older, but I missed nearly a month of work at some point because she was either puking from the ear infection or had spastic diarrhea from the antibiotics.
I'd also consider cutting dairy out of your diet. An ear infection this early in her life could be a complication of sensitivity to dairy protein. If she gets three or more ear infections in the next few months, insist on a referral to an ENT (if you need one, otherwise just go). Or look into some natural remedies to prevent or ease infections--they didn't work for us, but my daughter was also in daycare. I believe they are worth a try to avoid the possibility of surgery.
P.S. Some doctors will prescribe probiotics, so I agree with Luv, talk to your doctor about this too.
Talk to the Pediatrician first but a probiotic will only help!!! it will not harm your baby..not only that but my son has been on the Nutramigen forumula that has enflora in it which is a probiotic :)
Ask your doctor about Lactinex which can be found at many pharmacies or Florastor kids. Both are granules that you put in the bottle with breast milk or formula!!!
Since you have started these antibiotics you should finish them. For future reference though, antibiotics are not recommended for ear infections unless there is a fever greater than 103 or pain persists for more than 48 hours. Those are the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and are made to reduce antibiotic misuse as taking them unnecessarily leads to resistance and very serious illness.
That said, probiotics are great for babies. Look in a natural foods store (or online) for liquid or powder based forms for babies. Hope she feels better soon.
ABSOLUTELY probiotics!! I took them while I was pregnant and my daughter still gets them. She is 3. I get the powder form and put in her water. Make sure you get a good quality one from a health food store. They say for infants right on the bottle. They are located in the vitamin section where the fridge is. Probiotics put the natural bacterial that we all lose so easily from toxins back into our bodies. It is VERY important to use when taking an antibiotic. Go to mercola.com and read about it!!
I would call your pediatrician and see if they are ok with her taking it. My son's pediatrician told me to give him that for a rash. It supposed to balance something out in their body but also ask your pediatrician first. Your local Pharmacy probably has it behind the counter but you don't need a prescription.
Kimberley L is trying to promote her own website, always go with the pros advice, not someone who you don't know who is running it. Sorry Kimberley.
Hmmmm....I understand your concern. She's only 3 months old! But talk to the pediatrician or nurse there and ask. My son was just prescribed augmentin and the pediatrician rec'd Florastore. It's expensive (about $45) but the pediatrician said it was well worth it if the antibiotic was causing problems. So far--he's good, so I haven't bought it.
Personally, I wouldn't give a 3 mo anything without the approval and advice of her ped. Good luck, hope she's better soon. (My son never complained about this ear pain either!)
absolutely give that child the friendly flora that the antibiotics have destroyed in her body! Also just heard AGAIN on the doctors that most of the time pediatricians prescribe antibiotics for the parents sake, they do nothing to speed up the ear infection healing so next time let your doctor know youd prefer no antibiotics if it will heal on its own. Garlic ear oil is a great pain reliever as well. anyways back to the probiotics. they sell "baby ones" but even the adult ones say suitable for an infant.
The probiotics are great for helping to prevent the stomach problems from the antibiotics! Nothing to worry about there and they are good for so many other things, also....my daughter-in-law used the probiotics with my granddaughter when she was just two or three months old...and still uses them for her when necessary (she is almost 5 years old now). If you have any reservations about using the probiotics, go online and research them.
i gave probiotics to my son when he was around 9 months i think...he always got diarrhea from antibiotics for ear infections until we started giving him probiotics! i only gave it to him when he was on the medication but it worked beautifully! i'm a huge fan now. plus its natural so its not like he can be harmed from it (it's natural in yogurt and such). i got culturelle for kids at target.
You should definitely give her the probiotics. Lactinex is available in powder form; it's a little pricey, if you ask me but absolutely worth it. We had to give it to our little one for a stomach virus he couldn't shake. Matter of fact, our old pediatrician (for my older kids) always prescribed a probiotic with every antibiotic when they were little. You'll have to ask the pharmacist for it as they keep it in the fridge. Make sure you keep it cold and only put it in or on cold stuff. My son was already on cereal, so we just didn't heat the milk when we mixed it; and he took it just fine. All you do is sprinkle it on, if you are using food. We had to use it for two weeks before we saw a difference. And that was about the majority of the box. Make sure to keep it refrigerated, too.
Good luck and hope you little one gets better soon!
Same problem. Culturell is great, or you can get one from the pharmacist.
My little one has had so many ear infections and we never knew - no fever, no fussiness and since we didn't treat them, they turned into sinus infections and bronchilitis. The antibiotics keep getting stronger and wreak more havoc on the little tummies that I would def recommend the probiotics.
And with my experience, even with no fever, still opt for the antibiotics before you have bigger problems on your hands!
