The ear infection is behind the tympanic membrane as long as there is no perforation in the membrane the milk would never come into contact with te internal areas of the ear, so technically it would be safe, but if there was a rupture the milk would encourage bacteria to grow in a location that already has an infection...not a good combination. As for the nose , I have used this tactic when my older three children had persistant sinus infections at a young age. the milk should be fresh, when the babe is getting ready to nurse quickly express some milk right under the nose and tip the head back, you night have some run into an eye, but it works for conjunctivitus too, so not big deal.
As to the issue of persistant antibiotics....I am unsure as to why your Ped is insisting on continuing antibiotics when the infection is not responding....it is probably viral, which by definition would not respond to antibiotics. I have used tea tree oil drops (melelucca brand) and garlic/olive oil drops for ear infections when this was the case with my children and it clears the infection up in no time, and it is incredibly soothing to haver the warm oil to coat the membrane and reduce friction from wind and air.
My two daughters both grew out of their constant infections by 13 months, my son however was not so fortunate and still has a suseptibility to sinus problems more than his sisters....the only thing that gave him respite for the infections was him getting tubes at two. It was more invasive than I would have wanted, but it was so easy and after that one time he never had chronic problems with his ears and his hearing is perfect.
I would not try the milk but here is a trick even stranger. Cut an onion in half and lay half on the outside of the ear. Tie it on for a few hours. One mother told me it drew the infection out of her child's ear in short order and her boy was cured in a day or two. AF
The following advise is not a quick cure for an already infected ear, but it may help to prevent them in the future:
Did you know that many household cleaners, disinfectants and even laundry detergents and dryer sheets contain chemicals which can cause irritation to the lungs, nose and throat? This often contributes to the "seasonal allergies" which so many people suffer from these days. (which could also explain your daughter's runny nose and cough). When the passageways are filled with fluid due to allergic reactions to the chemicals, this builds up and sits in the ear and the bacteria begins to grow causing the infection.
Switching to naturally based cleaners and detergents makes sense for so many reasons. My daughters both suffered from constant ear infections when they were younger, but almost two years ago I started using only natural products in my home. The girls do not have problems with seasonal allergies or ear infections anymore, and my son, who was a year old when I made the switch (and I was worrying about his ears because that had been the age that my daughters started with their infections) has never had a single ear infection.
It would be really worth your consideration. better for your family's health, better for the environment, no risk of accidental poisonings etc... It is much cheaper and easier to buy these products than most people imagine. Do contact me and let me help you if you decide to go down this road.
I wish you all the best and hope your daughter gets better soon.
My great grandmother would put a little pee in her kids ears for an ear infection. You never know what people will try. The belief is that it is actually the warmth of the liquid that eases the pain, but it is not good to put liquid in an infected ear.
I have not heard of the breast milk cure but I have tried the onion. The only thing that saved my daughter from getting tubes was boiling an onion put it in a white sock and put it up to her ear. The steam carries the vapors to the infection and drains it out. This seemed really weird but I too was desperate after 6 weeks. You have to be careful not to burn her. When I get ear infections I can put it right up to my ear but for my daughter I don't. I lay her in my lap with her head over my knee. I hold the onion under her head but about two inches away and make somewhat of a funnel with my other hand. You will have to gauge for yourself. The important thing is to have her infected ear facing down so it can drain. This is really gross and come out as a brownish color on the sock. Be prepared to throw the sock away because you won't want it when you are done. I have also had someone blow smoke in her ear but that didn't work for her. I deeply sympathize and pray for a speedy recovery.
I squirted into my infant son's eyes when he got infections and it worked great, given all the white blood cells. Don't know how it would work on an ear infection, but it's a great panacea for other superficial infections, wounds... Good luck.
I wouldn't try the breastmilk in the ear because if the ear drum isn't perforated or you don't have ear tubes the antibiotic properties of the breatmilk won't reach the infection. also the dark warm properties of the ear canal and then introducing the breastmil which is also warm and liquid and "sweet" may actually cause the infection to worsen. I have no idea about this I'm just guessing. My youngest son was plagued with ear infections continuously for about 3 mos. We then were referred to ENT and had ear tubes put in. It's scary to think of your child as having surgery minor or not but it made a huge difference and within a day we noticed that his verbal skills were improving because he wasn't hearing "under water "anymore. Maybe you could ask for a referral to an ENT specialist and see what they say. there are lots of good ones in this area.
Breast milk is excellent for stuffy noses, works much like saline drops, but with added beneficial properties. I've done this often for my 2yr old daughter and it works. Certified midwives advised me of this trick and I use it with confidence.
I've also tried it will success for pink eye.
I tried using it in my 2 year old's ears and nose for a few days for an ear infection, but I'm not sure if it helped or not, I ended up stopping (she seemed fine) and then 4 days later she spiked a fever and ear pain, so either it worked and I shouldn't have stopped or it didn't help or made things worse. I came upon this post researching it.