for those of you with kids who have grommits....

[girliefriend]

How long did they stay in for?

Did you find your children still got lots of ear infections?

How long did you stop water getting into their ears?

And lastly once they fell out did the problem with glue ear just come back?

TIA

[PorkChopSter]

In at 7.30 am, home by 5pm

None

The audiologist made ear plugs for her. Moulded blutac clay things.

Not yet.

[DeWe]

Do you mean stay in the hospital or the grommets stay in?
Time #1: (age 20 months)
In hospital: Went in at about 12, out (reluctantly) at 7:00pm with rising temperature. AB next day (from GP) as temperature still up. 2 days late back in hospital with severe vomiting, probably unrelated, but possibly reaction to GA.

Time grommets stayed in: between 15 and 18 months.

No ear infections in the time when they were in, having had them roughly every 2 weeks since 3 months old. (but only one perforation)

Cotton wool ("clouds in the ears" as he called it). Wouldn't tolerate ear plugs.

Yes, they came out roughly in October, glue ear returned by end October, by end of November had had both ear drums perforated. About 8 ear drum perforations over the next 3 months leading to:

Grommets #2: (age 3.9 years)
Time in hospital: Went in about 12, out 5:30 all fine.

Still in 6 months later, and no more ear infections yet, but noticably struggling with hearing unfortunately I think due to the perforations. ENT says his hearing is just in the "normal band". He can hear more this year than last because he's very excited by crunchy autumn leaves. he says they didn't crunch last year.

[pointydog]

dd2 had four lots of grommets. They stayed in for 6-9 months but I think it varies a lot depending on the individual.

The glue ear came back (hence four ops). But she her hearing test results improved when she was about 5 so she didn't get any more. We'd had enough by then too.

[girliefriend]

Thanks for that dewe, I did mean how long did the grommits stay in for (but can see where that question might be confusing!!)

My dd is 5yo and on her 2nd set of grommits so you would think I should be an old hand at this by now but seemingly not!

She seems to get quite nasty ear infections every few months with horrible gunge coming out of her ears, the ent people say her hearing is fine but its not - she struggles a lot esp in the classroom. Was told that the grommits would stay in for up to a year but its now gone past that. Am concerned that this is a problem that will just go on and on

[girliefriend]

Did you stop your children from swimming while the grommits were in out of interest? My dd has lessons and I go through the rigmarole of ear plugs and head band but still think there is a link between the swimming and the infections but really wouldn't want her not to swim iykwim?.......

[verybusyspider]

I found this link very helpful

www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/supporting-you/factsheets-and-leaflets/~/media/Files/Factsheets/Ears%20and%20ear%20problems/pdf/Glue%20ear%20May%202011.ashx

Mine had theirs done in March and July - so far both sets are still in place, they never had lots of infections but haven't had any since the grommets were fitted.

We use ear plugs and head band for swimming and just the ear plugs for bath time (advised by consultant) www.earbandit.com/go2/swimming_headband_earband_earplugs_ear_plugs_home_page.cfm

hth

[verybusyspider]

oh and I've given this fact sheet to pretty much every teacher at School, preschool and nursery

www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/factsheets/glue-ear-teachers-factsheet.pdf

the classroom is the biggest difficultly mine have, school have been desperatly slow at recognising ds1's impaired hearing but are just starting to put things in place, I was so when they moved him to the back of the class because he wasn't 'listening' but thats a whole other story

[DeWe]

That's a really good leaflet. I'm printing it out for ds's school.

[girliefriend]

Thanks for that info, no one has ever metioned that it is normal in some children to get discharge from their ears after a cold.