3mo has smelly ears - why?

[diginglebells]

Noticed it when he was about 5 weeks. Thought it was getting water in his ears at bathtime. But now, at 3 months, they still pong after a bath (which is every night). He doesn't seem to be bothered by it, but doesn't the smell mean there's bacteria in there?

Is it in the ears or behind them? Despite bathing our DS well or so we though (and cleaning behind the ear) we obviously hadn't done it that well and there was some dirt behind there that stank

We were advised about this in our antenatal class...the smell comes from when babies dribble milk (or sick) out of their mouths, and it makes it's way behind the ears, due to the fact that babies at this age lie down a lot! So it is gone-off milk you can smell! (and very normal!)
I found with my dd that washing in the bath with a face cloth cleared it up, or failing that a baby wipe did the trick.

Nope it's definitely in his ears not behind. It sort of smells of old water which makes me wonder if there's any fluid in there. We do poke a damp flannel in each ear at bathtime and dry them off as well but to no avail.