DD has an ear infection and we ignored it!

[fadingfast]

DD (12mo) has had a really nasty cold and at the weekend started leaking gunk out of one of her ears. I rang NHS direct who told me to keep an eye on it, but didn't seem to think it was anything to worry about as she didn't have a temperature and was otherwise in reasonably good spirits, eating and drinking well, and the ear wasn't red (and the gunk didn't smell!).

DH took her to the Drs this afternoon as it was still no better (4 days later), and she now has antibiotics. Dr said it was an infection. Now I'm really worried that by ignoring it we may have damaged her hearing. Also, is it normal to get lots of gunk with an eye infection? Does this mean she has glue ear? Am wishing I could have taken her so I could have asked all the questions. Have we been really negligent by not taking her any earlier??

'Is it normal to have alot of gunk with eyve infection?' do you mean ear? If so then yes. IMO no you havn't been negligent, it sounds like if you thought it was somwething to worry about you would have done. Hope she is better soon.

Ds has had this three times now (he's 2.4 and had his first ear infection about the same age as your dd).

Each time the first sign we've had of it has been the gunk. Ds doesn't seem to be in any discomfort which seems weird as ear infections are usually very painful. It's also always been cold related.

The doctor doesn't seem concerned about his hearing btw. He did check the first time that the ear drum had healed properly.

We've had antibiotics for it once but the other two times it cleared up on its own and GP reckoned virus (cold) related so antibiotics wouldn't help.

Yes monkey, I did mean ear, not eye infection!

That's good to hear shonaspurtle. She has had a terrible cold so perhaps it is due to that, and I was surprised that if it was an infection she wouldn't be suffering with it more.

It does seem quite a bit better today, so whether it's the antibios doing the trick, or it's just the virus going of its own accord. Glad to hear it hopefully won't have affected her hearing.

I took my dd (now 14mo) with me to the dr when I had a sinus infection. I'd also made an appointment for her as she had a nasty cold and I just wanted some reassurance that that was all it was. She ended up on antibiotics for an ear infection. I hadn't even considered the possibility! Her hearing is thankfully fine, but I had the same worries as you fadingfast. Hope your LO well on the road to recovery.