A Sticky Situation

Normally, a child’s ears produce only the amount of wax necessary to perform protective functions, and most wax works its way out of the ears naturally during bathing. However, if you notice your child’s ears producing more wax than normal, follow these cleaning tips.

• Don’t insert anything into the ear canal—including Q-tips, which pack wax tighter into the canal. Water irrigation systems for wax removal can encourage infection, so avoid these remedies.
• Clean only the outer ear by placing a washcloth over your little finger and dabbing only as far into the ear as your pinky finger will go.
• Clean the outer ear only as necessary, not on a scheduled basis.

If you feel your child’s ears show signs of too much wax, or if he or she complains of pain in the ear canal or trouble hearing, schedule an appointment with his or her pediatrician.

“A physician would only need to remove earwax in cases of infection or blockage of the ear canal,” says Keiko Hirose, MD, otolaryngologist-in-chief at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “Earwax in your child’s ears is nothing to be embarrassed about. It is a normal part of childhood.”