Baby with Ear Infection

Q: Hi, i would really appreciate advice on my 5 month's old (S.) situation. She was diagnosed with an ear infection in both ears 1 week ago. She had a lot of mucus in her nose, but none in her lungs. I am solely breastfeeding, so I started taking echinacea tincture 3 x a day. I was giving S. elder tincture, 2 drops when she was phlemy. 4 days later I took her back to the doctor and she said S. had a very bad ear infection and she gave me amoxacillan. I have been giving her the antibiotics for 2 days now and I feel it is the wrong thing to do. Her poop smells like chemicals and her tongue is stained pink. I want to stop the antibiotics, would that be bad, or should I finish them? How can I naturally cure her and how can I track this ear infection and know it is not getting worse? None of the naturopaths can see me for 3 weeks. I am so stressed out over this and feel like I am poisoning my child. Do you think there is another solution? Thank you for all the knowledge you have brought into my life, J.

 

A: Hello J., I hear and understand your dilemna, as a mom myself. I too have struggled over the question of how we can monitor our children's ear, throat, etc. infection, especially after hearing warnings that if left unresolved, though appearing so, serious injusry could occur. In the end I chose to trust my mom instincts on this. After working with echinacea as I learned from Susun and seeing it work miraculously well without the damage of antibiotics, I trust it tremendously even when (especially when) faced with a serious infection. Antibiotics would only be my choice if this fails or if something required super speedy intravenous attention perhaps.

As for your question of whether you should take her off the antibiotics, this must be your choice. The risk with this is if the echincea or something else does not work, now she likely can not go back on the same antibiotics.

If you choose to use echinacea again, with or without the antibiotics, here is what I do when dealing with an acute infection. I use 1 drop of Echinacea angustifolia root tincture (I strongly prefer angustifolia for this, and only the root, no other part of the plant or other herbs mixed with) for every 2 pounds of body weight. I mix it with water to drink. When my son was still solely breastfed I dropped the tincture water mix in his mouth with a dropper (without putting the tip of the dropper in in case he were able to break the glass). I take this one drop for every two pounds of weight, every hour, even through the night, for at least 12 hours, sometimes longer as appears necessary, then lighten to every two hours, for another day or two, then every three, etc. Keep going though, don't stop as soon as it appears well. I also stress as much as possible to follow the schedule through the whole night, though of course we do not want to wake up our peacefully sleeping sick babes, do it when she does wake crying. I understand you taking it so it can pass through your breastmilk, but with an acute infection I opt to give it direct.

If you continue to give the antibiotic, or even if you stop it, I invite you to consider offering bits of great quality, preferably homemade, yogurt. For a 5 month old, I would put some on my clean finger and let her suck. This is to help her restore her healthy gut flora. Of course kids are good at this themselves as they scoop fingerfuls of dirt in their mouth :)

As I write this I realize you just sent this 5 days ago, so am wondering what you have chosen and how your daughter is doing, and how you are doing. So sorry I had not gotten back to you sooner. Please let me know how we can support you now, and I will keep an eye out for your reply to get back to you much faster.

Blessings,
Karen Joy
wisewoman@herbshealing.com
www.wisewomanweb.com

 

Q: Hi Karen Joy, thank you for the response to my e-mail I went with the antibiotics, but I've been giving them to S. for over a week and I see no improvement. Seems that she is doing worse she's now grabbing her ears. We are going to start the echinacea with the dosages you suggested. We haven't been able to find the tincture that's strictly from the root. We found some online and were going to order it, is it okay you think to start out with the whole plant tincture? Thank you immensely for your time, it is most appreciated. Regards, J.

 

A: J. yes it is okay to start with the whole plant tincture, but I strongly prefer that made from root. HerbPharm makes a wonderful one. Do you have a natural food store near you? They can probably order it for you. It is so hard to see your little one suffer, I know. How about fevers, has she been running any? Any other signs of feeling unwell? Tugging ears can be teething. My son got his first tooth just before his 6 month birthday, but got so unhappy, fever, seemed a bad cold and ear infection, but was just the tooth, but lasted a couple weeks. Perhaps she had an ear infection and is teething and the antibiotics are helping with the infection. Have you been doing anything to help her with the good bacteria the antibios are killing?

My thoughts are with you,
Karen Joy

 

Q: Hi Karen Joy, My name is J. and I had the five month old, who is now six months old, on antibiotics for an ear infection. I used the echinacea like you told me to and it cleared up the infection. Thank you so much , I don't have much faith in our medical doctor and I needed the encouragement you gave me to trust in herbs and heal my daughter S. the right way. I will not doubt my motherly instinct or the healing power of herbs again. Thank you! Love J.

 

A: Wonderful J. I am so happy for you and S.! Thank you for letting me know, and yay for you knowing your motherly wisdom and the power of the plants. Feel free to write any time :) All my best to you both! Blessings, Karen Joy

Comments

[Denell]

I have a 3 1/2 month old that just got diagnosed with an ear infection (and a viral rash). What do you recommend for this age? I have the pink stuff here bit really don't want to start in on that.

[KarenJoy]

Hello Denell, I see you wrote this a month ago. I apologize, I was largely away from the blogs for that past month...

How is your little one now? I hesitantly say I would do the echinacea just the same (for children over a year old I sweeten it with honey, though never for a child under a year old) I say hesitantly because I would wonder if it were trully an ear infection. It is a little early to teeth, but the syptoms of this can mimic an ear infection, the discomfort, tugging, rash, etc. Please let us know how he/she is doing? If you did the "pink stuff" if this is antibiotics, I would offer sips of yogurt off your finger to help gut flora. Does this child nurse? This itself can help clear a lot of things.

Karen Joy

[christopher]

hi karen joy,my name is chris and i'm a first time dad.my daughter is 3 months and is teething already.she's always sucking on her hand and is in a lot of pain.she's breastfeeding but i need some adivce on how to treat this naturally.looking forward to your reply.
chris

[KarenJoy]

Hello Chris, this is a tough time for most parents, especially with your first child. I know it was for me, to see our little ones in so much pain and anything we can do seems to be only temporary.

Looking back now I see this as one of many thresholds of life, one we all must go through. Our role as parent I see as comfort. Your child is growing new teeth, just as she was born, and just as she will discover herself as unique from her parents, and get her first scrape and feel her first deep grief...

The first comfort I feel we can offer is to carry our child . I think this is important at this age anyway, but moreso when sick or in pain like this. As much as she wishes, carry her. I liked a simple cloth sling for this. It will help her sleep and rest more as she will need it.

Cool things are soothing, dip your finger in cold water and let her suck, a cool spoon to suck and bite on can be soothing too. Metal naturally stays cool. Cstnip is a nervine relaxing. The bitter tea may be a shock compared to her diet of sweet milk, and honey is not appropriate for a child that age. You can make a tea or it, mixed with something else soothing like chamomile and see if she will suck on your finger dipped in it. Her gums hurt, rub them.

I have not done this, but heard that Native Americans let their children chew on twigs of willow, which is like a natural aspirin combined with the texture that is great for biting down. If I had a baby now I would try this, with bark removed of course.

All this said, Chris, 3 months is on the young end to be teething, typical is 6 months. Are you sure she is teething?

And that cup of catnip tea you are dipping your finger in? - drink it, it can relax your nerves too :) It hurts us to see our baby cry...

Karen Joy

[Katie]

Hi my name is Katie and I have a 3 year old daughter and she is coming down with a cold. Her nose started getting stuffed up yesterday.
I wanted to know how much Echinacea(fresh root by Herb Pharm) I should give to her? Should I give her 15 drops mixed with water every hour for 12 hours?

[Karen Joy]

Hello Katie, colds are normal and strengthening for us. For this reason I would do little to combat it, more than the medicine that comes from love and snuggling and sleep and homemade chicken broth or miso soup. ALSO, echinacea does little to fight a cold.

IF you do use Echinacea root tincture, the best amount is one drop for every two pounds of body weight. Therefore if your daughter is 30 pounds, you give her 15 drops in water. I save this tincture's use for acute bacterial infection primarily. In which case I give the amount for that person every hour for a day or two, then every 2 hours the next day or two, then every three hours, etc.

Again though I certainly would not use it in this case.

love and blessings to you both!!
Karen Joy

[deshawn]

some people have told me to give my baby catnip tea to help bring out the hives, but how do you make it and how much do you give them, and for how long?

[KarenJoy]

deshawn, I don't understand "bring out the hives". Catnip needs to only be prepared as a tea, a little herb let sit in hot water for a few minutes. It is very bitter, not sure a kid would drink it well.

Karen Joy