What to Do If Your Baby Has a Lot of Earwax

Earwax may be bothersome or unsightly, but rest assured, it is a completely normal part of your baby's physiology. And it can even keep their ears healthy.

"Earwax provides a barrier against water in the external canal in addition to having microbes that prevent infection," said Hai Cao, MD, a pediatrician in Brooklyn. "[Some] babies tend to have dry, flaxy wax, while other kids tend to have sticky wax. Either is normal and does not require medical intervention."

Read on to learn if it's normal if your baby has a lot of earwax, what causes it, what to do about it, and when to be concerned.

How Much Earwax Is Normal?

If you're wondering if your baby has a lot of earwax or a normal amount, there is no typical amount. It's common to see some wax in one of your child's ears; one ear may even have more wax than the other. There is no rhyme or reason regarding what constitutes a normal amount of earwax.

"As long as the pediatrician can see through the wax and visualize the eardrum, it is still ok," says Dyan Hes, MD, medical director of Gramercy Pediatrics and clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. "If the earwax is blocking the entire canal, then it is a problem."

What Causes Babies to Have a Lot of Earwax?

Ears generate wax all the time, says David L. Hill, MD, a pediatrician and author of Dad To Dad: Parenting Like A Pro. Normally, earwax is carried out of the ear canal by the microscopic, hairlike structures called cilia and by the gradual outward growth of the skin inside the ear.

However, according to the National Library of Medicine, in some people, more wax can build up than the ear can easily remove. The issue can be compounded by well-meaning parents attempting to clean their baby's ear with cotton swabs. Unfortunately, this can actually force the wax back inside the ear and create a blockage.

How Can Earwax Buildup Be Treated?

Because a cotton swab often causes a wax buildup in the first place, parents should never use one to clean a baby's ear canals, Dr. Hill says. According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear.

Cotton swabs can injure your child's ear canal, eardrum, and delicate ear bones. Also, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says cotton swabs can push wax further into the ear canal, leading to ear damage, dizziness, and balance problems.

Instead, gently wash your baby's outer ear with a washcloth and leave the canal alone; it's very rare for earwax to build up when cotton swabs are not used.

If you don't use cotton swabs but still see a wax buildup in your baby's ear, Dr. Hill recommends using an over-the-counter eardrop (like Debrox). This helps to soften the wax, so it comes out on its own.

It is important to note that having earwax does not lead to increased ear infections, nor does getting bathwater temporarily in the ear canal, says Dr. Cao.

When Should You Worry If Your Baby Has a Lot of Earwax?

A buildup can become serious when wax traps water in the external ear canal or when a baby's hearing becomes compromised, Dr. Hes says. Seek medical advice if you notice any of the following:

• Your child is not responding to sounds appropriately
• They are experiencing pain
• You see a copious amount of earwax coming out of the canal

A health care provider may use a surgical tool called a curette to scrape and clean out the earwax. They may recommend earwax-softening drops if the wax is too deep or hard to remove. After a week or so, you can return for them to remove or flush out your baby's earwax with warm water and hydrogen peroxide.

But if the wax is particularly stubborn, a health care provider may refer you to a pediatric otolaryngologist (an ear, nose, and throat specialist for children) who can vacuum the earwax out.