Dried blood in ear

[mama_at_home]

When we woke up this morning I noticed my 5 month old baby's ear had a bunch of dried blood in it. I took a wet q-tip and dabbed most of it away, to see if there was a scratch. I can't see a scratch, but there is a large scab/clot of blood inside his ear. I don't want to mess with it because I don't want to shove it farther in. What do you think this could be? He was pulling at his ear last night as I was nursing him. Do you think a mosquito or something got in it? He is actually completely normal and happy and isn't tugging at his ear anymore. Has this happened to anyone before? I don't want to overreact and take him to the dr. if it is just something simple. Thanks for your help! Is there another place I can cross post this?

[VickV]

I've not seen anything like it... can you call the doc to see what they say? Or is yours like mine - they won't answer even the simplest questions without seeing the baby?

[Clarinet]

My daughter does that all the time. No ear infections, yet, but when she's sleepy, her finger goes in there.

[henhao]

That happened to my baby. She'd just scratched herself. It freaked me out and all was okay. It never hurts to have a doc check it though!

[StrawberryFields]

This happens to 6 mo old ds and it's always just a scratch. Sometimes he heals so fast that when I clean out the scab it's already gone. When he is sleepy he plays with his ear, pulling on it and sticking his finger in it. He started that when he was about 5 months.

[mama_at_home]

Thanks, mamas!

[laohaire]

I don't know, but couldn't it be an ear infection? My DD had one and her eardrum burst, and a little (not as much as you described) blood came out. She also felt a bit better at this point because the pressure was relieved.

I had taken her to the ped at the first sign of infection (before the eardrum burst, and within 12 hours of when she most likely actually got the infection). He prescribed antibiotics. Then the eardrum burst a day or 2 later, so obviously the antibiotics didn't work. Took her back. Stronger antibiotics and ear drops. Didn't help. A week later she was still on them (and I hated every day of it, but wasn't sure what to do) and she had blood in the diaper. I saw the oncall ped on Christmas Day and took the diaper in, and thank god the ped said to just stop all the medication immediately.

Anyway, I told you all that since even if it could be an ear infection, I don't know if going to the ped is the best course of action. They'll just prescribe an antibiotic and I've since read that they don't even change the course of the infection about 70% of the time!!!!!!! The fact that they help 30% of the time is respectable, but given the dangers of antibiotics shouldn't we be so much more careful about prescribing and using them?????

[MamaPam]

We had this happen. DD's eardrum bursted. Dr. checked it but said it would heal naturally and she didn't have an infection. She had some fluid in her ears which we believe was a result of backed up sinuses due to allergies.

Pam