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Yes, and honestly I'm okay with it. Both dd and DS would have awful ear infections usually in both ears, and the antibiotics would always help make them more comfortable within 24 hours.

My LO has only has two, but yes we got antibiotics and I would have been mad if we didn't. My LO can't go to daycare till she's 24 hours fever free, and even of I stayed at home, I wouldn't want her hearing possibly damaged. I'm all about riding out colds and sinus infections--I would never ask for antibiotics for that type of stuff. But strep throat and ear infections, I'm all about it.

I wouldn't say they are quick to prescribe them. My doctor has always taken ear infections seriously at this age because it's sometimes hard to gauge their pain and discomfort and know how bad it is. Also, they said they treat them sooner as babies because they don't want to risk ear damage. I'm okay with that.

Yes, they've been prescribed antibiotics every time. I'm ok with it. I don't want them in pain. But my kids get them a lot. DS1 is 2.5 and on his second set of tubes. DS2 is 11 months and just got his third.

I took LO in for a lingering cold and he had an ear infection. Our pediatrician said it was red but not so bad he would prescribe antibiotics, but when we told him we were flying out later that week prescribed them since flying with an ear infection is no joke.

I was surprised because I always thought ear infection always meant antibiotics, but our pediatrician said quite often they can be fought off naturally. I still don't know how I feel about that but LO hasn't had another ear infection yet for me to have to decide how to proceed. ..

Yes-by the time we realize E has one, it's bad and she's having trouble eating and sleeping and is very fussy. So I would want it treated anyways

Yes we've always gotten antibiotics for ear infections. Honestly, if my ped wanted us to continually wait it out I'd find a different one. He's had some really bad ear infections, and some double ear ones.

Also, anecdotally a friend of mine's son just had to have tubes put in because he had so many ear infections that it left permanent fluid in his ears that couldn't drain. I'd rather do antibiotics than anesthesia. Plus hearing has such a huge impact on verbal skills.

It depends on the ped. Our favorite ped is not quick to give them. H had the very beginnings of one at her 18-month checkup and she gave us the script but told us to wait and see if it got bad enough to need it (she had no fever, no discomfort in her ear, and is sleeping fine).

We've really only had one situation. Unfortunately he was coming off a bad stomach bug so even though we had the script we waited three days. He was really tugging and crying so we went ahead and gave the Meds.

@Foodnerd81: ugh seriously. I'm sure she's had quite a few that resolved on their own, but lord knows I have NO clue when that happens! And then I feel SO bad to find out they're just raging

For ear infections ours gives them right away (though now she has tubes so we're able to do drops). LO always woke up crying when she had ear infections, so I didn't want to keep her in pain just to avoid antibiotics.

@Mrs. Pen: huge peeve of mine as well. My mom has been on antibiotics a lot and never knows why! She's been on them for colds before "just in case". Gahhhhh

My doctor is very hesitant to prescribe medicine in general (he won't give Zantac unless the baby is losing weight or screams whenever awake). But when it comes to ear infections, he doesn't mess around. My daughter is a really cheery sick kid so we usually don't catch them until they are really bad. We are about to get a second set of ears tubes because our only options were risking damage to the ear from persistent infections or basically constant antibiotic use. No one likes giving their kid antibiotics, but when you know it's going to fix their illness, you do what you have to do. Yes, antibiotics are over prescribed, that doesn't mean we should stop using them in situations where they are appropriate. A doctor who took a "wait and see" approach with a 104 degree fever with a clear cause that can be treated is not a doctor I would continue to see.

Neither of my kids have had an ear infection, but my second is neutropenic so she gets prescribed antibiotics for everything...a scratch, a puffy eye, fevers (along with being hospitalized)....it's too big of a risk to wait for a blood culture to confirm a bacterial infection and they can't trust her body to mount a response to any potential infections in it's own. On one hand I t really bothers me because I don't want her to become resistant, but I also understand the severity of our situation and appreciate them being proactive and every doctor taking her seriously. They are very cautious to rotate antibiotics whenever possible and usually won't perscribe the same one within a certain time frame of each other unless medically necessary.

@Mrs. Pen: actually the only way you can confirm a bacterial infection is with a culture and sensitivity (blood, sputum, urine, etc). A CBC with diff will just give you an idea of the cause of infection (bacterial, viral, etc) but in now way confirms a bacterial infection without a culture.

2/3 times we've known he has ear infections we've found out because he's in the ER with scary high fevers. The third time we brought him to the pedi for a lingering seal cough, and she told us he had an ear infection. She didn't prescribe them then because he didn't seem to be in any pain and wasn't burning up.

@Mrs. Pen: it's not always the doctor. You would be surprised how many times I've been yelled at (by patients) for not prescribing antibiotics for a viral infection even with a CBC differential to back me up. I've even had patients cry over it. Not everyone understands the problem and some docs have given up the battle. I agree that it's a huge issue though and only prescribe them if they are necessary and sometimes have some unhappy patients but I like to think I at least educate a few.

@2littlepumpkins: ugh I'm so sorry to hear that It is so scary. I couldn't imagine going through that personally. In my microbiology class we watched a documentary on antibiotic resistant bacteria and I think it's a bigger problem than people realize.

@2littlepumpkins: so is it basically a life-long thing, will you always be susceptible to it? how long are you on antibiotic therapy?