Parenting Club

9 - 18 Months: Ears and Eyes, Mouth and Nose

Snotty, sore, sticky, squinty: every little babyface can get poorly in places. But, with our step-by-step health guide, you can help make it better.

Ears
Nose
Eyes
Mouth

Ears

Middle-ear infection

Spot it: Fever (often after a cold), crying, waking at night, loss of appetite, irritability, tugging at ears.
Treat it: Give baby paracetamol or ibuprofen (as appropriate for her age) and sponge her down
See the GP: Yes, especially if there is discharge from either ear: your baby may need antibiotics.

Glue ear

Spot it: Decreased response to sound, often after an ear infection.
Treat it: See your GP: you may need to take your baby to a specialist.
See the GP? Yes (see above).

Nose

Runny/stuffy nose

Spot it: The tissue mountain, the mucus trails…
Treat it: Keep the air moist in her room by putting a cup of water on the radiator. If she’s very bunged up (and three months or older), use a decongestant vapour rub.
See the GP? Not unless she also has a barking cough, a very high fever or you are concerned about her symptoms.

Eyes

Conjunctivitis

Spot it: Watery, pink, itchy eyes, sometimes with an oozy discharge. Usually caused by an infection but can be an allergic reaction.
Treat it: Bathe her eyes with cooled, boiled water. Wash your hands well before and afterwards: conjunctivitis is contagious.
See the GP? Yes, if the discharge is yellow, hasn’t cleared up in a few days, or keeps returning — your baby may need antibiotic eye drops.

Squinting

Spot it: Your baby’s eyes don’t look in exactly the same direction.
Treat it: Do nothing if your baby is under four months old: squints are very common at this age.
See the GP? Yes, if your baby is older. Once diagnosed, treatment (often with eye patches) can be very effective.

Mouth

Teething pain

Spot it:Red cheeks and gums, drooling, sore skin around her mouth, fretfulness, night waking, nappy rash, possible slight fever and a definite desire to gnaw everything!
Treat it: Rub her gums with teething gel or powder. Let her chew a teething ring — or your finger. Apply a little barrier cream to her chapped chin. Treat fever with baby paracetamol or ibuprofen* (as appropriate for her age).
See the GP? Only if she’s pulling her ears, is vomiting/having diarrhoea, or has a very high fever.

Hand-foot-mouth disease

Spot it: Tiny blisters in her mouth and on hands and feet, plus a fever.
Treat it: Give baby paracetamol or ibuprofen (as appropriate for her age) and extra fluid (but not fruit juice as it can make blisters sting). Your baby is contagious for a week.
See the GP? No, unless your baby seems very dehydrated, or you’re concerned that it may be something else.

Oral thrush

Spot it: Creamy or yellow patches in the mouth and, maybe, on the tongue (but not to be confused with milk residues after a feed).
Treat it: See your GP: your baby may need some anti-fungal drops. See the GP? Yes (see above).

For more information on children’s health, visit the ‘Kids Health’ page on the Health Club website or call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.