What does earwax look like in newborns?

Many newborns have a lot of earwax after they are born, and most of the earwax of newborns is yellow. In fact, few mothers will dig earwax for their babies. Most of them will let the baby fall out by itself, because the external auditory canal of newborns is very delicate. If it is accidentally touched, it is likely to cause their external auditory canal infection and even otitis media. So what does the earwax of newborns look like?

1What is earwax?

What does baby earwax look like? In daily life, you can touch the auricle with your hand, touch the external auditory canal with a cotton swab, and touch the eardrum if the cotton swab is extended deep into the external auditory canal. The inner wall of the external auditory canal is skin. There is a gland in the skin that secretes oil components, called cerumen glands, scientifically known as cerumen, which is commonly known as earwax.

2Baby earwax is a light yellow viscous liquid

What does baby's earwax look like? Baby's earwax, medically known as cerumen, is a yellowish viscous liquid secreted by the cerumen glands in the human external auditory canal.

3. When in contact with air, it becomes light yellow flakes

What does baby earwax look like? It is said above that earwax is liquid. You may be curious. Oh my god, isn't our earwax usually in pieces? In fact, this is because when the earwax encounters dry air, it will form a light yellow waxy dry flake or sticky oily substance. Earwax in oily form is commonly known as "oily ears".

4What kind of earwax is pathological?

What does baby earwax look like? If the baby's earwax is hard, thin, black, or smelly, it is a pathological manifestation and needs to be checked by a doctor in time. Be careful of ear inflammation and affect hearing.

5. The composition of baby's earwax

What does baby earwax look like? Baby earwax is a human secretion that contains fat, stearin, fatty acids, protein, xanthophyll, and a small amount of potassium, sodium, chalk, water and other substances.

6. Baby earwax has the benefit of protecting the ears, so don’t dig it out often

Earwax has the function of protecting the baby's ears, which is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

1. Prevent foreign objects such as dust, moisture, and flying insects from entering the baby's ear canal, thereby protecting the ears.

2. Earwax can protect the eardrum, reduce the impact of external sound waves, and prevent excessively strong sound waves from damaging the eardrum and causing hearing loss in the baby.

3. Earwax is rich in oil, which can keep the ear canal warm and moisturized, especially the eardrum, which can keep the eardrum in the best exercise state.

4. Earwax is rich in fatty acids, which makes the baby's ear canal in an acidic environment, has a certain bactericidal effect, and can inhibit the growth of bacteria.

7 But frequently picking earwax for babies is harmful and has a great impact

1. The external auditory canal of infants and young children is immature and mostly flat and slit-shaped. The skin inside the ear is also very delicate. Frequent ear cleaning of babies may injure the skin inside the ear and cause ear canal inflammation. In severe cases, it may even puncture the baby's eardrum and cause hearing damage.

2. Frequent digging of the baby's ears may cause chronic congestion of the skin of the external auditory canal, more vigorous secretion of the cerumen glands, and increased earwax, which will block the external auditory canal.

3. Frequently picking out baby's earwax can easily lead to adverse consequences. Frequent irritation of the ear canal may lead to the formation of external auditory canal papilloma, which may even turn into cancer if it recurs.