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Expert Q&A

 

By John Dorsey, M.D.
Pediatrician

I have 8-week-old boy/girl twins. Is it OK to go into their nose to get clean it and ears to get excess wax, and with what should I use to get it out?

It is not OK to go into the nose or ears of 8-week-old twins. The biggest problem there would be that you might create a situation for infection by scraping away the protective lining in either the ears or nose.

The nose will clear itself by either sneezing or running, and the ears will work out any additional wax in most cases. If you are particularly concerned, mention it to your pediatrician on the next visit. He/she might prescribe some wax softner, but you'd be surprised that although those bodies are tiny, they are very efficient in most cases.

I always tell the parents in my practice that there's no need to put anything smaller than your elbow in your child's nose or ears.

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