Ear infections | ADHD Information

I have 4 children.  The oldest and the youngest have ADHD. 

The oldest never had an ear infection as a child, and the youngest had too many to count and had the tubes in as a 1 year old.  He also had speech issues until age 5.  He went to a developmental preschool for speech for 2 years, and today at age 10 you cannot tell he ever had a problem, but as a toddler/preschooler you had to speak a different language to understand him, we called it 'speaking chase'.  Just as you would speak spanish, you had to learn 'chase' to understand him.

BTW the middle two children are divided as well on the ear infection issue.  The 2nd oldest didn't get any until she was 9 or so, no behavior problems or ADHD issues, and the 3rd oldest (a boy) had so many that we almost had the tubes put in, but they subsided and we had no insurance, so we didn't...he now has a 3.75-4.0 GPA in the 8th grade and the only problem that the teachers report is that he talks too much....but my husband says he comes by that honestly, implying that he gets it from me

My daughter great example I cannot count how many ear infections she has had as a baby and toddler.  Actually just 5 months ago she had one again.  She has a cousin who has Autitory Processing and he has had many himself and had tubes put in, scary.

Welcome to the board Jere!

 

 

Misty I love the reindeer, where do you find the cute stuff?

When talking with a SLP a few weeks ago she mentioned that sometimes children with lots of ear infections have problems in school.  I.E. my son has ADHD and auitory problems (not sure on the offical digonisous).  He had many ear infections and got tubes in his ears twice, once at age 2.5 and again at age 4.  He is now 6 and the tubes have fallen out.  So far so good.  My second son had ear problems too and his ear tubes were put in at age one.  He is now two and a half and his tubes have fallen out.  So far so good with him too, to date.  Anyhow my second son doesn't talk, well you can't understand a thing he tries to say.  He is in speech therapy but I am very worried that he too will have auitory issues and possibly ADHD.  I am wondering if there is a link. Any other kids out there that had a lot of ear infections as babies?  We didn't encounter any behavior problems till he started Kindergarden.  To make things worse he is a young first grader.  Barely made the date cut off of 1 sep. He was born 23 Aug. 

Just wondering...Thanks!

Jere'

 

 

I've heard this before too, but I'm not sure if I believe theres any connection. My DD never had an ear infection in her life. Shes 12, inattentive ADD. She did have lots of sinus infections, but then everyone in my family suffers from frequent sinus infections so that might not mean anything either. I know ear infections- tubes can run in a family. My sister and i have the same peditrician. Her four girls all had tubes, no ADHD, my boys both had tubes, one adhd one not.. both my sons got tubes by the time they were six months.. Both were not in day care till after six months and already had the tubes.. my adhder still does have ear infections. Has scare tissue in the one ear, his hearing is fine..

This is interesting. Both my kids had grommets (tubes, I think?) put in when they were little because of ear infections.  Also didn't start with problems till Kindergarten.  When the oldest was two his daycare teacher said he had the best speech in the class.  Now people say he is not age appropriate. My nephew also had them and I'm pretty sure he is ADHD :).

Parents of a kid we know says their son was so badly affected by infections that he was effectively 'deaf' for six months and the school wanted to hold him back because they said he wasnt on the same level as the other kids. Not sure if he had grommets or not but I suppose the same may have been true of our kids! Which may help to explain why they are developmentally behind (?) they physically could not hear!

my adhd son had grommets (tubes) in his ears 4 times. in the uk the is known as glue ear when grommets are needed .when was 10 he had is addanoids removed and has not had an ear ifection since and his hearing is fine now he is 12 EAR CANDELS SUCK OUT THE FLUID. YES, DANIEL HAD TUBES/ADNOID REMOVAL/TONSILL REMOVAL FOR INFECTIONS IN YEAR 1. i THINK NOW ALLERGIE RELATED. My son had lots of ear infections as a baby and toddler. He did not need tubes though and he outgrew the infections.Both of my sons had tubes put in. The older had two sets and adhd, the younger had one set that had to be removed after three years and has adhd.

Dear Ivanhoe I went through the same with my son, ear tubes and adenoids and tonsils out, and still he was having problems. Everything was allergy related. Every day he takes singular 5mg,  nasonex (SPray for nose) and his ritalin 10mg LA. No more stuffy nose and no snoring, but sometimes he has eczema breakouts really bad on his back and arm pits. I have to moisture his skin every time a bath him with Eurocin also I have to use aveeno soap his skin is so sensitive. The Dr. says that everything is allergy related.