Why does my toddler keep covering his ears, and could it be a sign of ear infection?

Doctor's Answer

It is quite common to notice your toddler covering his or her ears and it is usually nothing to worry much about.

The top reason for little kids to do this is because they feel overly stimulated by too much sound or loud noises. Pretty much what we would do too as adults if we heard irritating or loud sounds around us. So it is a sort of protective reflex.

The next most common reason is that they may feel scared and this may represent an emotional reaction to what is going on around them. The world can be a pretty frightening place for little ones as they are still finding their feet and learning about the great unknown out there.

Of course, if you notice that your toddler isn’t eating well, is running a fever, being crabby for no good reason or keeps tugging at his ears repeatedly, especially if he has just suffered a bad cold or flu, then he may have an underlying ear infection and perhaps trying to tell you that his ears are painful by touching his ears. Your doctor can perform a quick examination of his ears inside with a special tool called an otoscope, to tell you whether this is the case.

As Dr Gan mentioned too, though less commonly, behavioural issues may present in this manner to suggest an underlying condition such as autism. However, there are usually other warning signs like the lack of eye contact and difficulty interacting socially with adults as well as other kids which would point more towards autism and its associated spectrum of behavioural disorders.

I just want to reassure you that in the vast majority of cases where little kids cover their ears, it is a way of protecting themselves from unpleasant or loud sound stimuli.

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