Why does my toddler get ear infections?

It is anatomy, not anything you did. Behind the eardrum sits the middle ear, drained by the eustachian tube to the back of the nose - and in toddlers that tube is short, narrow, and nearly horizontal, so it blocks easily and drains poorly. Every cold swells it shut, fluid and mucus build up behind the eardrum, and germs multiply in the warm trapped fluid. That is why ear infections follow colds, and why MedlinePlus calls them the most common reason parents bring a child to a doctor - three out of four children have at least one by their third birthday. The NHS adds the hopeful headline: they often get better on their own within 3 days. Signs in a child too young to say it hurts: pulling or rubbing the ear, irritability, poor feeding, disturbed sleep, a temperature, and sometimes slight hearing loss or balance wobbles. Most need only pain relief - acetaminophen or ibuprofen in child doses - while the body clears it; antibiotics are for specific cases, which is a GP's call. Known aggravators to control: exposure to cigarette smoke, and bottle-feeding lying flat (feed more upright). See a GP if symptoms last more than 2 to 3 days, the eardrum weeps discharge, your child seems very unwell, or infections keep recurring - persistent fluid affecting hearing can delay speech and earns a hearing check, and repeated infections sometimes lead to grommets. Pymander is a free AI doctor, 24/7 by text, that can help you decide tonight versus tomorrow.