Tubes in ears of 3 year old?

i think you should.  my dd was the same way - since 16mos, ear infection after ear infection and i hated that she was on rounds of antibiotics.  her hearing test also came back indicating that she had fluid build-up which was affecting the hearing on her left side and could permanently damage her hearing if we didn't do anything.

since she had the procedure (it is literally 15mins in the OR and about 1.5-2hrs in the day op recovery room) her speech has improved significantly (her speech actually improved that same day!) and hasn't had an ear infection since (she got the procedure last march).

My youngest had the same problems, constant ear infections and dr. reccommended ear tubes...we had them put it when he was 3...it was a very simple procedure and the dr. says the come out on their own and do not hurt ...he didn't even know he had them...he is 5 now and he hasn't had an ear infection since. So, it worked for my son. It is however a personal decision and if you feel hesitant about it...ask lots of questions about the procedure to the dr., do your own research on other options, and if you do decide to do it hope it makes your little one much better. good luck and hope your lil one gets to feeling better soon.

my eldest son, who is 51, had tubes in his ears foever, he was not allowed to swim, and the water made the inside of his ears look like raw hamburger meat.........its a good thing    grandma inda

It was the BEST thing we could have ever done for our daughter. She had 12 ear infections in 1 year. And since she had them put in she has only had 3-4 and she has had them in about 13 months. I would do it. It is a VERY simple and quick procedure.

Have you tried changing her diet?  Some things that could trigger ear infections are sensitivites to dairy, wheat, sugar, second-hand smoke with dairy being one of the biggest contributors.  I would try eliminating these before surgery.  While surgery may help it is a band-aid and doesn't get to the cause of the problem.

My DS had tubes put in when he was 3. It was the best decision we made. His speech was horrible as was his hearing. Since he had them put in his hearing is much better as is his speecj. I would get the tubes. 

I had severe ear infections and it got to the point where I was reading lips because I couldnt hear. I had tubes and while I have majority of my hearing back its still only at 70%. Its best to get it done with before other problems arise. I always hid my ear problems and like I said learned to read lips so my parents had no idea for the longest time

Both of my kids have had tubes in their ears.  Best thing I could have done.  I think it is much better than being on antibiotics every month which is what they were doing.  It's a quick surgery.  The tubes do make bathtime/swimming a hassle because she will have to wear earplugs but it's totally worth it.

My brother in law still has to have tubes in his ears.  They just do it in the office without knocking him out.  It's that minor of a surgery. 

My DD was 2 when she got tubes.  When her hearing was tested it didn't even register on the machine and we later we found out her speech was delayed.  (first child and didn't know what she should be saying =)  Once she could hear she caught up.  My son was in speech therapy and just a couple months after getting tubes he graduated from speech.  =)  I guess it would be hard to say the letter sounds properly if you can't hear them, lol. 

Quoting Seans_mommy123:

My DS had tubes put in when he was 3. It was the best decision we made. His speech was horrible as was his hearing. Since he had them put in his hearing is much better as is his speecj. I would get the tubes. 

My son was having a lot of ear infections and was affecting his hearing. We had tubes put in and they helped.