The claim

「Clean out your baby’s earwax regularly」

Q: Clean out your baby’s earwax regularly

Myth — The AAO–HNSF guideline is explicit on this: do not use cotton swabs or small objects to clean the ear. Routine "cleaning" is not needed in most cases; it only counts as impaction — and needs dealing with — when the wax blocks an ear examination or the person already has symptoms. And when it is dealt with, clinicians use cerumenolytic drops or irrigation, not digging. Day to day, wiping the outer ear is enough.

Verdict

Myth

The AAO–HNSF guideline is explicit on this: do not use cotton swabs or small objects to clean the ear. Routine "cleaning" is not needed in most cases; it only counts as impaction — and needs dealing with — when the wax blocks an ear examination or the person already has symptoms. And when it is dealt with, clinicians use cerumenolytic drops or irrigation, not digging. Day to day, wiping the outer ear is enough.

Sources

AAFP · American Academy of Family Physicians
American Academy of Family Physicians. (2017). Cerumen impaction: An updated guideline from the AAO–HNSF. American Family Physician, 96(4), 263–264. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2017/0815/p263.html
Direct source · Peer-reviewed paper · checked 2026-08-02

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「Clean out your baby’s earwax regularly」

Verdict

Sources

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Further reading