My Child Has Ear Discharge After Grommets — Is This Normal? A Parent’s Guide Your child had grommets inserted to help with glue ear or recurrent middle-ear problems. Their hearing may have improved. They returned to nursery or school. Everything seemed settled. Then one morning you notice: fluid coming from the ear. Perhaps there is a small mark on the pillow. Perhaps the ear looks wet. Sometimes the discharge is yellow or sticky; occasionally parents notice an unpleasant smell. The immediate question is usually: “Has something gone wrong with the grommet?” The reassuring answer is that ear discharge in a child with grommets is a recognised problem and is often treatable. A small amount of clear or lightly blood-stained fluid shortly after the operation can occur. University Hospitals Sussex's children's grommet guidance , reviewed 18 June 2026 , describes slight clear discharge during the first day or so as something that can happen after surgery. Discharge that persists, de...
What causes a cough in children? Coughing is a protective reflex of the body due to irritation of the airway. If the cough lasts more than 4-8 weeks or if after four weeks the cough is becoming worse, then it can be worrying. A persistent cough can affect the quality of the life of a child, including, schooling, sleep and appetite. Common causes of persistent cough could be allergy/hay fever, postnasal drip, large tonsil, gastro-oesophageal reflux or asthma. Rare causes include foreign body inhalation or psychogenic. Evolving evidence is dry cough on its own is rarely a symptom of asthma. What are two essential things to understand about chronic cough in a child? Causes of chronic cough are different from adults Management of chough in children if different from adults and parents and clinician need to understand this. What should I write dow...