Toddler mom shares a life-saving reminder to check your baby’s ears often: ‘Take her to the doc...’

Babies communicate in nonverbal messages until they learn to speak. Parents must pay close attention to their actions, as they may be subtle hints that can help identify the root cause of an issue. A TikTok mom, @desriggs, recently enlightened fellow parents with a life-saving hack that ensures the well-being of infants who cannot yet express themselves with words. In a viral snippet, she checked every fold and crack of her baby daughter’s ears after she had been fussing all week without reason. The mom discovered something eerie and made sure she conveyed the message to other parents on the internet. 

Des issued a public service announcement with her viral TikTok to spread the concern and ensure every child’s safety. She profusely inspected the folds of her daughter’s tiny ears and found a bug etched inside. “PSA: Just your friendly mom reminder to check every fold and crack on your babies because my daughter has been fussy all week and I just found this inside her ear,” she stated in an overlay text. The caption of the post revealed that a tick was hiding inside the baby’s ear and could become a serious issue if not paid attention to. 

Noting the gravity of the problem, the post garnered widespread attention with 24.7 million views. More than 600,000 liked the life-saving advice while thousands of others penned their concerns in the comments. Turns out, ticks are a general cause of concern for parents because of the way these bugs torment kids and humans. “Take her to the doc. She can do a round of antibiotics to help prevent tick-related diseases before it’s too late,” said @caitlynshouldbewriting. Similarly, another mom (@noidontmakeshoes) advised, “And their scalp. Every time I had a tick when I was a kid, it was hiding in my hair until it was engorged.”

Some parents suggested that ticks are typically found behind the ear lobes and should always be checked. “I do tick checks with my kids any time we come in from the woods, and I definitely could have missed that. Adding it to my list,” noted @sabrinalynn290. Others advised the mom to get the tick checked for pathogens. "Take it to a lab and get it tested if you can," said @grumpy_grace_. Ticks are a major health risk in both adults and children due to their ability to transmit diseases through their bites. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States, ticks carry pathogens of several human diseases, like Lyme disease, Heartland virus, Ehrlichiosis, Bourbon virus, and Anaplasmosis, among others. Tick bites can also cause tick paralysis, which is caused by a toxin in their saliva. The insects are problematic as they are always on the lookout for hosts, detecting hosts’ breath and body odors. Ticks can recognize shadows and take on spots generally used by the hosts. Therefore, parents must check for these bugs, considering their children may be unknowingly acting as their hosts, potentially resulting in future health complications. 

You can follow @desriggs on TikTok for more videos.