The single most effective way to protect your baby’s ears during a flight is to encourage swallowing during takeoff and landing. That means nursing, bottle-feeding, or offering a pacifier precisely when cabin pressure is changing. Ear pain on flights happens because of a pressure mismatch between the air inside the middle ear and the rapidly changing cabin pressure, and babies are more vulnerable to it than adults because of how their ear anatomy works.
Why Babies Are More Prone to Ear Pain
The Eustachian tube connects the middle ear to the back of the throat. Its job is to equalize air pressure on both sides of the eardrum. In adults, this tube angles downward, which helps it open and drain naturally. In infants and young children, the tube runs nearly horizontal. That flatter angle makes it harder for the tube to open and equalize pressure, which is the same reason babies get more ear infections than adults.
During takeoff and especially during descent, cabin pressure changes quickly. If the Eustachian tube can’t open fast enough to let air in or out of the middle ear, pressure builds against the eardrum. That’s what causes the sharp, aching pain. Adults can yawn, chew gum, or consciously “pop” their ears. Babies can’t do any of those things on command, so you need to create the same effect through other means.
Timing Matters: Focus on Descent
Takeoff causes some pressure change, but landing is usually worse. As the plane descends, cabin pressure increases relatively fast, and the Eustachian tube has to work harder to let air back into the middle ear. Most flights begin their descent 20 to 30 minutes before landing. Listen for announcements from the crew, or watch the seatbelt sign. That window from initial descent to touchdown is the most important time to have your baby actively swallowing.
Feeding During Takeoff and Landing
Breastfeeding or bottle-feeding during pressure changes is the go-to recommendation from pediatricians and ENT specialists. Swallowing causes the muscles around the Eustachian tube to contract, briefly opening the tube and letting air flow through to equalize pressure. It’s the same mechanism adults use when they swallow hard to pop their ears, but feeding makes it happen naturally and repeatedly.
If you’re breastfeeding, try to time your session so your baby is actively nursing as the plane begins its descent. For bottle-fed babies, save a feeding for this window rather than feeding mid-flight. If your baby isn’t hungry, a pacifier works too. The sucking motion promotes the same swallowing action, even without milk. It’s less effective than a full feeding since babies swallow less frequently on a pacifier, but it’s a solid backup plan.
For very young infants who feed frequently, this timing is usually easy to manage. For older babies on a more spaced-out feeding schedule, you may need to plan ahead so they’re ready to eat when the plane starts to descend.
Keeping Your Baby Upright
Holding your baby in an upright position during takeoff and landing helps with ear drainage and pressure relief. The vertical position lets gravity assist the Eustachian tube in moving air and fluid, which is especially useful given the tube’s flat angle in babies. If your baby falls asleep before descent and you can’t wake them to feed, keeping them upright in your arms is the next best thing you can do.
What About Earplugs and Earmuffs?
This is where many parents get confused. Baby earmuffs (the padded, noise-canceling kind) reduce noise, which can help keep your baby calm and possibly help them sleep through a flight. But they don’t change the air pressure inside the ear canal or middle ear. The pain from pressure changes happens behind the eardrum, in the middle ear space, and no external ear covering addresses that.
Earmuffs can still be useful if your baby is sensitive to the loud cabin noise, engine sounds during takeoff, or the general sensory overload of flying. Noise reduction of around 7 to 12 decibels is typical for infant-sized earmuffs. Just don’t rely on them as your pressure-equalization strategy.
Silicone earplugs designed for adults should not be used in babies. Nearly half the nurses in one neonatal study raised concerns about earplugs being swallowed, aspirated, or lodged in the nose. They pose a choking hazard, and they don’t solve the pressure problem either.
Pain Relief as a Backup
If your baby has had ear trouble on previous flights, or if they’re flying with a mild cold (which can make the Eustachian tubes swell and work even less efficiently), you can give infant acetaminophen about 30 minutes before the plane begins its descent. This won’t prevent the pressure imbalance, but it can take the edge off the pain. Dose by your baby’s weight, not age, and give no more than five doses in 24 hours.
Ibuprofen is another option, but only for babies six months and older. It lasts a bit longer per dose. If you’re unsure about dosing, check the packaging or ask your pediatrician before the trip. Having the medicine measured out and ready in a syringe before you board saves a lot of fumbling in a cramped seat.
Flying With a Cold or Ear Infection
A baby with nasal congestion will have a harder time equalizing ear pressure because swollen tissues can partially block the Eustachian tube. If your baby has a cold, use saline nasal drops before descent to help clear the nasal passages. Some parents also use a bulb syringe to gently suction mucus before the flight.
If your baby has an active ear infection, flying can be significantly more painful. The middle ear may already be full of fluid, leaving almost no room for pressure to adjust. Talk to your pediatrician before flying if your baby has been diagnosed with an ear infection in the days before your trip.
What to Expect After Landing
Most ear discomfort from flying resolves on its own shortly after landing. Your baby may be fussy for a few minutes to an hour as pressure fully normalizes. Continued feeding or pacifier use after you land can help speed this along. If your baby is still tugging at their ears, crying, or seems to be in pain several hours after the flight, or if you notice fluid draining from the ear, that warrants a call to your pediatrician. Persistent symptoms could indicate the pressure changes caused minor damage to the eardrum or triggered an ear infection, though both are uncommon.
Quick Checklist for Your Flight
- Bottle or nursing plan: Save a feeding for takeoff and another for descent
- Pacifier: Bring one (or two) as a backup if your baby isn’t hungry
- Pain reliever: Pre-measured in a syringe, especially if your baby has a cold
- Saline drops: For congested babies, use before descent
- Earmuffs (optional): For noise comfort, not pressure relief
- Upright hold: Keep baby vertical during pressure changes