Rubbing the ear is common in younger children (under age 2 or 3).They present with an earache or unexplained crying. Soap or shampoo can get trapped in the ear canal after showers. Another cause of an itchy ear canal is soap or other irritants. Therefore, they just push the earwax back in. Until the teen years, cotton swabs are wider than the ear canal. This earwax buildup is usually caused by putting cotton swabs in the ear canal. The main cause in older children is a piece of earwax. By then, they have more interesting things to do. This is usually not seen before 4 months of age. Normal touching and pulling with discovery of ears. Most ear pulling or touching is normal behavior (age 4-12 months).
