“Does my child need antibiotics for an ear infection?”

not always - you could give the infection a couple days and if not better, then antibiotics are the answer.

There are different types of "ear infections" and only bacterial infections need antibiotics. Not all ear pain is an infection, so an ear infection should be diagnosed by a doctor or qualified nurse practitioner. infections in the external ear canal, like a swimmer's ear, only require ear
drops. Viral ear infections may be painful, so pain-relieving medications and other maneuvers can help with the pain until the infection resolves on its own.