How To Decongest A Newborn

Unblock Your Babys Stuffy Nose

Imagine having a cold and not being able to blow your nose. Thats how your baby feels. Until toddlers are around two years old they cant clear their noses properly. So, they need your help!

A gentle saltwater mist which can be sprayed up babys nose is a must. It cleanses excessive mucous in the nasal passages and it will also encourage your baby to sneeze and expel more mucous. Weve been using Hydrasense Ultra Gentle Mist for babies.

Have you heard of the Nose Frida Snot Sucker? Its a unique nasal aspirator that forms a seal on the outside of your babys nostril as compared to a traditional aspirator that enters your babys nostril . Often when our little guy cant sleep and I can hear that he has a stuffy nose, I use the Nose Frida and then he peacefully drifts off. He doesnt love it but it works!

When To Get Medical Advice

• Fever

• Symptoms get worse or new symptoms develop

• Nasal discharge persists for more than 10 to 14 days

• Fast breathing. In a newborn up to 6 weeks old: more than 60 breaths per minute. In a child 6 weeks to 2 years old: more than 45 breaths per minute.

• Your child is eating or drinking less or seems to be having trouble with feedings

• Your child is peeing less than normal.

• Your child pulls at or touches his or her ear often, or seems to be in pain

• Your child is not acting normal or appears very tired

When Should I Take My Toddler To The Pediatrician

A decongested nose is quite common as your little ones immune system is still building strength. You may have tried some natural remedies like a humidifier and saline nasal sprays, as well as clearing out the mucus yourself to help them breathe better.

If nothing is working, and its been almost a week, it might be time to call your pediatrician to have them diagnose your child. You can get some heavier medication prescribed for your toddler, like decongestion sprays, nose drops, or oral antihistamines.

Your toddlers pediatrician will check out your little ones health, and know which medication and what amount is right for him or her.

At this young age, its ideal not to medicate if its not necessary, the side effects can outweigh the benefits, so your pediatrician will most likely talk to you about all methods youve tried before going down the route of stronger medication alternatives.

You May Like: What Causes Spit Up In Newborns

Apply Inhalants And Scented Rubs

A variety of scented products are available in the market that helps in decongesting your babys nose. Scented ointments or rubs containing camphor or menthol are used widely to clear a stuffy nose and are usually applied on the upper lip and chest. However, they should be used with caution in infants as they may increase the production of mucus and aggravate the inflammation. Inhalants with camphor or menthol are also available but they are not used on the skin. They are available as liquid drops or in solid form.

How Can I Help My Congested Baby Sleep

When a young baby is congested due to a cold, sleeping can be a challenge. But there are things you can do to improve their sleep. First, try using a cool-mist humidifier in their room. Not only is the moist air comforting, but it also can keep mucus flowing and keep it from clogging your baby’s nose.

Before bed, try using saline drops to thin the mucus and a nasal aspirator to clear away any excess mucus. Then, if your baby wakes in the middle of the night to feed, you can try clearing their nasal passages again if they seem particularly stuffy.

Recommended Reading: How Is Hemophilia Treated In A Newborn

How To Help Infant Spit Out Mucus From Chest Congestion

11 February, 2019

A baby only breathes through his nose, so congestion is a cause for concern as he doesn’t have an open sinus passageway from nose to throat. Giving a baby medications is tricky, as getting the dose right is difficult, and the medicine might not even be effective. Several home remedies can be tried as a first line of response to help relieve mucus in a baby’s chest.

Run the shower to make the bathroom steamy. Carry your baby into the steamy bathroom, staying there for about 10 to 15 minutes. Supervise the baby at all times during the steaming, and make sure the baby is clear of the direct path of the steam, which should loosen congestion, making it easier for the baby to spit it out.

Give the baby a soothing bath in warm water. Make sure the water will not burn the baby. The hot water will loosen the baby’s mucus, making it easier for her to spit it out.

Run a vaporizer in the baby’s room to create steam. Supervise the baby while the vaporizer is running, ensuring none of the baby’s limbs are exposed to the steam. The vapors will loosen the baby’s mucus, allowing him to spit it out more easily.

Get a chest rub from the local drugstore that’s formulated for mucus removal for babies. Massage the rub into the chest, and the aromatherapy, combined with the massaging action, should help loosen the mucus so the baby can spit it out.

Warnings

How To Tell If Your Baby Is Congested

Your baby can’t tell you that she’s congested, of course, but you may notice her making more noise when she breathes, or having more trouble taking liquids. Sometimes you can see that she has a stuffy nose, and may even have mucus dripping from her nose as well, which is another sign of congestion. When your baby is experiencing congestion, it’s likely that she has developed an upper or lower respiratory tract infection. Here are additional symptoms of respiratory infections to look out for:

• Nasal discharge that may be clear at first but then thickens and turns yellow or green

• Difficulty nursing or taking a bottle

• Wet or productive cough

• Sneezing

• Difficulty sleeping

• Slightly elevated temperature .

Newborns and babies younger than 3 or 4 months have a tough time with congestion as it can cause discomfort in many ways. A baby isn’t able to blow his nose, so the mucus in the nasal passage has no way of coming out without help from an adult. Not only that: a young infant isn’t able to breathe well through his mouth, so any congestion can interrupt sleep, causing him to wake up. It can also make feeding more difficult, as the baby must stop sucking in order to take a breath now and then.

Recommended Reading: Why Is Newborn So Fussy At Night

What Youll Need To Use A Nasal Aspirator

Before you get started on using a baby nasal aspirator, understand that proper preparation goes a long way in ensuring the safety and overall health of your child.

These tools are meant to be used on newborns until children are ready to blow their own noses. But it can also help remove any excess snot from nasal passages that may be impeding their airways, especially when you swaddle them.

To make sure you are ready to handle Operation Mucus Removal, these few items would be helpful:

• Saline Solution
• Tissues for the babies
• Soft rolled Up Blanket

Items 2, 3, and 4 all seem pretty self-explanatory. Just make sure you use individual tools on just each child to avoid any cross-contamination between children.

Now, dont forget these tips:

• Remember that a babys nasal passages are very delicate, so the pipe of your nasal aspirators shouldnt be too deep and too forceful.

• Disinfect the tips of the tools regularly and avoid doing congestion removal more than three times per day.

• For cleaning, use gentle soap for the tools and throw away any tissues youve used to wipe or as makeshift filters.

Sleep And Rest As Much As Possible

Sleep and rest are key to recovery from any illness. And when your baby has a cold she is more restless than ever. A baby who was sleeping at night may now wake hourly and nap schedules go out the window. Accept that this is the way it isand that its temporary.

In addition to the tips above do anything you can think of to get in those precious naps as they will speed up your babys recovery go for a long drive if your baby sleeps well in the car for example. For me, babywearing is so helpful.

The start of my sons first cold coincided with the first winter snow in Vancouver so I snuggled up in the middle of the day with my little guy to help him get more sleep pure mummy bliss!

Don’t Miss: How Often To Feed Newborn Puppies

Baby Stuffy Nose Medicine

Babies can’t have decongestant medicine until they’re 4 years old because potentially life-threatening side effects could occur, according to the Food and Drug Administration . However, “you can gently clear your newborn’s nose with saline solution and a bulb syringe,” says Michael Rothschild, M.D., director of pediatric otolaryngology at Mt. Sinai Hospital, in New York City. Saline solution is the only safe nasal spray for babies, infants, and toddlers.

To use saline solution, lay the baby down on their back and, if possible, slightly tilt their head back . Then spray two to three drops of saline spray into each nostril. Don’t worry if your baby sneezes some of it outit still made its way into the nasal passage. If any spray comes out of the nose, wipe it away gently with a tissue.

• RELATED:Baby Cold Remedies That Every Parent Should Know

Once the saline spray is in your baby’s nose, you’ll want to use a bulb syringe . Choose one that’s specially made for their tiny nostrils it should have a rounded, acorn-shaped tip, says Dr. Rothschild. Once again, lay your baby down on their back. Squeeze the bulb to get all of the air out, and, while still squeezing, gently insert the tip into your baby’s nostril . Then release the pressure, take it out, and squeeze the mucus out of the bulb onto a tissue. Repeat in the other nostril for an effective baby stuffy nose remedy.

How To Clear A Stuffy Nose Naturally At Home

Clearing a stuffy nose at home does not have to involve remedies that we have to make. There are various ways on how to clear a stuffy nose naturally at home. This makes use of readily available products that are available in our kitchens.

These items are cheap and the fact that they are used in our day to day life makes them easy to use as relief for a stuffy nose. Below are some easy ways on how to clear a stuffy nose naturally while at home.

Don’t Miss: How To Relieve Gas In Breastfed Newborns

Avoid Fans And Air Conditioners

Though it becomes difficult to avoid dry air in certain climates, still you can take measures to not dry out the air artificially. Avoid air conditioners and electric fans as they tend to dry out the air in a room rapidly. If you are using these devices to cool the environment in very hot climates, then make sure that you are simultaneously using an electric humidifier in the same room to humidify the air.

Allowing A Baby To Cry

Although this sounds unusual, tears may actually end up in the nasal passageway and help with dissolving a babys mucus. A childs tears can effectively soften and help eliminate dried-up bits of boogers from its nasal passageway.

Parents can also use a soft cloth to dab at the baby’s nostrils regularly when the kids cry so that the nasal passageway can be cleared naturally.

Read Also: How To Get Your Newborn To Poop

Letting Your Baby Breathe In Steam

This is another fascinating natural way of dealing with a babys congested nose. Author of The Holistic Baby Guide: Alternative Care for Common Health Problems, Randall Neustaedter, OMD, LAc, states that you should steam up the bathroom, not the bedroom, to decongest little ones.

To effectively manage this, steam up your bathroom with some hot running bath or shower water, hold your baby carefully and enter the steamed up room for a few minutes to let your baby breathe in the humid air. Some people say that this method is better than using humidifiers which tend to leave rooms wet.

Let Your Baby Sit Upright

When your baby is sitting upright, the forces of gravity will help draw out some of the mucus thats clogging their sinuses. As such, letting your little one sit upright will help clear up their congestion. Its best to hold your baby in your arms or put them in a supportive device, like a carrier wrap or sling.

You May Like: How Much Does A Newborn Drink Per Feed

When To See A Doctor

Most cases of congestion in babies are minor and should clear up within a few days. People may wish to talk to the babys doctor if the congestion is severe or lasts for a long time, especially if they are concerned about the babys ability to breathe.

Talk to the babys doctor or take them to the emergency room right away for signs of respiratory problems such as:

• a breathing rate of more than 60 breaths per minute that interferes with feeding or sleep babies naturally breathe faster than older children, usually at a rate of 40 breaths per minute or 2040 breaths during sleep
• rapid or hard breathing that makes feeding difficult
• flaring nostrils, which is a sign that the baby is struggling to take in air
• retractions, which occur when the babys ribs suck in on each breath
• moaning or grunting after each breath
• a blue tint to skin, especially around lips or nostrils

If the baby does not wet their diapers, starts to vomit, or has a fever, call a pediatrician. Speak to them about what to do if this occurs after hours, which may include taking the baby to the emergency room or an urgent care center.

Caregivers should not hesitate to call their babys pediatrician if they are worried.

To determine the cause of their congestion, a pediatrician will need to examine the baby and ask the caregiver questions about any other unusual symptoms.

Part of the examination will involve taking the babys temperature and other vital signs, as well as observing their breathing.

Use Saline Drops Or Spray

One of easiest ways to clear a babys or toddlers nose is to use a saline nasal spray. Nasal spray works by thinning out the mucus, allowing the nose to clear out and ease congestion.

If you cant run to the store for saline drops or spray, try mixing one cup of warm, filtered water and a ½ teaspoon of salt. Make sure your mixture is completely cooled before using.

Try tilting your babys head back and spraying or squeezing a couple of drops inside the nose. Then, follow with some tummy time or by tilting your baby on its side, allowing the mucus to drain. Keep a soft tissue handy to wipe his/her nose.

Read Also: How Often Should You Give A Newborn A Bath