How To Help A Congested Newborn

Does Your Congested Baby Need To See A Doctor

As weve already stated, having a congested baby is nothing out of the ordinary. However, there are some symptoms that may be problematic and will require a trip to see the doctor.

If your baby shows any of the following signs, head to your pediatricians office right away.

• Difficulty breathing, particularly trouble inhaling
• Rattling, raspy, or wheezing noises while breathing
• A fever
• Coughing up blood or bloody mucus draining from the nose
• Severe congestion that lasts more than four to five days

If your little one has any of these symptoms, see a healthcare professional ASAP.

How Do I Get Mucus Out Of My Babys Chest

Gentle taps on your babys back can help ease chest congestion. Lay them down across your knees and gently pat their back with your cupped hand. Or do it while they sit on your lap with their body leading forward about 30 degrees. It loosens mucus in the chest and makes it easier for them to cough it up.

Nothing Can Make A Baby Crankier Than A Stuffy Nose Here’s How To Make It Better

Has your little one come down with a stuffy nose? She’s not alone. In fact, according to Dr. Andrew Hotaling, a pediatric otolaryngologist at Loyola University Medical Center, children typically get six to eight colds a year — many causing major congestion. Having a baby who is sick and can’t breathe well can be pretty scary for parents.Here are eight ways to help your congested baby breathe — so you can, too:

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When To Call The Doctor

If you have any concerns about your babys congestion or if he or she has any other signs of illness, such as a fever or cough, contact your pediatrician.

Sometimes it can be difficult to tell when a newborn is sick, Dr. Danan says. A simple cold can become something more serious such as croup or pneumonia. If your baby is struggling to breathe or seems to be breathing rapidly, contact your pediatrician right away.

What To Do When Your Baby Is Congested At Night

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Getting any sleep at night with a baby already comes with its own set of challenges, but having a good night sleep when your baby is congested feels almost impossible.

Babies struggle more than adults to breathe through the mouth if their nose is blocked. So, when they have a cold, they usually end up waking up multiple times a night. This can leave the whole family feeling exhausted!

Small babies in particular are more susceptible to catching colds because they are still developing their immune system. When my daughter started daycare at 6 months, it was the beginning of winter and she ended up catching one virus after another. It was such a tiring and stressful period!

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Your Baby Could Have The Common Cold Virus

Most of the time, baby congestion isnt really painful for them, but it can affect their sleeping, especially if they get the common cold virus, says Duda.

What you can do: If your baby is really congested, Duda suggests elevating their head while they sleep.

Putting them in their baby car seat or even swing so they are in an upright, elevated position can help drain some of that mucus, she says.

Still have a baby with a stuffed up nose on your hands?

Try saline drops for babies noses that help clear out some of that mucus, as well, says Duda.

How To Help A Congested Baby

Some doctors advise against treating your newborn’s stuffy nose, especially if your baby is feeding well and filling up diapers normally. The argument: Why irritate little nasal passages with salt water or blunt plastic objects unless it’s absolutely necessary?

Others may recommend some simple solutions to clear nasal congestion like using a humidifier, saline drops, and a bulb syringe. If you decide to try these home remedies, here’s what you need to know about helping clear your baby’s congested nose.

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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.

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

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Immediate Relief For Your Babys Nasal Congestion

If it appears that your infant has nasal congestion and it is bothering her, you can follow this two-step process to help clear her nose. Do this every few hours, and ideally 15 to 20 minutes before a feeding or bedtime:

Before using the nose dropper, spray, or bulb syringe, make sure that the item has been thoroughly washed with soap and water, then rinsed with clean water, and allowed to dry completely.

How To Clear A Babys Stuffy Nose

A nose thats clogged with mucus can make it hard for babies to breathe and eat properly especially for young babies who breastfeed or eat from a bottle, Dr. Sniderman says.

Keeping excess mucus in check can also ward off skin infections caused by leaking mucus around the childs nose.

The best way to remove it is with a suction device like a nasal aspirator or Swedish snot sucker, Dr. Sniderman says. With a nasal aspirator, you create the suction by squeezing the bulb and then putting it gently in your childs nose and releasing it. With a Swedish snot sucker, you create the suction with your mouth but a long, thin tube with a membrane over it stands between you and the larger vial that goes in the nose. You and your baby may not love the process, but it works.

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Baby Congestion At Night

Being congested while lying down flat can make sleep more challenging, resulting in an irritable baby. However, you must treat night time congestion as you would day time. Use any of the remedies listed above, but do not prop your baby up with pillows or elevate the cot mattress. Doing so increases the risks of SIDS and suffocation. If you want to hold your baby upright while they sleep, ensure that you stay awake, and take it in turns with your partner.

Types Of Baby Congestion

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Baby congested but no mucus in the nose. Some babies might sound congested, but theres no mucus in their nose, which is also super common. The Texas Childrens Hospital explained nasal congestion in newborns is so common they call it nasal congestion of the newborn. Not only do babies have tiny nostrils, but theyre also obligate nose breathers, which means they can only breathe through their mouth when theyre crying, making even the most infinitesimal blockage sound awful.

Baby congestion in the chest. This one is trickier. If your newborn sounds congested, is coughing or wheezing, here are a few things to try to help soothe their symptoms. Babies under four years old cant take cough and cold medicines, so youll need to go the natural route here.

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What To Do For A Congested Baby

Fortunately, many home remedies are quite effective at making your little one more comfortable. Here are a few easy treatments to try. Best part? You probably have many of these already at home.

Breast milk. It doesnt get more naturalor easierthan this. A drop or two in the nose can help loosen congestion, Altmann says. Let baby sniff it up, then give him tummy time when he lifts his head, itll drain out. You can also drain by holding your congested baby upright.

Nasal saline. As with breast milk, add a drop or two in each nostril. You can buy nasal saline or make it at home: Mix a quarter teaspoon of table salt and 8 ounces of bottled water, Altmann says.

Cool mist humidifier. Fill up the humidifier with plain waterno Vicks or other substancesand run it in babys room while shes sleeping. Put this close to the crib it really makes a difference, Posner says.

Steam room. Steam up the bathroom and sit baby on your lap or breastfeed in there for 20 minutes, Altmann says. The humidity loosens any dry congestion in the nose to help it drain.

Warm juice. For babies 6 months and up, try feeding baby a little warm, unsweetened apple juice or water . Just as with OTC products, theyll soften any mucus that ends up in the back of babys throat.

Sit In A Steamy Bathroom With Your Baby

Run a hot shower and simply sit in the bathroom with your little one for a few minutes. The steam will help your congested baby breathe a bit easier.

Important note: only stay in a steamy bathroom for three to five minutes at a time. If it gets too hot or if your baby seems uncomfortable, its time to call the sauna session off.

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Home Remedies For A Very Congested Baby

It is tough to have a very congested baby. Just like with adults, the congestion makes it difficult for them to sleep and eat.

Here are some home remedies to help your congested baby:

1. Hot Shower and Steam

Run a hot shower and sit in the bathroom and let him breathe in the steam. This helps with congestion.

2. Saline Drops

When he has a stopped up nose, you may want to use saline nose drops.

You can make saline drops by adding ½ teaspoon of table salt to 2 cups of boiled water.

After the solution has come to room temperature, put one drop in each nostril then suck with the 1-ounce rubber syringe .

Do this before each feeding and at bedtime. This will make it easier for the child to breathe.

3. Breastmilk Drops

If you still breastfeed, you can use breastmilk drops too. Use breastmilk the same way as you would saline drops. Breastmilk is very efficient in reducing congestion in babies.

4. Elevate the Head End of Babys Bed

You can try to help your baby breathe better at night by elevating the head end of his crib a bit.

Dont do it by placing him on a pillow, though, since he could fall under it during the night.

Instead either put a pillow under the mattress or use something very stable beneath the beds legs.

5. A Warm Bath

A warm bath in a bathroom with warm, humid air can also help congestion and make it easier for your baby to sleep.

This can, of course, be a lot more fun for both you and your baby than just sitting in the bathroom with the shower running.

Paula

Ways To Help Your Congested Baby Breathe

One of the most common ailments that newborns face is congestion. If you have a congested baby on your hands, youre probably concerned and looking for ways to help your little one breathe better. Youre in luck! This post from the baby experts at Mustela will tell you just that.

Well start by explaining symptoms to watch for as well as what might be causing your babys congestion. Then well show you 13 easy ways to help your congested baby breathe easy.

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What Kind Of Humidifier Is Best For Baby Congestion

Moist air not only helps relieve your baby’s nasal congestion but it also can make for a more comforting sleep environment. When selecting a humidifier for your baby, it’s best to opt for a cool-mist humidifier over a warm-mist one.

Although they both accomplish the same thing, a cool-mist humidifier is safer because the steam from a warm-mist humidifier could get too warm or burn your baby if they get too close. Even an accidental spill from a humidifier can cause burns.

Baby Stuffy Nose Medicine

Babies canât have decongestant medicine until theyâre 4 years old because potentially life-threatening side effects could occur, according to the Food and Drug Administration . However, âyou can gently clear your newbornâs nose with saline solution and a bulb syringe,â 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. Donât 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.

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Once the saline spray is in your babyâs nose, youâll want to use a bulb syringe . Choose one thatâs 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 babyâs 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.

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