A stuffy nose or nasal congestion in babies happens because of tissues within the nose swelling and/or producing mucus. Some babies are born with a stuffy nose -- you may notice they sneeze often for the first few days after birth. This is due to leftover fluid being cleared from the nasal passage. Babies can also become congested due to changes in weather and dry air; this causes the sensitive lining in a baby’s nose to dry up. If this continues, blood vessels can break and your baby’s nose can bleed. If your baby’s nose is stuffy, they may be having a difficult time breathing. Not only can this impact their sleeping routine, but it can also disrupt their feeding time. Thankfully, there are many ways to soothe a baby’s dry nose, including a nasal flush. Keep reading to learn more.
Treating your baby’s dry nose:
1. Saline nose drops: You can flush your baby’s nose of excess mucus using saline drops. Simply lay your baby on their back and elevate their head with a rolled towel or small blanket. Gently press their nose upwards and put two or three saline nose drops into each nostril. Wait 30 to 60 seconds before turning your baby onto their stomach so their nasal cavity can rinse itself. Be sure to place a tissue or swab underneath their nose to catch the mucus. You can also roll the tissue near the outside of their nostril to draw any extra fluid out, but be careful of inserting anything into your child’s nose. Do not worry if your baby begins coughing or sneezing; this is simply their way of naturally clearing mucus and saline out.
2. Nasal flush: If saline solution des not remove the mucus, or if your baby’s nose again becomes congested, try using an infant nasal aspirator. One end of these tubular tools is placed in your baby’s nostril, and the other end is used as a mouthpiece for you to inhale through to draw out mucus. The mucus is then caught in a filter for you to discard. To help mucus move along, use a few saline drops in each of your baby’s nostrils. Afterwards, soak a tissue or cotton ball in the saline solution and gently wipe your baby’s nostrils. Immediately rinse the aspirator in hot water and dry it. You can also use a nasal suction bulb to flush your baby’s nasal cavity. This is also gently inserted into your baby’s nostril to remove mucus like a vacuum.
3. Cool Air Humidifier: During the winter months, when many of us crank the heat in our homes, run a cool air humidifier in your home to combat the dry air and reduce the likeliness of your baby becoming congested. This tool can also be used in addition to other baby nasal rinses. Just ensure you regularly clean the humidifier so fungus doesn’t grow in it. When deciding which water to choose for your baby’s humidifier, distilled water is the purest form and therefore the best option; it goes through a purifying process that includes boiling water into vapor and condensing it back into liquid form. Visit our website for more information.
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