Newborns are often worried about a runny nose. Sometimes it is physiological in nature and does not require treatment. In some cases, medical supervision is required. To ease the baby's condition and restore his breathing, you need to know how to remove snot from a baby. Following the recommendations will help your baby get rid of the congestion quickly and painlessly.
Newborn
Causes of a cold in a newborn
A runny nose in a newborn is a common occurrence. There are several reasons for the appearance of mucous secretions:
- Adaptation of the baby to the environment. The mucous membrane gets used to the new environment, reacting with the appearance of snot. They are liquid and transparent, the baby's health does not deteriorate, the body temperature remains normal. This condition is called physiological rhinitis. He does not require treatment and goes away on his own. It usually appears in the first months of a baby's life and lasts an average of a week to three months;
- Too dry air in the room, its excessive gas content. Also, mucus can appear when there is a lot of dust in the room, or there is tobacco smoke. Children, like adults, react to smells, perfumes or flowers;
- Viral infection. The snot has a protective function. They fight the harmful effects of viruses, protecting the body from their spread. There is no need to treat them, only to maintain their condition so that they remain transparent and liquid. When they thicken, they lose their beneficial properties. If they turn yellow or greenish, then a bacterial infection has joined. With this development of events, treatment should be started in order to prevent complications.
Note! Mucous discharge is not always dangerous and requires medication. Sometimes it is enough to maintain the necessary conditions in the room and give the baby more drink to improve the condition.
If the baby's well-being worsens, he becomes moody, systematically refuses to eat, he has a fever, or other symptoms appear, you need to call a doctor.
Medical examination
A running cold can lead to the development of:
- otitis media;
- tracheitis;
- bronchitis;
- pneumonia.
In young children, the infection quickly develops and passes into the respiratory tract, especially if the child constantly squishes his nose, the discharge goes down the throat.
Note! Snot in the nasopharynx of a baby irritates the mucous membrane and causes a cough, sometimes leading to vomiting. Do not self-medicate if your child is not getting better.
A doctor's consultation is never superfluous. He will tell you what to do if the baby has snot in the nasopharynx. Will advise you to continue the treatment you started or prescribe a new one.
Does a newborn need to clean his nose?
A newborn is just getting used to a new life, learning a new one. Congestion makes breathing much more difficult. Not always, a baby can reflexively start breathing through the mouth if it does not work through the nose. Therefore, with a severe cold, the child may begin to choke.
With a stuffy nose, the baby cannot eat and drink normally. He becomes moody and restless. Lack of nasal hygiene leads to the formation of crusts, which are more difficult to get rid of. Therefore, cleaning the nose of a newborn is mandatory. The main thing is to remove snot, following the recommendations so as not to harm the little person.
How often to clean the nose of a baby
The baby's nose must be cleared when breathing is extremely difficult. If the procedure is carried out correctly, the child will experience relief and his condition will improve. It is enough to do this three times a day, if necessary, increase it to five, but not more.
Hygiene of the nose includes:
- Softening crusts and secretions with saline solutions;
- Snot suction. There are several ways, everyone can choose the most suitable for themselves.
Snot suction
How to rinse and clean your nose
Before you clear your newborn's nose, you need to put a saline solution into each nostril. The main thing is not to use sprays. During their action, the agent is sprayed with great pressure. As a result, fluid can enter the inner ear, which is fraught with the development of otitis media. There are sprays called soft showers. They do not irrigate the nasal cavity with a stream, but spray liquid. They can be used with caution in children over three months old.
You can make your own rinsing solution by mixing water with table salt. It is better not to experiment on newborns, since it will not be possible to create a sterile product. The cost of saline solution is low, after opening it can be stored until the expiration date, observing the prescribed conditions.
Note! Salt can remove excess fluid and relieve swelling. Products based on it are not addictive and are considered safe.
How to suck snot with an aspirator
An aspirator is a useful invention that helps to quickly get rid of mucous discharge from the nose. The mechanism of different types of devices is somewhat different, which affects the efficiency of work:
- The mechanical aspirator is the most gentle. Traction is regulated by the baby's parents. The tip is inserted into the baby's nostril. It connects with a tube to a mouthpiece, which the baby's mom or dad takes in the mouth and sucks the contents of the nose. The use of such an aspirator is not very hygienic. Parents can become infected from the baby, because they are in direct contact with him, drawing in snot, even though there is a separator in the device;
- The electronic aspirator is battery operated. You just need to place the nozzle in the sick child's nostril and turn on the device. Its action is enough to rid the baby of nearby secretions. He will not be able to pull out thick snot from the distant sections;
- The vacuum aspirator is a nozzle for a vacuum cleaner. With its help, you can get out thick mucus, completely clearing the nasal passages. Removal of secretions occurs almost instantly, the snot ends up in a special reservoir, making it easier for the baby to breathe.
Cotton flagella
The cotton swabs will help soften the crusts that accumulate in dry indoor air and remove surface mucus.
How to clean a nose from snot with cotton balls for a baby:
- You will need a regular cotton pad, which must be divided into 8 parts and twisted each into a bundle;
- Moisten one end in a saline solution;
- Place gently into the baby's nostril. A few millimeters is enough for the mucous membrane to be moistened and the crusts to soften;
- Slowly, with a rotational movement, remove the flagellum, which will collect the baby's snot and boogers.
Nose moisturizers
Saline solutions used for nasal instillation not only moisturize the mucous membrane, but also cleanse it of bacteria and dust. Therefore, nasal hygiene is a great way to prevent a cold.
Hygiene of the nose
A humidifier will improve the baby's condition. If there is no special device, then you can hang wet diapers or arrange containers with water. Daily wet cleaning helps, as well as getting rid of carpets, soft toys that collect dust.
After consultation with the doctor, inhalations with saline can be carried out. Different attachments of the device help to spray liquid also on the throat, softening the mucus in the nasopharynx of the baby.
Note! Sometimes pediatricians recommend using vasoconstrictor drops. They must be used with caution, they are addictive. Therefore, you can contact them by carefully reading the instructions, having studied the contraindications.
How to clear your nose with a pear
There are special syringe-like pears for cleaning the nose. It is not difficult to use them, but they will only remove superficial selections.
How to clean the nose of a newborn from snot at home using a pear:
- You need to squeeze it in your hand, releasing the air;
- Insert into one nostril of the baby, holding the other, and remove your hand;
- Air will begin to be sucked into the pear along with the secretions.
The disadvantage of using is that it is impossible to immediately follow the result of the procedure. After all, the snot ends up in a syringe made of an opaque material. You usually have to repeat the steps several times to clear your nose.
Traditional methods of getting rid of mucus
To get rid of a cold, it is advised to use aloe juice.
Aloe
How to clean the nose of a newborn from snot using the folk method:
- It is enough to take a leaf of the plant and make an incision along it. He will immediately give juice;
- It cannot be used in its pure form, it must be diluted. Add ten - water to one drop of flower juice. It acts aggressively on delicate mucous membranes and can cause burns;
- Pour 2-3 drops into each nostril. Be sure to turn the baby's head to prevent fluid from leaking into the ears. At the top should be the nostril into which you plan to drip the diluted juice.
It happens that babies begin to sneeze from aloe, then the superficial snot easily comes out on its own. You can put the baby on his stomach after instilling saline. If the nozzles are liquid, then they themselves will begin to flow. The only thing is that after constant wiping, irritation will appear on the skin. To make it go away, you need to use a baby healing cream.
Cleansing with Mom's Mouth
Often, young mothers are advised to suck snot on their own. To do this, you need to draw out the mucus from the baby's nose with your mouth. It is better to refuse such a method. First of all, a child needs a healthy mother, this method is a direct way of transmitting bacteria from a sick baby to her. Even a mechanical aspirator is equipped with a special filter that protects parents from getting the child's mucous secretions into their mouths.
Dos and Don'ts when cleaning the nose
When cleaning the nose, do not use cotton swabs. Any careless movement can lead to injury. You should always check whether the aspirator tips that are inserted into the baby's nostrils are safe, whether they have sharp or hard elements.
It is important that the child is not afraid of the procedure, so it is better to choose a time when the baby is in a good mood. If he is upset or depressed, it is best to clean his nose later.
The kid is not in the mood
Important! Do not drip breast milk into the nose of children. Of course, its benefits cannot be overestimated, but not in this case. Milk is a breeding ground for bacteria. Therefore, burying it with a runny nose will only worsen the well-being of the baby.
If the child's temperature rises, the nature of the discharge changes, they become thick, a green tint appears, you need to seek help from a pediatrician. Only a doctor, based on the examination of the patient and the observations of the mother, will be able to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
How to prevent boogers
To prevent the baby from forming crusts, you need to regularly moisturize the nasal mucosa. First of all, Komarovsky, a well-known pediatrician, recommends maintaining comfortable conditions at home:
- temperature 20-22 degrees;
- humidity in the range of 50-70 percent;
- do wet cleaning every day, do not forget about airing;
- get rid of carpets and other dust collectors.
When a runny nose appears, you need to help the discharge to remain liquid and transparent. Drinking plenty of fluids and rinsing the nose will help. Daily moistening of the mucous membrane will not allow the secretions to dry out and form crusts and boggars.
Hygiene of the newborn's nose is one of the responsibilities of parents. The baby is not able to independently get rid of mucous secretions. Therefore, the task falls on the shoulders of moms and dads. There are several ways to help a baby. The main thing is to carefully study the recommendations and not self-medicate when the baby's condition worsens.
