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have you been wondering
how to help your baby clear a runny nose
nasal congestion
and cough in this video i'm going to
focus on the best approaches
for children 12 months and younger and
i'll end by talking about the symptoms
that indicate you should have your baby
evaluated
by a healthcare provider upper
respiratory infections
also known as the common cold are the
most common illnesses that babies
experience
there are more than 200 different
viruses known to cause the symptoms of
upper respiratory infections runny nose
nasal congestion
and cough are present with many of these
viruses
the child's immune system is well
equipped to take care of the viral
infection itself
but since they can't blow their nose or
spit out the mucus that accumulates at
the back of their throat
there are things you can do to help with
those symptoms
first i want to mention the common
symptoms of an upper respiratory
infection in babies
with many of them the baby will have a
runny nose nasal congestion
and cough the following may also be
present
fever sneezing sore throat decreased
appetite
decrease in activity level and increased
fussiness
usually after onset symptoms tend to
become worse
the first two to three days and then
they usually start to improve
initially the mucus starts off
transparent thin and runny
however within the next several days it
becomes thicker
and can change to a white yellow or
green color
contrary to popular belief the mucus
changing to one of these colors
is not necessarily an indication that
the baby now has
a bacterial infection as the mucus
thickens
less will drip out of the nose and more
will start to drip down the back of the
throat
around this time the cough will tend to
get worse and can become
more wet sounding because of the mucus
some babies will even have a rattling
sound
in their upper airways a lot of parents
become concerned about the cough
but in most situations when it's
associated with an
upper respiratory tract infection the
cough is actually the
body's natural mechanism for protecting
the lungs
when the mucus moves from the nose down
the back of the throat
the baby will cough to prevent it from
going into the airways and lungs
and instead moves the mucus into the
digestive tract
on average an upper respiratory
infection will last around 7
to 10 days although some babies may have
residual symptoms
that last longer in the first several
days of an upper respiratory tract
infection
when thin and runny mucus is coming out
of the nose you can help the baby
breathe better
by doing nasal suctioning the best time
to do nasal suctioning
is either before the baby eats or goes
down to sleep
when they're sick babies are able to eat
better when their breathing is not
hindered by mucus
they're also able to get more
uninterrupted sleep when
mucus isn't blocking the nose suctioning
the baby's nose
too soon after a breast milk or formula
feeding
can lead to a spit up it's recommended
to limit sectioning the baby's nose to
three or less times a day
doing it more frequently can actually
irritate the nose
first it will be beneficial for both you
and your baby if you find an approach
that will minimize them moving around a
lot when you're suctioning
this is easier said than done it's
normal for babies
to become upset and try to move around
when their nose is suctioned
and we want to avoid an injury
accidentally happening
from the baby moving the head or arms
while you're trying to do something
that will help them out also you will be
able to suction the mucus out quicker
and more effectively when you have the
baby in a position that minimizes a lot
of movement
i'm going to mention several approaches
so you can figure out what works best
for you and your baby
for newborn to four-month-old babies it
works well to have them either fully
swaddled
or just have the arms at the baby's
chest swaddling helps babies feel more
secure
like they were in the womb it also helps
you by keeping the baby's arms away from
the face
if there are two adults present while
having the baby laying on the back
one can gently support the baby's head
in place and the other can do the nasal
suctioning
if you're doing it on your own have your
baby swaddled and laying on the back
use one of your hands to gently cup the
baby's jaw to support the head from
moving
place your thumb on one side of the jaw
and the index and middle fingers on the
other side
be sure not to put any pressure on the
baby's neck then you can use your other
hand to suction the nose
another option for holding your baby
securely is to lay your child facing you
on your lap with a head towards your
knees use the area between your knees to
gently support the baby's head in place
while using your hands to suction the
nose for infants who can be placed in a
sitting position
which typically occurs around four
months or older you can sit the baby on
your lap facing away from you
this approach works best when two adults
are present
one can hold the baby while the other
does the nasal suctioning
the one who will be holding the baby can
gently wrap an arm
around the front of the child to help
minimize movement and keep the baby's
arms down and away from the face
then with the other hand gently cup the
baby's jaw by putting the thumb on one
side of the jaw
and the index and middle fingers on the
other side be sure not to put any
pressure on the baby's neck
gently tilt the baby's head up and rest
the back of the head against your body
now you're ready for the other adult to
do the nasal suctioning
having either adult speak or sing to the
baby will serve
as a distraction if you're using a bulb
suction
first squeeze the bulb to push out the
air
and then put it into the baby's nostril
until you get a good seal
be careful not to push it in too far to
prevent causing irritation
or bleeding slowly release the pressure
on the bulb to suck out the mucus
when using a suction like the nose frida
make sure you have it properly assembled
since the nose freedot has a bigger
opening it's intended to include the
opening to the baby's
nasal passage instead of going into the
nose
put the suction mouthpiece into your
mouth first and then once you get a good
seal with the tip at the baby's nostril
gently suck the mucus out of the first
side and then
the other side there are electric nasal
aspirators if you
prefer that option most parents find
that one approach is more effective
than another you may need to do some
trial and error to find what works best
for you
and your baby i have links to several of
the different
nasal aspirators in the description
below if you'd like to check them out
in situations when the mucus in the
baby's nose is a thicker consistency
i recommend using nasal saline drops or
spray to thin it out first
before attempting to suction it out
nasal saline is salt water and works
well for loosening up the mucus
i mentioned several great nasal saline
options for babies
in the description below while holding
your baby securely
put two to three drops or one two three
sprays into each nostril
and wait a few minutes for it to thin
and loosen up the mucus
something i find that really works
especially if it sounds like the baby
has a post nasal drip
and a wet cough is to hold the baby
upright after
putting the nasal saline into the nose
cup one of your hands and tap
all around the baby's upper back for
several minutes
follow it up by suctioning the mucus out
of the nose
many parents notice that sometimes the
baby starts coughing more
shortly after they use nasal saline
drops and suction
this is normal since the thicker mucus
in the nose and post nasal drip loosen
up more starts to drip down the back of
the throat
the baby will cough to protect the mucus
from going into the lungs
the mucus that you're not able to
suction out will be swallowed by the
baby
and will go into the digestive tract
another thing that helps
is the use of a humidifier there are
warmest
and cool mist humidifiers they're both
considered to be just as effective
but due to the risk that the baby may
get a burn from the warmest humidifier
the cool mist ones are recommended for
this age group
be sure to follow the instructions
included and keep it properly clean
set it on a sturdy surface several feet
away from the baby's crib
to prevent it from blowing directly onto
the baby's face
having it on while your child is
sleeping can really help their breathing
another option is to make it steamy in
the bathroom from running hot water in
the shower
have your child spend time playing or
taking a warm bath while breathing the
humidified air
this will help to thin out and loosen up
the mucus
if your child sounds congested
afterwards feel free to use nasal saline
drops or spray
to loosen the mucus up more then tap on
the back for several minutes
to further assist with loosening it up
and finish
off with nasal suctioning cough from an
upper respiratory infection can be very
bothersome to the baby
and parents and it tends to become worse
when the baby is laying down to sleep
as i mentioned most of the time the
cough itself
is a protective mechanism to prevent the
mucus that's dripping down the back of
the throat
from ending up in the baby's lungs
chemical cough medications
are not recommended for babies studies
have consistently shown
that they don't work and can cause
serious side effects
however a study showed a decrease in
nighttime cough
in babies two months and older who were
given either three or four milliliters
of agave nectar syrup
30 minutes before bedtime compared to
babies who didn't get anything
you may have heard that honey decreases
cough as well
but it's not recommended to be given to
children under one year of age
due to a risk for botulism applying a
vapor or chest strap is another home
remedy
that has been shown to decrease
nighttime cough and congestion
and improve sleep therapies has a great
one that can be placed
on the chest neck back or bottom of the
feet for babies two months and older
by keeping the mucus thin through the
use of nasal saline and a humidifier
and by helping the baby clear it out
with nasal suctioning will help minimize
the cough
keeping the baby well hydrated during
the time of illness will
also help keep the mucus from becoming
too thick
now let's talk about symptoms that are
indicators you should have your child
evaluated by a healthcare provider
anytime babies look like they're having
respiratory distress they need to be
seen promptly
signs of respiratory distress include
the baby's belly going up and down
rapidly as they breathe
they can also have retractions which
will involve the muscles in between the
ribs
below the ribcage and in the neck
pulling inward as the baby breathes in
some babies will have nasal flaring this
involves the baby's nostrils opening
wider when breathing in
other concerning symptoms include noisy
breathing or making wheezing sounds
if a baby has a temperature of 100.4
degrees fahrenheit
or 38 degrees celsius or higher in the
first month of life
they need to be evaluated promptly
children who are older
should be seen if their fever is not
improving with appropriate doses of
fever reducing medicine
or if fever continues for five days or
longer
other concerning symptoms include the
baby's cough continuing to worsen
even after doing treatment with nasal
saline suctioning and humidification
or cough lasting longer than two weeks
as
uncomfortable as it is when your child
is sick remember
this is a way that your child develops
immunity towards
infections and the process actually
works to strengthen their immune system
by doing the things that i mentioned in
this video you will be able to alleviate
the runny nose
nasal congestion and cough and help your
child get over them quicker
see you in the next video