When your baby has a stuffy nose, upright is the best position to sleep in. You can use a baby carrier/wrap to help keep your infant upright as you go about your day, as this position will help relieve any stuffiness. Remember that you will have to lie your baby down on a flat mattress while putting them to sleep.
First things first, you may find that your baby's congestion seems worse at night when they're lying on their back, but don't be tempted to put them down to sleep propped up or on their side. You should always put your baby to sleep on their back, even when they've got a blocked nose.
The usual way for your newborn baby to breathe is through their nose. This is unless their nasal passage has some blockage, which can lead to mouth breathing. Young babies don't develop the reflex to breathe through their mouths until they are 3 or 4 months old.
Q: Is it dangerous for a baby to sleep with a blocked nose? A: While it might be comfortable for your baby to sleep with a congested nose, it's considered safe for most children.
Your baby may be congested if their symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, an irritated throat, or a cough. The congestion may also cause some discomfort since babies can't blow their nose or breathe well through their mouth, which can affect sleep and feeding.
Be sure to elevate their crib mattress by placing rolled Woolino blankets at the head end of the crib to assist gravity in draining mucus more efficiently. During the day, place your congested baby in an upright position whenever possible. Now would be the time to nap in a sling, upright on Mama's chest.
Concerning Baby Congestion Symptoms
If your baby is congested and exhibits any of the below symptoms, call your doctor immediately: Your baby is younger than three months old. Your baby isn't having as many wet diapers as usual. Your baby has a temperature of 100 degrees for more than three days.
If your baby has a cold with no complications, it should resolve within 10 to 14 days. Most colds are simply a nuisance. But it's important to take your baby's signs and symptoms seriously. If symptoms don't improve or if they worsen, it's time to talk to your doctor.
One of the safest and most effective ways to help clear a baby's congestion is with a saline (salt water) spray or nose drops. These products are available without a prescription. If you use drops, place two drops in each nostril to loosen the mucus inside.
Squeeze the air out of the bulb syringe away from the baby's face. Gently insert the tip into one side of the baby's mouth (pocket of cheek only). Do not suction the back of your baby's mouth. Release the pressure and remove the mucus.
Our bodies react differently to allergens at night and as much as we need gravity, it is not helpful when it comes to a baby's stuffy nose at night. Mucus builds up and has nowhere to go, increasing nasal congestion.
Believe it or not, a walk in cold, fresh air can help relieve the swelling and congestion your little one gets from a cough. So bundle everyone up and get outside!
Make sure to keep your children well hydrated as this can help loosen nasal congestion as well. Elevate head- For young children try elevating the crib mattress by placing a blanket or thin pillow under the mattress. The goal is for the head of the bed to be elevated about 15 degrees above the foot of the bed.
Breast milk.
It doesn't get more natural—or easier—than 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, it'll drain out.” You can also drain by holding your congested baby upright.
Before feeding or nursing if his/her nose is stuffy. Your child will eat better if his/her nose is cleared. Suctioning too soon after eating or drinking may cause vomiting. If your child is having difficulty breathing after he/she vomits or “spits up.” Try to limit suctioning to two to three times a day.
One of easiest ways to clear a baby's or toddler's 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 can't run to the store for saline drops or spray, try mixing one cup of warm, filtered water and a ½ teaspoon of salt.
Allowing a baby to cry
A child's 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.
This is so common there is actually a medical term for it, "nasal congestion of the newborn." Babies have tiny little nasal passages and can sound very congested in the first few weeks of life. They are also "obligate nose breathers," which means they only know how to breathe out of their mouths when they are crying.
It is normal for a baby's nose to get congested (stuffed up) from time to time. When this happens, you can use nasal saline to thin their mucus and then suction it out with a bulb syringe. Suctioning mucus out of the nose makes it easier for them to breathe, suck, and eat.
Place the tip of the bulb syringe down the baby's nasal passage as far as it will go. Block off or close the other nostril with a finger from your other hand. Release your thumb from bulb syringe while keeping the bulb down the baby's nose, allowing the bulb to suction the mucous from the baby's nose.
While it won't completely stop her becoming sick, breast milk's protective properties mean breastfed babies tend to be unwell less often,1 and recover faster, than formula-fed babies. Breast milk has antibacterial and antiviral elements.
Symptoms of a cold in an infant generally start with a low grade fever and nasal congestion. Infants get all plugged up inside and then two to three days later generally start having a lot of post-nasal drip, increasing a cough and causing a runny nose.
Cold symptoms tend to come on gradually, and may include a runny nose, congestion, sneezing, reduced sense of taste and smell, a scratchy throat and cough. Call the doctor if: The child develops an earache. The child develops a fever over 102 degrees F.