What To Do When Infant Has Nasal Congestion

It s the body s way of getting rid of germs.

What to do when infant has nasal congestion.

In newborns it s especially important to. Some newborns get congested simply because their nasal passages are so tiny that a little bit of mucus irritation from things in the air or even a little bit of breast milk they spit up and goes into the nose can cause it says tanya altmann md an american academy of pediatrics spokesperson and founder of calabasas pediatrics in california. Babies with congestion at night may wake up more often have increased coughing and become very irritable. A baby may sound congested in their nose such as from breathing in dry.

Several issues can lead to a congested baby. If your baby has a cold with no complications it should resolve within 10 to 14 days. Possible signs that your baby is having trouble breathing include belly breathing ribs sucking in with each breath grunting whistling or moaning while taking a breath widening nostrils and more seriously skin. Babies have very small nasal passages and may only sound congested.

Nasal congestion is the most common. But a stuffy nose can be very upsetting for a baby especially at feeding and sleep times. Nasal congestion can be more threatening in infants than in older children and adults. If the baby has a runny nose or mucus in their nose they may have nasal congestion.

Nasal congestion is very common in babies and children. It usually isn t serious. When to see a doctor. Here are five common explanations for infant congestion and what you can do to help your baby breathe easier.

Congestion in babies is caused either by swelling of the nasal passages so air can t get through or by the nasal passages being filled up with mucus says dr. This can become a problem if your baby has nasal congestion on top of this and breathing through the nose becomes more difficult. Being horizontal and being tired make it harder for babies to handle congestion. Nasal congestion happens when blood vessels and tissue in the nasal cavity fill up with too much fluid.

Trouble nursing or taking a bottle due to nasal congestion. It can make it hard to sleep and lead to problems like a sinus infection sinusitis. Symptoms can interfere with infant feedings and can even lead to fatal breathing problems. If your baby is younger than 3 months of age call the doctor early in the illness.

Believe it or not a runny nose can be a good thing.