For the first time faced with a common cold in the baby, young parents often panic, draw conclusions about the weakened immunity of crumbs and start to fear once again to open the window, so that the child "does not blown away." And completely in vain. After all, in most cases, the runny nose that occurred in the first weeks of a child's life is not a disease at all, but a normal physiological condition, which is called: a physiological rhinitis in children.
The physiological runny nose is explained by the fact that in newborns in the first 10-11 weeks the mucous nasal (as, indeed, all the other superficial mucous membranes as well as the skin) goes through the stage of adaptation to life in the air. After being in the liquid environment in the womb of the mother, the child's body simply takes time to "adjust" the work of all organs and systems under the new conditions. For normal operation of the respiratory system and olfactory, a certain level of humidity in the nasal cavity is needed. And with the birth of the baby, the mucous membrane of his nose "learns" to maintain this level of humidity. In the first few days it is dry (as a rule, this period of the mother simply does not notice), and then it becomes as moist as possible. From the nozzle, a transparent or translucent whitish mucus begins to appear, which is sometimes mistaken for a symptom of the disease.
How to distinguish a physiological rhinitis?
- By the color of the discharge: light liquid translucent or transparent excretions should not cause concern. If you observe dense yellowish or greenish discharge, then it is worthwhile to see a doctor.
- On the general condition of the child: if the baby has a normal body temperature, there is no increased anxiety, there is no disturbance in sleep and a decrease in appetite, then most likely you are dealing with a physiological runny nose.
How long does a physiological runny nose and how to help a child move it?
The physiological runny nose lasts, as a rule, 7-10 days and passes independently. Special treatment here is not only not necessary, but it can also do harm. What is really needed during this period is to maintain optimal environmental conditions for the mucous environment, namely: the temperature-humidity regime (room temperature not higher than 22 ° and humidity 60-70%). Of course, you need to monitor also that the baby does not have difficulty breathing. To do this, you can clean the spout once a day with cotton turuns soaked in mother's milk or saline (you can buy it in a pharmacy or prepare yourself: 1 teaspoon of salt for 1 liter of boiled water).