During pregnancy, courses for expectant mothers discuss a large number of different issues related to the newborn. But there is one that for some reason is overlooked - how to take care of a newborn's nose and whether it is necessary to clean it?
It would seem that nothing is easier. But when a young mother is faced with this problem, she realizes that she does not possess the necessary information. And when she tries to get this information, she discovers that many councils contradict each other. And some of them are generally questionable.
Causes of nasal congestion in a newborn
Let's try to figure out how to properly clean the nose of a newborn and find out the reasons why a newborn has a spout.
The reasons can be several:
- physiological;
- allergic;
- virus.
There is such a thing as a physiological runny nose. It happens to all children, but manifests itself in different ways: someone is invisible, but someone creates a lot of problems. A physiological runny nose occurs in the first three months of a newborn's life. The reason for this is that the mucous membrane of the baby is not yet fully formed. In order for it to work properly, it should take at least ten weeks. Mucous as it passes the test. At first it is dry, and then suddenly it becomes wet, at times to such an extent that a large amount of mucus forms in the nose of the newborn. It can stand out in the form of sniffles, and your newborn baby starts grunting his nose. At this stage it is important to find out whether the cause is really in the physiology or the baby has caught a cold. After all, if you start to treat a physiological runny nose, it will only harm the process of mucosal adaptation. Now it is important to create the right conditions to alleviate the condition of the baby:
- the humidity of the air in the room must be at least 60%;
- the air temperature is 18-20 degrees.
Too dry and warm air in the room will further exacerbate the problem. Parents should purchase a hygrometer in advance, and if their indicators do not correspond to the norm, they can be corrected. To increase the humidity in the room you can buy an air humidifier, or use the grandfather's method to place water in the room. And, of course, the room in which the baby is located should be regularly ventilated.
In case of an allergic rhinitis, it is necessary to remove all irritating factors, such as improper detergent powder, household chemicals, indoor pollen, dust.
If a newborn has a viral infection, then the above symptoms are also accompanied by an edema of the nasal mucosa, as well as an increase in body temperature. It is necessary to consult a doctor for an appropriate treatment.
Why does the newborn have a stuffy nose?
No matter how often you clean the nose of the newborn baby, it still produces crusts, and the nose of the newborn constantly snores. This is because the nasal passages of the baby are very narrow and the mucus dries quickly. The stuffy nose causes discomfort in the baby, because he does not know how to breathe with his mouth. This is especially noticeable during feeding: the baby is crying and not gorging. My mother is exhausted.
How to remove crusts? You can use pharmacy products based on sea salt, and you can make them by taking one liter of sea water or table salt on your own. The solution should be instilled in 2-3 drops in each nostril. After this, wait for 10 - 15 seconds to remove crusts with cotton wool.
What should not be done in any case:
- never drip a baby drug drops without prescribing a doctor;
- do not engage in self-medication, resorting to folk medicine, because in such a small child, an inoffensive Kalanchoe can cause a halt in breathing;
- Do not use the syringe for syringing with a syringe and do not get carried away with using an aspirator - this can complicate the ears;
- Do not use a nose spray for up to a year, this is fraught with an inflammation of the middle ear and otitis media; washing the nose at home with newborns is also not recommended;
- Do not clean your baby's nose with matches and cotton buds - you can injure the mucous membrane.