How to effectively treat a runny nose in a newborn baby

The baby’s body has just entered a world where it is surrounded every day by a huge army of viruses and bacteria. The mucous membrane of the baby’s nasal passages is still very short and sensitive, and easily “catches” foreign bacilli.

During breastfeeding, a runny nose may appear, of any origin. The main culprits of rhinitis in infants are allergens, viruses and bacteria. All of them cause inflammation of the nasal mucosa. First, liquid discharge from the nose appears, and then thicker with a milky tint. If you have yellow and green snot, you should already sound the alarm.

Rhinitis in newborns

A runny nose in a newborn up to a month old can be physiological or caused by various diseases. Such a baby’s discomfort cannot be ignored, because snot makes breathing difficult and prevents the child from eating and sleeping normally.

Types of rhinitis in newborns and their causes

Depending on the reasons that caused the baby’s snot, there are several types of rhinitis. A runny nose can be a consequence of the underdevelopment of a child’s body or an indicator of illness:

1. Physiological rhinitis. During the newborn period, all organs of children are fragile and continue to develop and adapt to new living conditions. The work of the nasopharynx is also not yet fully regulated. A lot of mucus may come out of the baby's nose, but the baby does not have any symptoms of the disease. The only thing that causes him discomfort is the snot, which clogs his nose and makes breathing difficult.
2. Allergic rhinitis. Nasal discharge can be caused by dust, dry indoor air, pollen, household chemicals and other allergens. When breastfeeding, a mother needs to reconsider the foods she eats. So that they do not provoke an allergic reaction in the baby.
3. Viral or bacterial rhinitis. In this case, snot is the result of the action of viruses or bacteria on a fragile body. In addition to snot, the baby’s temperature rises, he is capricious, and feels unwell.

Features of rhinitis in newborns

Sneezing, sniffling, sniffling, snot - all these are signs of a runny nose in babies. The biggest problem with rhinitis in newborns is that they do not yet know how to blow their nose. If a baby's nose becomes completely clogged, he will not always be able to switch to mouth breathing; this skill does not appear immediately. When mucus accumulates, thickens, or dries in the nose, it can be very difficult for your baby to breathe.

The second danger of a runny nose in children is the progression of rhinitis into bronchitis due to the fact that mucus is not removed and it flows from the nose into the bronchi. An untreated runny nose can provoke otitis media. Therefore, a runny nose in children should not be ignored. He definitely needs to be treated.

Snot in a 1 month old newborn: what to do

The very first step in the fight against a runny nose is to clear your nose of accumulated mucus:

1. Clean your baby's nose with cotton swabs. The flagellum is inserted into the baby's nose with shallow screwing movements, then removed.
2. Remove mucus from the nose with an aspirator.
3. Make sure that the air in the room is fresh and humidified so that the nasal discharge in the baby does not thicken and crust. If there is no special room humidifier, place a bowl of water in the baby's room or hang wet laundry.

General recommendations for the treatment of rhinitis

In order for the baby to recover faster, you need to create all the conditions for this: ventilate the room, monitor nutrition, limit walks.

Ventilation

The easiest way to get rid of viruses and bacteria accumulated in the air is ventilation. Ventilate the entire house more often and make sure that the air in the child’s room does not become too dry and is humidified. If the room is dusty, stuffy, dry air, this will significantly slow down the healing process.

Nutrition

When a baby is unwell, his appetite decreases. A stuffy nose interferes with normal breastfeeding, the baby becomes capricious and tired from such problematic feeding. Make sure your child eats at least one third of the usual portion per day. If he doesn't latch on, spoon feed him or use a syringe. Do not allow your baby to become dehydrated.

Walking and swimming

If the baby has a runny nose due to a high temperature, walks should be stopped for a while. Swimming is not recommended. They go for walks only in good weather, when the baby’s temperature has returned to normal. They begin to bathe the baby 4 days after the temperature has subsided and the child has recovered.

Medicines for the treatment of runny nose in children

All medications for the treatment of rhinitis should be prescribed by a pediatrician after examining the baby. Do not prescribe treatment to your child on your own or on the recommendations of friends. If you have doubts about the competence of your local pediatrician, seek advice from another specialist.

Nasal moisturizers

Newborns should not use medications in the form of sprays to moisturize the mucous membranes. Introducing a substance under pressure can lead to complications of the disease. Preparations based on sea water can also be quite aggressive for the mucous membranes of a newborn. To moisten the nose before removing mucus with an aspirator, pediatricians sometimes recommend instilling a drop of saline solution at room temperature. But the best thing is to monitor the air humidification in the room, then local humidification will not be required.

Vasoconstrictor drops

If the mucous membrane of a newborn is swollen, it is difficult for him to breathe, pediatricians will recommend suitable vasoconstrictor drops. What medications are most often prescribed to a newborn for a runny nose:

• Nazol Baby drops or Nazivin drops 0.01%;
• the solution is instilled into the nose after 6 hours, before bedtime;
• carefully monitor the dosage;
• these drugs cannot be used for more than 3 days due to the risk of mucosal atrophy.

Such medications must be used with extreme caution, and in no case exceed the dose prescribed by the doctor.

What does an overdose of vasoconstrictors lead to:

• to tachycardia;
• nausea and vomiting;
• cramps.

Antiseptic drugs

In case of green snot, and sometimes in advance, pediatricians prescribe antiseptic drugs to prevent the development of complications. The most common, time-tested remedy is Protorgol.

"Protorgol" is prepared in pharmacies according to a doctor's prescription. The drug is based on silver, which is safe for the body and has powerful antibacterial properties.

Immunomodulatory and antiviral drops

Drugs to combat viruses are still questionable. Whether it is worth stimulating the immune system and what consequences this will have for the baby in the future is unknown. For the treatment of acute rhinitis, pediatricians may prescribe:

• "Grippferon";
• "Viferon";
• "Derinat."

The use of these drugs is effective if they are started at the very beginning of the development of the disease.

Folk remedies

Folk remedies are effective and good mostly for adults and at the initial stage of the disease. What common folk remedies are not recommended for newborns:

• onion or garlic juice, even diluted in oil - they are too irritating to the mucous membrane of a newborn;
• breast milk should be consumed orally, and not dropped into the nose;
• Kalanchoe juice is too aggressive for delicate mucous membranes and can cause too much sneezing.

Of the folk remedies, the most harmless and optimal remedy for treating snot in newborns without fever is aloe juice. Before use, the aloe leaf is placed in the refrigerator for several days. You can also use a freshly picked leaf, then its juice is diluted with boiled water in a 1:1 ratio. Place one drop of this solution in each nostril 3 times a day.

A runny nose goes away quite quickly if you promptly remove mucus from the nose and use medications prescribed by your doctor. The main thing is not to delay treatment and follow simple recommendations for caring for your baby.

How to treat a runny nose in a newborn baby?

Knowing the danger of a runny nose in newborns, parents often have the question: “What to treat?” And this question is asked for a reason, since when it comes to an adult, choosing a drug that will quickly eliminate nasal congestion will be much easier than when it comes to an infant.

The child’s body has a weakened immune system, so the selection of medications must be very careful, since during the treatment of a runny nose, the child may experience an allergic reaction, which can cause Quincke’s edema and then it will be necessary to act very quickly. Because the child's life will be at risk.

To treat a runny nose in infants, various medications are used that have vasoconstrictor properties or contain sea salt. There are also traditional methods for treating nasal congestion, which are the safest, since traditional medicine involves the use of natural ingredients. However, here you need to be careful and not exceed the dosage, because the development of an allergic reaction is also possible.

Well, the best way to solve this problem is to visit a pediatrician who will examine your baby and prescribe the most effective and safe remedy to quickly relieve swelling.

Treatment of runny nose in infants from one month

It is very important to monitor the baby’s health in the first months of his life. Caring mothers try to prevent various diseases as much as possible, so they are very surprised when they find their baby has a runny nose. With proper and timely treatment, this disease does not cause harm to an adult, but it can cause a lot of trouble to a tiny child. It is also necessary to be able to distinguish between forms of the disease. After all, it can be a physiological runny nose in a baby, or a more dangerous allergic one .

How dangerous is the disease?

A newborn has a slightly different physiology of a runny nose than an adult, which is why it brings more sad consequences. Young children are accustomed to using only their nose when breathing. They are still unfamiliar with difficult nasal breathing, so they don’t have to breathe through their mouths.

Another danger is small nasal passages. Therefore, even the slightest swelling can cause serious harm, for example, completely block breathing. There are many sad cases when a baby suffocated due to a runny nose. This disease is especially dangerous at one month: at this age, children are still very weak, so it is difficult for them to cope even with common colds.

The task of parents is to detect the disease in time and prevent it. Snot is the first sign of a runny nose. However, they do not always appear, since swelling strongly and quickly narrows the small nasal grooves, and this prevents the passage of mucus. There is no snot, so parents don't worry. This is the insidiousness of the disease, since the swelling begins to spread inward, affecting the larynx and lungs.

Even the mildest forms are dangerous. Illness in a breastfed baby brings him many other troubles. He lifts himself from his chest, trying to breathe in air. This contributes to increased gas formation, bloating, and colic. The nervous system also suffers, since it is difficult for the baby to cope with difficulty breathing and a sore tummy.

What should parents do?

A runny nose in a newborn is always a reason to consult a doctor. Fortunately, nurses and pediatricians from clinics examine children at this age every 1-2 weeks. Yes, and you can always consult with them by phone.

You can also consult a doctor by telephone

If rhinitis develops against a background of elevated temperature, you cannot make a decision about treatment on your own. Without listening to the lungs, you can never know whether the disease develops only in the nose, or has moved to the lower parts of the respiratory tract and developed into bronchitis. In addition, management tactics and a set of medications for viral and bacterial infections are completely different and, without accurately determining the type of process (or not noticing the details), you can miss the precious moment of competently starting treatment.

So we figured it out here: if a child has a fever, we immediately call a doctor.

Review

“We had such an unpleasant situation at 3 months. The temperature rose and there was a runny nose, but there was no cough. They immediately called a doctor, she came in the evening and definitely said it was a virus. She also said that it was too early for ARVI. She prescribed Okomistin and Laferobion suppositories, after two days it seemed to feel better, but the temperature did not drop. The doctor came again, and then a bacteria appeared, my throat was red. I wanted to prescribe antibiotics, but decided to wait a day. And well, a day later there was no fever, and without antibiotics everything went away. They took Nurofen for fever.”

Tatyana, Moscow

Nurofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, indicated for severe pain or inflammatory reactions.

If the baby does not have a temperature, the general physiological condition is normal, he eats well, parents need to:

1. Measure the humidity in the room. Today, you don’t even always need to buy a barometer for this: some tablets and smartphones have humidity sensors. If the readings are below 50%, you need to start hanging wet towels on the radiators or buy and turn on a humidifier.
2. Give your child plenty to drink - water, special children's teas. They must be taken separately from milk.
3. Ventilate the room.
4. Remove carpets, shelves with books, unnecessary things from the room - everything on which dust can settle.
5. Carry out a thorough wet cleaning at least once every two days.
6. Replace washing powders and cleaning products with ones that do not contain chlorine.
7. Do not allow pets into the premises. It’s better to give them away to relatives or friends for a while.
8. Do not allow cigarette smoke to enter the room.
9. If there are hints of thickening of mucus in the nose or drying out, you need to instill 1-2 drops of saline solution into each nostril several times a day.

Saline solution is an ideal solution for moisturizing the nose without side effects. Instead, you can use a solution of table salt at the rate of 1 teaspoon of salt per liter of water

If these measures do not produce results within 2-3 days, you need to call a doctor to examine the child. We will talk about how and with what means various rhinitis in newborns is treated in a separate article.

Features of age

It is necessary to clearly determine the form of the disease, since treatment depends on it. Not only drops help, but also a special massage. In this situation, it is better to trust the doctor: he will prescribe the necessary treatment.

Before you start treating a runny nose in a baby, you should familiarize yourself with age-related characteristics.

1. In one month, rhinitis may appear for various reasons. There is a so-called physiological variety. Such a runny nose can appear in almost every baby and is typical for many children in one month. There is a slight discharge of mucus from the nasal passages. In this case, no treatment is required, so nothing needs to be done. The baby eats well, does not refuse the breast or bottle, and does not have a fever. The phenomenon soon passes.

If parents notice a slight “squelching” and light liquid discharge, they should pay more attention to the cleanliness and freshness of the room. You can simply walk with your child more often, but not in too cold weather.

1. At 2 months, rhinitis can be caused by a large amount of mucus accumulated in the nasopharynx. In a baby, discharge accumulates faster because he constantly lies down and cannot walk. This also causes a cough that becomes protracted. This is how a viral type can manifest itself.

In this case, pediatricians advise treating infants for a runny nose using drops or saline solution. If medications are not suitable for your child, massage will help. How long does the treatment last? This is determined by the doctor.

It is better not to start treatment on your own, but to show the baby to the doctor first. It will help understand the cause of the disease. Usually, even infants at two or three months can experience severe viral rhinitis, sometimes allergic. It is caused by infections, pathogenic bacteria, and the body's reactions to irritants. Prevention would not be superfluous: you should bathe your child properly, take him for walks more often and provide him with vitamins.

Diagnostics at home and in the clinic

How to determine what type of runny nose a newborn has in a particular case?

The first thing to do is measure your body temperature. This is the easiest way to distinguish an infectious disease from a physiological reaction of the mucous membrane.

An elevated body temperature is evidence that a runny nose is infectious in nature. Consultation with a doctor is required

If the body temperature is above 37.5°C, an inflammatory process is likely to develop. This happens when infected with a viral infection or when bacteria actively multiply.

If even a severe runny nose occurs at normal body temperature - up to 37°C, most likely the child does not actually have the disease.

At elevated temperatures, in order to prescribe the correct treatment, you need to know the nature of rhinitis - whether it is viral, bacterial or mixed. At home, the doctor usually does this based on the color of the baby’s nasal mucus (transparent snot indicates a viral runny nose, yellow or green indicates bacterial or mixed). In the clinic, a smear of mucus is examined under a microscope and the type of process is determined by the presence of immune system cells. If there are more lymphocytes in the mucus, then the main cause of rhinitis is a viral infection. More neutrophils - bacterial infection.

At home, you can only recognize a pronounced viral or equally pronounced bacterial runny nose. You should not do this without a doctor, because the cost of a mistake here is very high.

Video: What does the green color of snot in a child mean?

If the process is not infectious, it is also not easy to understand the type based on its symptoms.

It is also useful to read: Treatment of a runny nose in an infant

For example, when the air is polluted, a child often sneezes, and sometimes his eyes water for no reason. When the mucous membrane dries out, he simply breathes through his mouth, which resembles a simple physiological runny nose. But these symptoms are quite vague and are not expressed as obviously as, for example, the same temperature. Even a doctor cannot always say unambiguously why rhinitis occurred in a particular case.

However, the hallmarks of non-infectious conditions in newborns are:

1. Physiological runny nose - the child feels normal, has a good appetite, weak wheezing when breastfeeding and during sleep, sleeps with his mouth open, normal or slightly increased amount of mucus in the nose, sometimes some thickening of it. Sneezing is rare and irregular.
2. The reaction to pollutants in the air is frequent sneezing, a lot of snot, and sometimes, but not always, watery eyes.
3. Reaction to dry air in the room - lack of nasal discharge, drying out of the mucous membrane, when sneezing - release of dry pieces of crusts.

Often, rhinitis develops due to several causes with a corresponding mixture of symptoms. In this case, making a diagnosis is even more difficult. It is best to consult a pediatrician or visiting nurse for this. Specialists have a wealth of experience, and sometimes just by entering an apartment they can assess the microclimate and tell exactly why the baby is snotty.

Your doctor will help you determine the exact cause of your runny nose. To prevent your child from catching a viral infection from other patients in the clinic, it is better to call a doctor at home.

Review

“This is the situation we had. The little one had a severe runny nose at 3 weeks, and my sister had a bad runny nose when the little one was born. He doesn’t seem to have a fever, but he’s running snot and sneezing. The grandmother shouts that the onions need to be dripped, the sister shouts at her that it is dangerous. It turned out that the grandfather was to blame, because he smoked on the porch, and the smoke was drawn through the window directly into the nursery. They kicked my grandfather out to smoke outside the gate, and two days later all the problems went away. But we didn’t think of this ourselves; the doctor discovered everything.”

Oksana, Novoivanovka

Instructions

How to cure a runny nose in a baby? This question worries many parents. For babies who are one month old, the situation gets worse, because not all medications can be given to them. Sometimes doctors even prescribe antibiotics or antiviral drugs for a runny nose for infants. This happens when the disease does not go away for a long time.

Many mothers prefer drops. There are special solutions for a runny nose in infants (for children) that help narrow blood vessels. But they have a lot of disadvantages and side effects. Almost all such drugs cause dry mucous membranes, itching and burning. Adults can easily cope with these sensations, but they cause real suffering to the baby.

However, many of these drugs are addictive. They only work with constant use. As soon as you notice within a few days that the rhinitis goes away and do not use drops, the discharge immediately begins again, forcing you to resort to the drug again. That is why it is so important not to treat the disease, but rather to prevent it in time: walk in the fresh air more often, carefully bathe the child and provide all useful substances.

A runny nose in an infant can be cured using massage. There are no contraindications here; it is quite suitable for a baby. If medications are not suitable or do not help, and the disease does not go away, massage may be an effective remedy. You just need to meet a few conditions:

• Carefully act only on certain areas;
• important areas - nasal wings, middle of the ear;
• massage should be done with gentle and very careful movements;
• you cannot use the temple area;
• It is necessary to massage each zone clockwise and counterclockwise 10 times;
• The procedure should not be extended too much. It usually lasts 5–7 minutes. It can be done up to five times a day.

Massage for a runny nose for infants is very effective: it prevents swelling, improves blood circulation and breathing. The baby feels much better. But massage can only be done with the permission of the doctor. He will suggest the correct technique and also determine how many similar procedures are needed. If suddenly the child starts crying or screaming, you should stop the massage.

Allergic rhinitis is rare in one month old infants. Food allergies or skin rashes are more common. The allergic type usually appears in children over three years of age, when the child begins to walk on his own.

Cold medicine for children

As already mentioned, there are two types of pharmaceutical medicines for the common cold:

• based on sea salt;
• vasoconstrictors.

To carry out complex treatment of nasal congestion in infants, drugs of these two types are used at once.

Sea salt is the best way to strengthen the immune system and improve the health of the body as a whole. Thanks to its components, pathogenic microorganisms are eliminated from the body, mucus in the nasal passages is liquefied, which helps remove it and reduce swelling.

Sea salt is completely harmless and can easily be used as an additional drug to treat a runny nose. When choosing such medications, you need to pay attention to their composition - besides purified water and sea salt, they should not contain anything else.

Vasoconstrictor drugs are aimed at narrowing blood vessels, thus relieving swelling and facilitating breathing. However, their effect is temporary and they are not aimed at treating the runny nose itself.

Moreover, their frequent use is contraindicated, since the blood vessels become thinner and there is a high probability of nosebleeds.

That is why these drugs must be used in combination: drugs based on sea salt have a healing effect on the body, and vasoconstrictors help relieve swelling and ease breathing.

When you can sit down boys, read our article. At what age does a child begin to roll over? Read here.

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Preparations based on sea salt for the treatment of runny nose in infants

These medications are the safest and have a healing effect on the body, promoting rapid recovery. Among these means, the most popular are:

• Aqua Maris;
• Physiometer;
• Aqualor Baby.

These drugs are available both in the form of drops and sprays. However, the latter can only be used after reaching the age of two. Treatment of nasal congestion in newborns should be done only with medications in the form of nasal drops.

As a rule, such drugs are used according to the following scheme: one drop of the drug into each nasal passage 3 - 4 times a day. If mucus secretion occurs in large quantities, then the drug can be used up to 6 times a day, as it does not cause addiction or allergic reactions.

Vasoconstrictor drugs for the treatment of runny nose in infants

Vasoconstrictor drugs are more effective than sea salt-based products. We remind you that their use should be done with great caution. An overdose of the drug can lead to bleeding.

It is best if your doctor prescribes a vasoconstrictor drug. But if you do not have free time to visit him, or you have doubts about his competence (which is not uncommon today), then you can independently use the following vasoconstrictor drugs:

• Vibrocil;
• Nazivin;
• Nazol Baby.

Vibrocil

This drug is based on phenylephrine, which is one of the safest vasoconstrictors. Demitindene maleate is another component that is part of Vibrocil. It has an antiallergic effect, which makes this drug safe and allows it to be used as a treatment for runny nose in infants. The only drawback of this product is the short period of action.

It is used as follows: one drop is instilled into each nasal passage up to 4 times a day.

Nazivin

This drug is the most popular because it has a lower cost than the previous one, and at the same time has a long-lasting effect. Nazivin is based on oxymetazoline, which has high vasoconstrictor properties.

The drug comes in two forms: 0.01% solution and 0.025%. They are used in different ways. 0.01% Nazivin in infants is applied dropwise into each nasal passage 2 times a day, that is, the interval between its administration should be at least 12 hours.

0.025% Nazivin is applied 3 – 4 times a day, drop by drop into each nasal passage. The duration of taking the drug should not exceed 5 days.

Nazol Baby

This vasoconstrictor is based on phenylephrine at a concentration of 0.125%. The duration of action of the drug is average. In infants, Nazol Baby is used before feeding, instilling a drop into each nasal passage, which facilitates breastfeeding and prevents air from entering the esophagus.

The drug can be used up to 4 times per day, and the duration of treatment should not exceed 7 days.

Prevention

Even the most serious treatment for a runny nose may not be necessary for infants if you help prevent the disease. It is important to know a lot: how to bathe a baby correctly, how long you need to walk with him, how to strengthen his tiny body. Following simple rules at first glance helps to avoid illness. Then treatment will not be needed. Important tips.

1. Breast milk is an important source of vitamins and nutrients. It itself is a powerful immune stimulant and can relieve many diseases. This is why formula-fed children get sick more often. Some doctors advise putting milk in your nose. The disease at its initial stage goes away immediately.
2. It is important to bathe your baby correctly. It is not recommended to do this for too long. You can not only bathe your child, but also try to help him swim in the pool. It is very important to harden the baby from the first months of life.
3. You need to walk often. At the same time, you should always dress your baby according to the weather. You can go for a walk in any weather, but you need to make sure that your child is dressed warmly and not bundled up. Otherwise, the child will quickly catch a cold.

Causes of the disease

There are several reasons why a baby develops a runny nose at 1 month:

1. Presence of dry and cold air in the room;
2. The baby is allergic to dust, fluff or wool;
3. Acquisition of an infectious virus;
4. Child hypothermia;
5. Trauma to the mucous membrane;
6. Living in a polluted area;
7. The presence of foreign bodies in the nasal cavity.

Any of the above reasons can become the basis for the development of a runny nose in a baby at an early age. To prevent this from happening, you need to be attentive to the health of the baby and the environment in which he is located. It is not recommended to ventilate the room if the child is at home, even if he is in another room. If your baby is allergic to a certain substance, then you should get rid of it and do wet cleaning regularly. Many parents regret giving away their beloved cat. This is extremely erroneous and can harm the baby’s health. It is also necessary to dress your child warmly in the cold season and prevent his feet from freezing.

Is it possible to bathe a newborn with a runny nose?

If rhinorrhea is not accompanied by an increase in temperature and the general condition of the baby is not impaired, there is no reason to refuse bathing.
Moreover, in such cases, moist air will help the nozzles to liquefy and come out of the spout without hindrance. It would be a good idea to add unflavored sea salt or decoctions of chamomile, string and other medicinal herbs to the water. But when the baby has a fever, it is not recommended to bathe him not only during the entire acute period of the disease, but also for a couple of days after the temperature normalizes. In such situations, it is better to use wet wipes and then only to remove dirt and feces.

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The danger of a runny nose for a 1 month old baby

An adult can easily cope with a disease such as a runny nose. However, for a newly born baby, such a manifestation of the body can become extremely stressful. The baby uses his nose exclusively to obtain oxygen. The child is still unfamiliar with shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. Before he learns to provide himself with oxygen through the mouth, he will experience a lot of stress.

In the first month of life, the baby has a very small nasal cavity.

Therefore, even a minimal amount of accumulation can greatly complicate breathing or completely block it. Unfortunately, there have been cases where babies were unable to cope with suffocation on their own and died.

Another danger of a runny nose is the formation of swelling on the back wall of the nose. Therefore, if it is not treated in time, the mucus will continue to accumulate, which will lead to an even more dangerous disease - sinusitis. The child may develop a fever and nagging pain in the forehead.

A common runny nose can lead to an unpleasant outcome. Therefore, every parent should treat its appearance with maximum responsibility and immediately take the necessary treatment measures.

Runny nose in a newborn: what is the danger?

A newborn child is no stranger to shortness of breath as a result of strong physical exertion, so he has not yet mastered mouth breathing, using exclusively his nose for these purposes.

The problem is that the nasal passages in infants are very small and swelling of the nasal mucosa can lead to difficulty breathing, and sometimes even block the flow of oxygen. In medical practice, there have been more than once cases of suffocation of a newborn child as a result of nasal congestion. Therefore, even though a runny nose seems at first glance to be a completely harmless disease, it is necessary to begin its treatment immediately and treat it with the utmost seriousness.

The main symptom of nasal congestion is mucus secreted from the nasal passages (snot). But since these nasal passages in infants are very narrow, the mucus does not always come out and accumulates inside, as a result of which the inflammatory process can spread to the lungs and larynx, which leads to the development of other serious diseases such as bronchitis and laryngitis.

Stages of the appearance of a runny nose

A disease such as a runny nose can be divided into several stages.

• As soon as the disease begins to develop, the blood vessels narrow first. Next, the mucous membrane turns pale and dryness appears in the nasal cavity. It is advisable to cure the disease at this stage, before nasal congestion appears. It is quite easy to identify the initial stage of a runny nose - the child begins to sneeze frequently and becomes capricious;
• At the second stage of the disease, the vessels already dilate, after which swelling of the mucous membranes forms. It is already becoming obvious to parents that their baby is worried about a runny nose, as his breathing is a little difficult and mucus is released from the nose. It is important not to delay treatment and not wait for the disease to go away on its own;
• If a runny nose is not cured in time, it will develop to the third stage, which is the most dangerous and difficult to treat. The mucus that comes out of the nose no longer acquires a transparent, but a greenish tint. Usually, in addition to viral infection, the child also has bacterial interference. At this stage, the disease should be treated with antibiotics, drops and physical therapy.

The sooner you start the process of treating a runny nose, the faster and easier it is to get rid of it.

Treatment of a runny nose in an infant

It is extremely undesirable to treat any illness in a baby on your own. In each case, it is necessary to contact a pediatrician so that he can check the general condition of the baby and recommend medication. In the first stages of the disease, the nasal cavity is in a very dry state. This causes very unpleasant sensations for the child, so it is worth taking care to eliminate them. In the room where the baby is, you need to hang a humidifier. It is especially necessary in the winter season, since due to hot radiators and heaters, the air in the space is dry, which makes it even more difficult for the baby to breathe. Such equipment can be used not only for treatment, but also for the prevention of diseases. In addition, you need to do wet cleaning and ventilate the room for a few minutes. During illness, you should forget about walking and swimming; it is recommended to dress your baby in warm clothes.

If the child is breastfed, then you need to put him to the breast more often; if he is bottle-fed, then give him more fluid.

It is imperative to clean the nasal cavity and treat it with medications. When purchasing them, be sure to consult a pediatrician so that he can select a medicine for a certain age. Wiping your nose with a handkerchief makes the skin very dry, so once a day you need to treat it with baby cream, spray or softening lotion.

Complications from a runny nose in newborns

As previously mentioned, a runny nose is not safe and can lead to various complications.

Due to the fact that the nasal passages are “clogged”, it becomes difficult for the little person to breathe, and therefore breastfeeding becomes difficult. The baby often throws the breast, trying to inhale at least a little air through the mouth, due to which the stomach is falsely filled with air and the baby loses the feeling of hunger. Against this background, weight loss occurs. However, this complication is not as dangerous as others, which can also develop as a result of a runny nose.

A runny nose that lasts more than 7 days can cause the development of diseases such as pharyngitis, otitis media, tonsillitis, sinusitis and others. Pneumonia can also develop against the background of a prolonged runny nose as a result of sputum becoming saturated with bacteria.

Frequent manipulations (wiping mucus secreted from the nasal passages, pumping out mucus, etc.) can lead to the formation of ulcers on the nasal mucosa, which causes the baby great pain when touching this area. The baby becomes whiny and restless.

Therefore, if your baby has a runny nose, consult a doctor. He will prescribe you medications that will alleviate your baby’s condition and contribute to his speedy recovery, which will avoid possible complications.

Caring for a sick baby

In order for the child to better tolerate the disease, the room should be maintained at a certain air temperature of 20-25 C°. The baby should only be placed on its side. To prevent him from rolling over on his back or tummy, you need to put a blanket on him. While sleeping, place a small pillow or a double-folded sheet under the baby's head. In order for the mucus to come out faster than the nasal cavity, you need to massage the walls with your fingertips or treat them with medications. At night and during the day, you need to dress your baby in clean and warm clothes.

Above, the answer was given to the question of how to behave in case of such a problem as a runny nose in a 1-month-old baby. Treatment for this disease can be varied, some use medications, and there are people for whom traditional methods of combating the disease are considered the most acceptable. The most correct decision is to consult a doctor.

Video about baby care

Watch a useful video in which Dr. Komarovsky reveals the topic of the article:

What types of rhinitis occur in infants?

In infants, the following forms of runny nose are distinguished:

1. Allergic. Irritation of the mucous membrane can be provoked by: dust, cigarette smoke, dry air in the room, plant pollen, household chemicals, baby formula, etc. Sometimes it is not possible to determine the source causing the pathology even after a series of laboratory tests. If a woman is breastfeeding, then it is possible that allergic rhinitis in the newborn was caused by food products consumed by the nursing mother.
2. Physiological. Characteristic for children in the first 3 months after birth. During this period, the mucous membrane of the nasal passages adapts to environmental conditions. It is not yet hydrated enough, which provokes the appearance of a small amount of clear nasal discharge. Physiological runny nose in newborns is not accompanied by an increase in body temperature.
3. Viral and bacterial. Appears as a result of penetration of pathogenic microflora into the body. The development of a bacterial infection, like a viral one, is most often accompanied by a restless state of the baby. In addition to rhinitis, infants experience other health problems.

If there are abnormalities in the structure of the respiratory tract (acquired or congenital), rhinitis in a newborn, regardless of the root cause of its occurrence, without appropriate treatment can become a chronic form of the disease or be complicated by other diseases of the ENT organs.

Types of runny nose in babies

Physiological

A runny nose in newborns who are only one month old can be physiological in nature. This rhinitis occurs for two reasons:

1. Narrow nasal passages.
2. Imperfect respiratory system.

Children with this condition should not be intensively treated, since mucous discharge is not abundant, body temperature is normal, mood and appetite are good. During the first weeks of a baby’s life, while the respiratory system is developing, it is important to properly perform nasal hygiene.

If rhinitis prevents the newborn from breathing or sucking milk, lasts more than a week, and is accompanied by purulent discharge, then you should consult a doctor.

Infectious

A runny nose in a newborn can be viral or bacterial in nature, since the mucous membrane of the nasal passages is too sensitive and susceptible to viruses and pathogens, especially in autumn and winter. Infection with ARVI causes rhinitis in ninety-five percent of cases.

Non-infectious

A small child who has recently come into our world polluted by emissions and harmful substances quickly develops an allergy, which is accompanied by nasal congestion and the accumulation of mucus in it. Treatment in this case should be appropriate: avoiding contact with allergens and taking antihistamines.

If the baby is already six or seven months old and is actively crawling, then if a runny nose appears, one should not rule out the presence of a foreign object in the nostril, which he could have inserted into himself. In any case, it would be a good idea to play it safe and see a specialist.

How and with what to treat rhinitis and infants

If your body temperature is higher than normal, call a doctor immediately. When rhinitis is diagnosed, the child is cleared of mucus from the nasal passages using nasal aspirators. The following medications may be prescribed to relieve fever:

The dosage of the drug is prescribed by the pediatrician. If it is not possible to quickly contact a doctor or take the child to the hospital, an antipyretic drug is given according to the instructions.

In case of a viral form of the disease, it is not recommended to use vasoconstrictor drops (unless particularly necessary). Such drugs are most often prescribed when rhinitis in newborns is protracted. The instructions must be strictly followed. An overdose of vasoconstrictor drugs can cause tachycardia, nausea, convulsions and other side effects.

The release of mucus from the nose helps eliminate pathogenic microflora. But when the discharge thickens, favorable conditions will be created for the development of bacteria. Therefore, at this stage of the disease, the child may be prescribed medications that help thin the nasal mucus. If not properly treated, rhinitis in a newborn can be caused by bacterial inflammation, which is treated with antibiotics.

To reduce the likelihood of complications, it is not recommended to completely bathe the baby during therapy until the baby’s health returns to normal. Walking outdoors is only permitted in good weather. The child’s room is wet cleaned and ventilated daily. You can humidify the air in the room using special devices or wet diapers (rags) hung around the room.

Regardless of the cause of the disease, rhinitis disrupts the normal breathing process. This causes discomfort to the child, so he may refuse to eat food. Trying to feed a baby against his will is not recommended. Once the nasal passages are cleared of mucus, your appetite will return.

To cure rhinitis, a baby, like a nursing woman, needs to boost her immunity. To strengthen the natural protective function of the body, the following may be prescribed:

• Derinat;
• Grippferon;
• Viferon;
• Genferon-light.

For the allergic form of the disease, therapy is carried out using antihistamines:

These medications relieve symptoms but do not cure the disease. To get rid of an allergy, you need to eliminate its cause.

Methods to combat a runny nose

If you start timely treatment of a runny nose in a child, you can get rid of the problem in just a few days. A runny nose that lasts more than a week, caused by a virus or infection, can become purulent or become chronic. To prevent complications, it is important to follow your doctor's recommendations.

Nasal hygiene

A runny nose in a newborn should be treated by removing mucus so that it does not stagnate and bacteria do not multiply. To liquefy the contents and moisturize the nasal passages, it is recommended to irrigate them with something like Otrivin Baby. After this, it is necessary to extract the secretions. If the baby is only a month old, then cotton wool pads, gently rotated in the nostrils and collecting mucus, work well.

For a child older than three months and up to one and a half years old, it is worth clearing the nose with an aspirator. There are physiological developments that do not damage the mucous membrane and allow you to regulate the pressure in the pear, making the hygienic procedure safe. It is better to do cleansing procedures several times a day, especially before bedtime and feeding.

Daily regime

If a runny nose in a newborn occurs against the background of body hyperemia, then a number of recommendations should be followed:

1. Avoid going outside, especially on cold days, until your temperature returns to normal.
2. Do not bathe the child, so as not to aggravate the condition due to temperature changes; do water procedures when the body temperature is normal.
3. Do not force children to eat if they have no appetite, so as not to overload the digestive system and save energy for fighting the virus, and not for digesting food.
4. Children under one year of age who are breastfed should be placed on the breast after removing accumulated secretions. Do this as often as possible to prevent dehydration.
5. If the baby has reached the sixth month, it is worth starting to supplement it with dried fruit compote or chamomile tea so that the mucus becomes less viscous and the mucous membranes do not dry out. Children over one year old can be given whatever they like (fruit drinks, juices, water).
6. For a week, if a baby with a stuffy nose refuses to breastfeed, it is important to try to feed him with a spoon or syringe so that the body receives fluid.
7. The room for children must be ventilated several times a day and often wet cleaned. The microclimate plays an important role, which should be made acceptable by using a humidifier, achieving optimal air parameters in the room.

Drug intervention

Moisturizers

It is prohibited to treat children under one year old with advertised preparations based on sea water (Aquamaris, Otrivn, Quix, etc.). Due to the pressure during injection, they can get into the ear, provoke inflammation there, lead to a purulent runny nose and cause spasm of the larynx.

Vasoconstrictor drops

A runny nose in a newborn with normal body temperature can be treated with topical medications.

A vasoconstrictor that relieves swelling of the mucous membrane helps to ease breathing. For children from one to six months, it is better to purchase drops so as not to damage the nasal cavity with a spray that enters there under pressure. It is more convenient to treat a child after one year with the drug from a bottle with a dispenser.

Treatment with vasoconstrictor drugs should be carried out under the strict supervision of a physician. It is necessary to purchase the product taking into account the age of the children. For babies aged several months, one year or more, the dosage will vary.

You can treat a baby’s runny nose with drops with a vasoconstrictor effect for no more than three days, administering the exact dosage approximately every six hours. “Nazivin” (0.01%), “Nazol Baby”, “Vibrocil” are suitable for infants.

Antiseptic drops

Treatment of infants under one year of age with such medications is possible only at the insistence of a doctor. Protargol, which is prepared in a pharmacy using silver, is considered the safest. Eye drops “Sodium Sulfacyl” (“Albucid”) have proven themselves to be good for green discharge of an infectious nature.

Antiviral and immunomodulatory agents

A runny nose in a newborn can be cured much faster by using medications that help the immune system cope with the disease. It is unacceptable to use such means thoughtlessly, so as not to harm the developing immune system.

The pediatrician treats children with antiviral suppositories (Viferon, Genferon-Lite), drops (Interferon) and herbal preparations (Derinat, Immunal). All these drugs are used in lower dosages for prevention. On the first day of the disease, they are introduced into the body according to a special scheme, almost every two hours.

ethnoscience

When choosing one or another recipe aimed at treating a runny nose in an infant or older child, it is important to follow these rules:

1. Do not drip breast milk into the nose, which is not a reliable assistant in the fight against the disease.
2. Do not use products that have an irritating effect on the mucous membrane (kalanchoe, onions, garlic, etc.). Kalanchoe juice must be diluted with boiled water one to one and administered into the nose three times a day. Before use, the aloe leaf should be kept in a cool room for several days to eliminate the burning effect.

Treatment of the little man must begin at the first signs of the disease and hit him with heavy artillery. All recommendations are listed above. Together with your pediatrician, it is important to develop a comprehensive program, the strict implementation of which will give your kids free breathing.

Folk remedies for treating rhinitis in infants

In folk medicine, it is recommended to use aloe or Kalanchoe juice to treat rhinitis in infants. These medicinal plants are safe for a child if the baby does not have diathesis or individual intolerance.

To prepare a cure for the common cold, you need to mix aloe (or Kalanchoe) juice with boiled water in equal proportions. The resulting liquid is instilled 1 drop into each nostril no more than 3 times a day.

The juice of medicinal plants will cause sneezing, which will remove mucus from the upper respiratory tract.

Some traditional healers, when signs of rhinitis appear in a newborn, recommend drips of mother's milk through the nose. This method of treatment is not justified. In addition, breast milk dripped into the nose will become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Treatment of a runny nose in a child with folk remedies

Among the variety of traditional medicine recipes, there were several that can treat runny nose in newborns. Among them:

1. Beetroot juice diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio. You can use this juice every 4 hours.
2. Saline solution. It is prepared as follows: 9 g of table salt is diluted in one liter of water. Apply every 5 hours;
3. Aloe juice diluted with water in a 1:1 ratio. It can be used every 4 hours.
4. Herbal infusions. The herb has an antiseptic effect, so the use of herbal infusions is a highly effective remedy in the treatment of runny nose in infants. To prepare infusions, herbs such as chamomile, St. John's wort and calendula are used. Used warm.

The remedies described above are instilled into the nasal passages, 1 to 2 drops.

Are you already teething? Read our article on how to help your child during this period. Read about children's beds for boys in this article.

How to properly swaddle a newborn baby, read the link

Symptoms

Symptoms will depend on the form and severity of the disease.

Manifestations of rhinitis in infants are as follows:

• mucous discharge from the nose;
• mouth breathing;
• slight swelling of the face;
• redness of the whites of the eyes;
• tearfulness;
• lack of appetite.

If rhinitis was triggered by an allergen, the child may develop a rash or hives. He sneezes frequently and may have a dry cough. In severe forms of an allergic reaction, severe swelling is possible, which can cause suffocation.

Diagnosis of rhinitis in a newborn

The interpretation of symptoms and treatment should be handled by a pediatrician. In addition to a visual examination and familiarization with parents’ complaints, the doctor takes a smear from the mucous membrane. Biological material is examined under a microscope. If lymphocytes are detected, the child is diagnosed with viral rhinitis. When neutrophils are present in the smear, it is bacterial.

In case of an allergic form of the disease, additional diagnostic measures are carried out to determine the provocateur, i.e. allergen.

The nuances of a runny nose in infants

Of course, the doctor determines the symptoms and treatment with maximum accuracy, but even during the first examination it is difficult not to notice that the baby has developed snot. In this regard, the symptoms of a runny nose are the same in adults and children. If you notice that your child has begun to sneeze, sniffle and sniffle, this is a sure sign of a runny nose. Only snot visible to the naked eye can be more eloquent.

Unlike older children, infants are not yet able to blow their nose into a handkerchief on their own, so parents must clean the child’s nose themselves. For these purposes, you can purchase an aspirator, which is sold at any pharmacy. You can also use a simple enema with a soft, pre-boiled spout. Before introducing the enema into the nostril, you need to squeeze it so that all the air comes out, and release it when it is in the nasal passage. The mucus will be absorbed into the enema.

Important: do not use cotton swabs to remove mucus. Not only can they accidentally damage the baby’s nose, but they can also leave a cotton tip inside.

It is also worth knowing that babies are not always able to switch to mouth breathing if their nasal passage is clogged. In medical practice, there are sad cases when prolonged rhinitis in a baby led to death due to suffocation, since the child did not breathe through the mouth, and breathing through the nose was impossible.

If you do not treat a runny nose in time, then simple rhinitis will gradually turn into bronchitis - mucus begins to flow from the nose into the bronchi if it is not cleared out. So a frivolous attitude towards a seemingly simple runny nose can lead to much more serious consequences.

Prevention

It is almost impossible to prevent rhinitis in infants, but there are preventive measures that will help reduce the likelihood of a runny nose.

1. Carry out wet cleaning daily.
2. Maintain optimal humidity and temperature in the room.
3. Do not contact a potential source of infection, do not visit places with large numbers of people during seasonal flu, etc. If one of the family members is sick, it is necessary to isolate him from the child.
4. Preventive examination of the nasal septum for abnormal structure. When diagnosing a pathology, timely treatment is necessary.
5. Strengthen your immune system and do not self-medicate.

Children's immune systems are still imperfect. To prevent the appearance of an allergic form of rhinitis, parents are recommended to use hypoallergenic detergents (washing powder, dishwashing liquid, soap, etc.). Cats, dogs and other pets that can cause illness should not be kept in the house.

To strengthen the immune system, you can begin to harden your child. To avoid causing additional harm, you should first consult your doctor. Hardening is carried out using different methods. The method is selected for each child individually.