Baby With a Stuffy Nose

Sir Carcass

So it looks like our baby has caught his first bug. He's had a slight cough and his nose has been stuffed up.

We have one of those aspirator things. Is there a certain technique for clearing out his nose? I can get the stuff right at the end, but nothing deeper. Is that all I can do? Would a humidifier help him at all?

He's about 4.5 months old, if it matters.

Thanks.

zhen_rogue

Warm-air humidifier is a good idea during sleep.
Two steamy baths per day will also help (just get your bathroom steamed up from running the shower first - works wonders).
Lots of fluids, check with your doc if there's a cough, the mucous is dark yellow/green, fever, he tugs at his ears a lot, or if runny nose goes on for more than three days.

Improvolone

We got lucky, my son didn't get sick till almost 14 months. Is baby benadryl out of the question at this age?

Sir Carcass

Improvolone wrote: »

We got lucky, my son didn't get sick till almost 14 months. Is baby benadryl out of the question at this age?

Everything I see on their website says not for children under 2 years of age.

Improvolone wrote: »

We got lucky, my son didn't get sick till almost 14 months.

Yeah, he isn't in day care or anything, so I was hoping we could go longer, but I just got over being sick so I probably gave him whatever I had.

Szechuanosaurus

zhen_rogue wrote: »

Warm-air humidifier is a good idea during sleep.
Two steamy baths per day will also help (just get your bathroom steamed up from running the shower first - works wonders).
Lots of fluids, check with your doc if there's a cough, the mucous is dark yellow/green, fever, he tugs at his ears a lot, or if runny nose goes on for more than three days.

Woa, wait. I hope you just mean have him in the same room as a steamy bath. Baby shouldn't be in water hotter than 32 C.

Generally, you don't need to worry about a sniffle. Hook anything that runs out with a muslin and other wise treat the baby with the usual care. Baby's noses are tiny anyway. Usual breathing will continue to push mucus out of the nose.

FafnerMorell

Running an humidier w/ something like decongestant lquid poured in it might help (Vicks & probably a bunch of other folks make something specifically for this). (Check the instructions to see if they mention anything specifically about infants - we did it for ours and it helped - but may not be applicable in all cases)

As mentioned - watch for ear tugging - often a sign of an ear infection.

brandotheninjamaster

I use baby Vick's and I also have a Vick's humidifier. If he is really congested after bath time my wife and I will use a nasal aspirator (something like this

).

zhen_rogue

Szechuanosaurus wrote: »

zhen_rogue wrote: »

Warm-air humidifier is a good idea during sleep.
Two steamy baths per day will also help (just get your bathroom steamed up from running the shower first - works wonders).
Lots of fluids, check with your doc if there's a cough, the mucous is dark yellow/green, fever, he tugs at his ears a lot, or if runny nose goes on for more than three days.

Woa, wait. I hope you just mean have him in the same room as a steamy bath. Baby shouldn't be in water hotter than 32 C.

Of course just in the steamy room - not in a scalding hot stream of water.
I guess I should also put the caveat in that you should dry off the baby with a towel after the bath, and not use the microwave.

Sir Carcass

zhen_rogue wrote: »

Szechuanosaurus wrote: »

zhen_rogue wrote: »

Warm-air humidifier is a good idea during sleep.
Two steamy baths per day will also help (just get your bathroom steamed up from running the shower first - works wonders).
Lots of fluids, check with your doc if there's a cough, the mucous is dark yellow/green, fever, he tugs at his ears a lot, or if runny nose goes on for more than three days.

Woa, wait. I hope you just mean have him in the same room as a steamy bath. Baby shouldn't be in water hotter than 32 C.

Of course just in the steamy room - not in a scalding hot stream of water.
I guess I should also put the caveat in that you should dry off the baby with a towel after the bath, and not use the microwave.

This information would have been helpful earlier this morning

Quoth

My mom always used a bulb syringe rather than an aspirator, but it looks like it accomplishes the same thing. You can also stick it in the baby's mouth (carefully, duh) to get the mucus at the back of the throat, which is generally what causes coughing.

One way to get a mini sauna going is to run the hot water in the sink and stick a towel over it to trap the steam. This works for grownups too, heh.

Sir Carcass

Quoth wrote: »

My mom always used a bulb syringe rather than an aspirator, but it looks like it accomplishes the same thing. You can also stick it in the baby's mouth (carefully, duh) to get the mucus at the back of the throat, which is generally what causes coughing.

Is that common? That would really make me nervous, especially with him as he doesn't really sit still.

Quoth

Sir Carcass wrote: »

Quoth wrote: »

My mom always used a bulb syringe rather than an aspirator, but it looks like it accomplishes the same thing. You can also stick it in the baby's mouth (carefully, duh) to get the mucus at the back of the throat, which is generally what causes coughing.

Is that common? That would really make me nervous, especially with him as he doesn't really sit still.

I don't think I'd do it with the aspirator, but with the bulb you just stick it in the side of his mouth and release.

Some more clear directions.

brandotheninjamaster

Quoth wrote: »

Sir Carcass wrote: »

Quoth wrote: »

My mom always used a bulb syringe rather than an aspirator, but it looks like it accomplishes the same thing. You can also stick it in the baby's mouth (carefully, duh) to get the mucus at the back of the throat, which is generally what causes coughing.

Is that common? That would really make me nervous, especially with him as he doesn't really sit still.

I don't think I'd do it with the aspirator, but with the bulb you just stick it in the side of his mouth and release.

Some more clear directions.

I think the bulb syringe is a type of aspirator, but in case I was wrong; I was referencing a bulb syringe. When you use it, just be gentle; remember they probably used that to clear your baby's nasal passages when he was first born. It may not be the most comfortable experience for him, but its better then a bunch mucus. Also take a look around, they sell a few that are more contoured to your baby's nose.

Sir Carcass

So are you guys talking about this:



Or something else?

brandotheninjamaster

Sir Carcass wrote: »

So are you guys talking about this:



Or something else?

Thats what I'm talking about. I can't speak for quoth but I'm pretty sure thats what he was referencing as well.

Quoth

That is what I meant. There are electronic kinds that look more like ear thermometers and they scare me.

Sir Carcass

Okay, yeah. That's what we have.

Suckafish

My baby HATES those bulb syringes. He's 8 months now, and got his first cold around the 3-4 month mark. You can get these little saline packets that you squirt in the baby's nose to lossen up the mucus, then use the syringe. I'd only do that when the baby is really stuffy. If only a little stuffy try the steam suggestion and/or slighlty elevate the head of his matress to encourage mucus to run down the back of his throught.

I've never tried the syringe in his mouth, but it sounds awkward and unnecessary.

Emanon

Spoke to my Mom last week, she told me she sucked the snot out of my nose when I was a baby. Gross but something to think about.

Sir Carcass

Suckafish wrote: »

My baby HATES those bulb syringes.

Yeah, I tried it again last night, and got a good bit more out, but man, he wasn't happy. He was better after he calmed down.

I'll look for those saline packets. I think he's getting better, but they'll be handy in the future.