The usual way for your newborn baby to breathe is through their nose. This is unless their nasal passage has some blockage, which can lead to mouth breathingMouth breathing directs everything you breathe into your lungs. Humidifies. Your nasal passages humidify the air you inhale. Your mouth doesn't typically do this, which is why some mouth breathers wake up with dry mouth or a sore throat.https://www.webmd.com › oral-health › mouth-breathing
Stuffy noses
Babies can only breathe through their noses (not their mouths). So when your baby's nose is stuffed up with mucus, it's much harder for him or her to breathe. When this happens, use saline nose drops or spray (available without a prescription) to loosen the mucus.
Like adults, babies can breathe through their mouths if they're stuffed up, but a congested baby is a miserable baby. Even once babies sleep through the night, an annoying cold can have them waking up constantly. To help relieve congestion, use a small spritz of an over-the-counter saline spray to lubricate the nose.
A: While it might be comfortable for your baby to sleep with a congested nose, it's considered safe for most children.
This trick, which is primarily used to remove objects stuck up a child's nose, is performed by plugging one side of a baby's nose, placing your mouth over theirs to form a seal, and then blowing a quick puff of air to clear the blocked nostril.
A blocked nose in children or babies will usually clear within two or three weeks if the underlying infection is caused by sinusitis or bronchiolitis, and around a week for flu. If your little one has developed an allergy, they may have congestion for many months at a time.
Newborns often have congestion soon after birth because of excess amniotic fluid in their noses. As a result, you may notice them sneezing more frequently as they work to clear the congestion. 6 Fortunately, this congestion should clear on its own within a few days to a week.
Use saline drops or spray
One of easiest ways to clear a baby's or toddler's nose is to use a saline nasal spray. Nasal spray works by thinning out the mucus, allowing the nose to clear out and ease congestion.
Children and infants have narrower nasal passageways than adults, making them more susceptible to nighttime congestion caused by inflammation or excess mucus. Very young children and especially infants, who mostly breathe through their nose, cannot blow their noses as adults can.
Concerning Baby Congestion Symptoms
Your baby has a temperature of 100 degrees for more than three days. Your baby is experiencing ear or sinus pain. There is yellow eye discharge. There is a cough that lasts for more than one week.
Gently wipe off the mucus around the baby's nose with tissues to prevent irritation. Limit suctioning to no more than 4 times each day to avoid irritating the nose.
Suctioning with a bulb syringe. Your baby cannot blow his/her nose, so you need to use a bulb syringe to remove excess mucus. A bulb syringe (or suction bulb) is a small rubber object with a long tip at the end of a bulb.
Lay your baby belly down on your forearm, with their head lowered slightly. Firmly but gently tap baby's upper back with the palm of your hand. This should dislodge the mucus ball and your baby will happily drool away. Call 911 immediately if your baby is not breathing as usual within a few seconds of doing this.
"Suctioning a dry nose or too forceful of suction can irritate or injure the delicate skin inside the nose. Suctioning too much can also sometimes cause further swelling and irritation and make it seem like baby is more congested. Try not to suction more than a few times a day. Nasal saline on its own is fine."
Call Doctor If:
Your child is congested and is three months or younger. Your child has a severe cough or a cough that sounds like a bark. Your child is breathing fast and has a fever with a cough. Your child has ear pain.
Squeeze one to two drops of saline nose drops in each nostril to help loosen any dried mucus and then use a rubber suction bulb. To use it, first squeeze the bulb. Next, gently stick the tip of the bulb into a nostril. Finally, slowly release the bulb and it will pull out clogged mucus.
Your baby's doctor may recommend saline nasal drops to moisten nasal passages and loosen thick nasal mucus. Look for these OTC drops in your local pharmacy. Apply saline nasal drops, wait for a short period, and then use a suction bulb to draw mucus out of each nostril.
Vicks VapoRub — a topical ointment made of ingredients including camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol that you rub on your throat and chest — doesn't relieve nasal congestion. But the strong menthol odor of VapoRub may trick your brain, so you feel like you're breathing through an unclogged nose.
Always suction the mouth before the nose if you need to clear both areas. You can buy a bulb syringe that has a bulb that opens for better cleaning and drying. There are also battery operated nasal aspirators that come with disposable tips, however, these can be expensive.
A stuffy nose can make it hard for your baby to breathe. This can make your baby fussy, especially when he/she tries to eat or sleep. Suctioning makes it easier for your baby to breathe and eat. If needed, it is best to suction your baby's nose before a feeding or bedtime.
For the first few days of your baby's life, he or she may have a lot of mucus in their nose or throat. A baby's gag reflex can be triggered by too much mucus, so they may appear to choke if there are excess secretions in their mouth.