There are many reasons that babies get stuffy noses. It might be caused by a simple cold, allergies, a nasal irritation, or any number of other factors. The end result is the same, a baby with a plugged up nose.
Since babies usually breathe through their noses, having a stuffed up nose can be quite a problem. It makes it more difficult to eat and your baby will probably be very fussy. The good news is that there are ways to treat this problem to give your infant the relief he needs.
One thing that helps many babies who tend to get worse at night is simply a hat or turning up the heat. The cold, for some strange reason, seems to cause narrowing of the nasal passages in many infants. This may not be scientific, but it works. Try putting a cotton hat on your baby for a bit and you’ll be impressed with the difference. Turning up the heat in your infant’s room may also help.
Saline drops are a good way to clear out little blocked noses. To give them to your baby, you will probably want some help. Have another person hold the baby while you apply the drops. You will need to gently press one side of the nose closed and drop one drop of saline into the other nostril. Wait until your baby snorts the drop up into the nose and then repeat with the other nostril.
Saline drops do work well, but they will probably also start your baby crying, which can also block up noses! Try to calm him as quickly as possible once you have finished the treatment. It may be necessary to repeat it a few times throughout the day. Saline cannot hurt your baby, so don’t worry about repeated dosings, although you should make sure that you only administer one drop at a time so the infant doesn’t feel like he’s drowning.
The third method is a steam bath. Put a dab of Vick’s VaporRub into a pot of boiling water and take it into the bathroom. Turn the shower on as hot as it goes and sit with your baby. The Vick’s will help loosen mucus, both in the nose and in the chest (ideal for chest colds) and the steam will help as well. After 5-10 minutes, you can come out. Change the baby if he is damp from the steam and repeat if needed throughout the day.
Stuffy noses are no fun for anyone, but when your baby has one, it means he is going to have difficulties feeding. It is in the best interests of all involved to fix the problem.
