How to clean a newborn's nose with a cotton flag. How and how to clean the nose of a newborn from boogers. How not to clean a newborn's nose

01.08.2019

A runny nose or crusts in the nose can cause poor sleep, appetite, whims, and crying of the newborn. The baby cannot cope with this problem on his own. Therefore, it is so important for a mother to know when and how to properly clean her child's nose.

How often should a baby's nose be cleaned?

Doctors do not recommend invading the newborn's respiratory system once again. Despite the fact that the nasal passages in babies are very narrow, they have a well-established self-cleaning system. The microvilli that cover the nasal mucosa effectively push mucus and foreign particles to the exit. In addition, the mucous membranes of the nasal passages produce the protective protein interferon. He participates in the formation of local immunity and the protection of the child's body from pathogenic viruses and bacteria. If you brush your baby's nose too often, the interferon is washed off and the body's immune defenses are weakened.

During a runny nose, too much mucus is formed, it dries up, forming dense crusts. They block the baby's narrow nasal passages, and the baby still cannot breathe through the mouth, like adults. Therefore, crying, whims, anxiety, poor sleep, snoring during sleep, lack of appetite can be an indicator that the child needs to clear his nose.

What to use?

To unclog a newborn's nose, you can use cotton pads, a bulb, or an aspirator.

Cotton pads flagella softer and do not creep as much as ready-made cotton tows. To make flagella, you need to use a quarter of a cotton pad, divided in half. Before the procedure, the tourniquet must be moistened with warm boiled water, saline or breast milk.

Pear rinse thoroughly before use. After that, squeeze tightly in your hand so that all the air comes out. Then slowly and carefully insert into the baby's nostril and slowly unclench the hand. After removing the pear, wash it immediately.

Aspirator designed specifically for cleaning the nose, and it allows you to carry out the procedure effectively and painlessly. To do this, you need to put a small plastic tube, which is connected to the container, to the child's nostril. And through the second tube, make a suction movement. This is how all the contents of the nose end up in a container.

When cleaning a newborn's nose, it is not recommended to use dry cotton wool, since small villi settle on the walls of the passages and irritate the mucous membrane, stimulating it to produce secretions. And with inhalation, they can penetrate deep into the respiratory tract, and cause the development of infectious or inflammatory processes.

The hard crust must be softened before removal. Saline or sea water is best for this. You need to clean only the visible part of the nasal passages.

The formation of dry crusts in the nose can prevent the child from maintaining optimal microclimatic conditions. The temperature should not exceed 20 ° C. The room must be regularly ventilated. You should also humidify the air if necessary (especially during the heating season). Do not forget about the benefits of walking in the fresh air.

Babies quite often sniff in their sleep, because their nasal passages are much narrower than those of adults. Mucous secretions, designed to protect tiny spouts from dust and germs, can accumulate and form crusts, creating discomfort when breathing. An adult easily copes with this problem - he can simply blow his nose or get rid of the contents of the nose in a well-known simple way with the help of his fingers (how grown-up children love this exciting activity!). Babies need the help of their parents to breathe freely and not sniff. How to clean a newborn's nose so that this procedure is as comfortable and effective as possible?

Simple measures for daily nasal hygiene

In a toddler, nasal hygiene is especially important. Mucus accumulates in the narrow nasal passages, retaining the smallest particles. In addition, milk may enter the nasal cavity during feeding. Because of this, it becomes difficult for the spout to cope with a very important task - to clean and heat the air. You need to clean your nose every day, and to make it easier, it is advisable to prepare everything you need in advance.

In order for a child's nose to always breathe freely, you need to have simple hygiene products at hand:

medical cotton or cotton pads,
special baby or vaseline oil,
saline and a pipette or saline solution for nasal irrigation,
an aspirator or the smallest syringe.

It is recommended to clean the nose of a newborn with cotton swabs, and not with sticks. The fact is that the child turns his head during the procedure, and a hard stick can easily damage the delicate mucous membrane. Moreover, the nasal passage has a curved shape, so a cotton swab will not clean the nose, but only push the crusts deeper. To make a turundochka correctly, you need to roll a flagellum from a small piece of cotton wool moistened with saline or boiled water and dip its tip in oil. Doctors advise using vaseline oil, as it is hypoallergenic and does not serve as a breeding ground for microorganisms. A wet turundochka is inserted into the baby's nose with twisting movements to a depth of two centimeters, and then taken out, removing the accumulated mucus. In this case, the baby lies on its back, and the free hand fixes its head. Such treatment simultaneously cleans the mucous surface and moisturizes it. If you get used to it, you can learn how to clean the nose of a newborn in a matter of seconds.

It is important to keep everything you need close at hand so as not to leave your baby alone on the changing table for a moment. The baby will most likely really not like the feeling of a foreign body in the nose, so it is important to distract his attention with active facial expressions and affectionate words. And it is best to finish the hygiene procedures with a pleasant massage and gentle strokes.

We wash the baby with a cold nose

Every day, the baby has to deal with the germs that live next door to us. And this is absolutely normal, because the air he breathes is far from sterile, and a small body needs to develop immunity. One of these immune reactions is snot - mucus is secreted in large quantities to wash away uninvited guests and prevent them from penetrating deeper into the respiratory tract. In this case, cleaning the nose of a newborn with a cotton swab is no longer enough.

Normal nasal breathing in a child can be restored in the following ways:

Remove snot using an aspirator with a silicone tip or a syringe, the tip of which is lubricated with vaseline oil.
Rinse the nose with saline or boiled water using the same syringe.
Combine or alternate between suction of secretions and rinsing of the nose.

To properly clear the mucus from the nose, it is necessary to squeeze the respirator, insert its tip into the nostril and slowly release the pear. By the characteristic sound, it will be possible to understand that the mucus has been drawn into the aspirator. At the same time, the child must be held vertically, pinching the second nostril.

After most of the secretions have been removed from the spout, you can start rinsing. The baby needs to be held vertically above the bathtub or basin so that his head is slightly lowered forward. Using a syringe or aspirator, body temperature water is slowly poured into the spout. In this case, the nostrils do not need to heal, the water should flow freely. After the procedure, the aspirator and syringe must be thoroughly rinsed and dried so that they are ready for the next use.

It often happens that the baby's nasal breathing is difficult not because of the accumulation of snot, but because of the swelling of the mucous membrane. How to clean a newborn's nose if you need to deal with congestion? This is helped by special solutions for irrigation of the nasal cavity based on sea salt. It is very important to choose the shape of the package according to age: it is better for infants to bury the nose with a pipette, and for older children, such funds are released in the form of a spray. But it must be borne in mind that a strong stream of spray, designed for adults, can cause mechanical irritation of the mucous membrane, which will increase the congestion.

As for vasoconstrictor and anti-inflammatory drugs, the pediatrician should prescribe them after examining the baby. They are used when it is necessary to restore nasal breathing as soon as possible so that the child does not breathe through his mouth, sleeps peacefully at night and eats normally.

We create a microclimate for healthy noses

If the child constantly sniffs with his nose, and after the morning hygiene procedures you find dry crusts on the cotton wool, you should think about the microclimate in the house where the baby lives. In infants, it is breathing - the main mechanism of thermoregulation. If the air in the room is dry and warm, moisture quickly evaporates from the surface of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract. And when the baby is too hot dressed, this process accelerates even more. In order for the baby to breathe well, it is necessary to try to maintain a comfortable temperature in the room: + 20… + 22 degrees during the day and + 16… + 18 degrees at night. It is more useful for a child to be warmly dressed and sleep under two blankets, but breathe cool and fresh air.

A special humidifier, wet towels hung on batteries, and daily wet cleaning will help to cope with dryness. Free the nursery from unnecessary textiles, carpets, soft toys and other accumulators of dust and more often let your baby splash in the bathroom and play with water. Very often, parents find that reducing the temperature in the room by 2-3 degrees and 50-60% helps the child breathe freely without any drops and improves his resistance to seasonal infections.

Cleaning the nose of a newborn living in a clean room with fresh air becomes much easier, and the need for rinsing may disappear altogether. It is not difficult to create a real health resort at home for a baby: cool and humid air, combined with water procedures and hygiene habits from birth, help the child to get sick less often, heal faster and build strong immunity.

How to clean your child's nose correctly and safely

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Nasal congestion in a child is a common occurrence that requires the intervention of a pediatrician or mother. In the first months of life, babies still cannot breathe through the mouth, therefore, as a result of the appearance of boogers, hypoxia may occur - a lack of oxygen. Therefore, one should not ignore such a seemingly banal symptom as a runny nose. How to clean a newborn's nose and what to use?

When is this procedure necessary

Earlier, cleaning the nostrils for children was a daily hygiene procedure. Nowadays, pediatricians believe that the regular carrying out of this procedure can harm the health of the baby. If the baby is sniffing, this does not mean that urgent action is needed. It is important to consider that the sinus mucosa has a self-cleaning function. With the right temperature and humidity in the children's room, the mucous membrane itself is able to cope with the problem.

When a baby has a stuffy nose, and this makes breathing difficult, then treatment should be started urgently. In this case, the newborn needs to cleanse the sinuses at least three times a day, depending on his condition and the amount of snot. The procedure is recommended before bedtime and feeding.

How and how to clear the respiratory tract

First of all, it is important to remember about the safety of the cleaning method. You can not pick in the baby's sinuses with hard and too long objects (matches or cotton swabs) - they can damage the mucous membrane. In addition, cotton wool can easily get stuck in the back of the spout. Let's consider the safest and most reliable procedures.

Cotton filaments

How to clean a baby's nose if there are no special devices and solutions for children at hand? Use a cotton swab, just not a pharmacy, but in the form of discs, which are used to remove makeup and cleanse the skin.

Take a cotton pad and divide it into four equal parts. Roll one of the parts into a flagellum so that one end is narrow and the other wide.
Moisten the narrow end of the flagellum with warm water.
Place the baby on your lap and gently push the thin wet end of the cotton wool into your nostril.
Turn the cotton swab in a circular motion and pull it out.
Use a new piece of sponge to cleanse your second sinus.
If it was not possible to clean it at one time, then repeat the procedure, each time introducing only clean cotton wool into the bosom.

This method is suitable for children who have thick snot and soft boogers. When cleaning with a cotton swab, try to stick it into the nostril to a depth of no more than 2 cm. Too deep insertion of the flagellum can damage the mucous membrane. Do not take dry cotton wool, be sure to moisten it with water or saline solution. Dry cotton wool fibers can remain on the mucous membrane.

Purification with aspirators

An aspirator is an apparatus for suctioning liquid snot in newborns. It is safe and quickly copes with its function. In the pharmacy, you can find various types of aspirators:

Pear. The device looks like a small enema with a silicone tip. It is quite convenient to use: it is enough to squeeze the bulb to let the air out, and insert the tip into the nostril. Close the second nostril with your finger, and then gently open the device. Together with the air, it will suck in all the harmful fluid from the sinus.
The mechanical aspirator for children is a double-sided tube attached to a collection vessel. One end of the tube is inserted into the nostril, the other is inserted into the mother's mouth and gently inhales the air. As a result, the snot is sucked out and ends up in the reservoir of the aspirator.
Electronic aspirator. The easiest to use snot cleaner. It is enough to attach the tip to the airway and press the button.

How to rinse

If the baby has congestion, and breathing is difficult at the same time, then before the cleaning procedure, hard frozen crusts should be softened. How to rinse your nose? Normal saline solution that can be prepared at home. Take 1 teaspoon of salt and dissolve it in a liter of boiled warm water.

How to rinse a baby's nose? For the procedure, take a pipette and drip 1-2 drops of the solution into each nostril.

Aerosols are also used against congestion and softening of the formed crusts in the sinuses. Here are just the contents of the aerosol, it is best not to inject, but to bury it with a pipette. Remember that the baby's nose is very delicate and thin, so it is important to exclude the spray from entering the inner ear.

Aerosols "Aquamaris" and "Aqualor" are the safest remedies for children against rhinitis and congestion. They can be used for rinsing or as an auxiliary liquid for a cotton swab.

What not to do

Do not use matches, cotton swabs, or other hard objects.
If the baby's nose is not breathing, then some mothers follow the method of treating our great-grandmothers - they instill breast milk into the nostrils. The effectiveness of its instillation in the sinuses to facilitate breathing in children is a myth. Remember, milk is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria.
You should not use your mouth instead of an aspirator as a suction for snot. By doing this, you will not only not alleviate the condition of the baby, but also aggravate your own, since in this way some of the microbes can pass to you.
Do not use a nasal spray that is intended for use on adults. The milking solution in this case should be natural, gentle and safe.

A runny nose in a baby can be cured on its own. But sometimes a doctor's help is necessary, especially if symptoms such as high fever, rapid breathing, crying, lack of appetite, swelling, or a rash occur. It is also recommended to see a specialist if the congestion does not go away for more than two weeks.

Regular hygiene procedures are as necessary for the baby as air. But, not with every task the young mother copes with "excellent" in view of her inexperience and fear of doing something wrong. Here, for example, not many people know how to properly clean the nose of a newborn, and if they do, then in practice everything does not always work out as we would like.

We bring to your attention detailed instructions that will help relieve the child of bugs and mucus in the nose, which sometimes significantly complicate his carefree life.

In this article, you will learn:

Doctors tirelessly insist that intervention in the life processes of a small child is not always appropriate. This also applies to the respiratory system. Usually, dry crusts and boogers self-eliminate when a baby sneezes, and therefore, no manipulations with his tiny nose are required if:

The child's nasal breathing is free;
He sucks well;
The baby does not experience any visible discomfort.

It's another matter if the newborn began to snore, breathe exclusively through the mouth, abandon the breast and generally behave restlessly. All this indicates that his nasal breathing is difficult, and the baby requires the help of his parents.

We select a means of help

The method of cleansing a newborn's nose largely depends on what causes the excess mucus to accumulate in it.

The main reasons for this are:

Swelling of the respiratory tract with the development of viral infections;
Reaction to external stimuli, including allergic;
Excessive dryness of the air.

Airway edema

In the first case, the mother should consult a doctor and apply a set of measures to eliminate nasal congestion, aimed at stopping the multiplication of pathogenic bacteria. In this matter, sea water and an aspirator help well. In case of symptoms of a severe rhinitis, the doctor may prescribe vasoconstrictor drops, but they should not be used on a whim.

In order for the child's nose to begin to breathe, and the swelling of the mucous membrane to come to naught, first of all, it is necessary to reduce the density of the snot, which is facilitated by physical solution(you can prepare it yourself by diluting 9 grams of table salt in 1 liter of water) and salt drops (Aquamaris, Salin, No-salt).

In each nostril it is necessary to drop one of the indicated means with a pipette and wait a little (about 2 minutes). Next, an aspirator is used (in the form of a pear or a special device for eliminating snot, which can be bought at any pharmacy).

The child's head is placed slightly on its side, one of the mother's hand is on his forehead, the other is gently inserted into the nose of the tip of the aspirator. If this is a pear, then, first of all, you need to release air from it, and if you have tubes with a container, then the one that we apply to the child's nostril with a nozzle, and we take the second into the mouth and perform a suction movement. Several approaches - and the nose will begin to breathe.

Invisible irritants

Household dust and fine fluff usually become external stimuli that provoke the formation of boogers. A grain of sand or a villi, falling on the mucous membrane, clings to microscopic cilia, and then the natural neutralization of a foreign substance begins by enveloping it with what we call snot.

You can remove such formations with the help of a cotton cord (turunda), which every mother can twist from cotton wool or a cotton pad divided into small parts.

The key to the success of the procedure lies in the ability to make a sufficiently dense flagellum, which is comfortable to hold in the hand and which does not deform, bumping into the inner wall of the nose, but will keep its shape. To do this, you need to twist the cotton wool well and strengthen it with a small amount of boiled water or ordinary baby oil.

When the flagellum is ready, it must be carefully inserted into the nostril and rotated so that the goats are wrapped around it (oil is preferable in this case, because the mucus sticks well to it). If a child goes into a sneeze, it's not scary, perhaps cotton wool tickled him somewhere deep in the nose.

Dry air

Dry crusts in the nasal cavity of a newborn appear when he breathes excessively dry or hot air. This happens in winter, when the heating devices are working, and in summer, when the air conditioner is functioning or the heat permeates every corner of the house.

Ideally, the air temperature in the children's room should not exceed 18-20 degrees, the humidity level is from 50 to 60%, plus, you must remember to regularly ventilate the room.

You can remove the crusts, which often cause frequent sneezing in babies, with the help of the same turunda. As in the previous case, you need to remove them from the nose with a cotton flag dipped in oil or water.

Precautionary measures

Good flagella are not always obtained, and some mothers decide to use cotton swabs or cotton wool wound on a match, which is unacceptable for at least two reasons:

Dry cotton wool in the nose gives the child some discomfort;
Cleaning with cotton swabs is unsafe: the length of its head may be incommensurate with the size of a tiny nostril, and an inexperienced mother may not calculate all sizes and stick the stick too deep, which is fraught with injury to the nasal mucosa.

In addition, there is important advice regarding the use of drops. Despite the fact that the bottle assumes the presence of a dispenser, the drug should be injected into the nose using a pipette, so that drops do not accidentally fall into the middle ear area (in a newborn, these moves are very close to each other) or you simply do not overdo it with their number.

Final instructions

Having prepared for the procedure for cleaning the child's nose, you must:

Sterilize the aspirator;
Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water;
Prepare 2 flagella for each nostril;
Prepare a bright toy that will distract the baby if suddenly your actions upset him;
To clean the outside of the nose, you should have paper towels or a cotton pad at the ready.

Now you know how to clean a newborn's nose, so get on with it confidently and don't be afraid.

A newborn baby is completely helpless. Who, if not a mother, will come to the rescue and "save" from all the problems that befell the baby. Often, mothers, especially newly-made ones, notice the presence of discharge or accumulations in the child's nose. And then the question arises: how to clean the nose of a newborn and what is best used for this difficult procedure?

The newborn has rather narrow nasal passages. This makes nasal breathing somewhat difficult. Subject to the accumulation of secretions, the baby feels discomfort, which he informs his parents about by frequent crying. In very young children, the "self-cleaning system" of the nasal passages from unnecessary accumulation of mucus is triggered. This happens by moving the interfering or irritating factor closer to the exit, thus provoking the sneezing reflex. But this procedure is not always enough. Therefore, mothers have to take care of the nose of the crumbs additionally.

Etiology

A clogged nose, even in an adult, causes a lot of discomfort. What then to say about a small and helpless creature. This unpleasant condition is a consequence of the swelling of the mucous membrane. At the same time, mucus is produced in large quantities. In the first days of his life, the baby is just learning to breathe air, therefore, parents often notice the sniffing or sneezing of the child. Thus, there is a cleansing of residual fluid, a large amount of mucus from the nasal passages. Usually a week after being discharged from the maternity hospital, the child begins to breathe quite evenly and cleanly.

If, nevertheless, a baby's nose breathes badly for a long time, this may be due to several reasons:

the presence of too dry air in the room;
one of the parents smokes indoors;
the presence of a caustic scent of perfume in the room where the baby is;
dusty or poorly ventilated room;
viral or colds;
pathology of the respiratory system.

Due to the excessively dry mucous membrane of the nasal passages, crusts appear. They can clog your nose and make breathing difficult. This will lead to crumbs nervousness, poor appetite, and little weight gain.

When to clean your nasal passages

A newborn's nose should be cleaned only as needed. Such cases include:

it is necessary to clean the nose of an infant when a large amount of mucus accumulates;
if the child has crusts in the nose;
it is worth looking into the child's nose if he often sneezes or makes "grunting" sounds;
it is necessary to rinse the nose of an infant, subject to the presence of snoring, snoring and anxiety during sleep, feeding;
the presence of appetite, but the inability to suckle the breast for a long time due to swelling of the mucous membrane.

Why you can't rinse often

In order to understand the question of how to properly clean your nose, you need to understand why you cannot do it regularly. Newborns undergo such a procedure only as needed. Frequent cleaning of the nasal passages in newborns leads to dryness and injury to the delicate mucous membrane of the nose. The mucosal cells produce a deterministic amount of interferon. It prevents the entry and reproduction of pathogenic microflora. If a parent often cleans the baby's nasal passages or cleans them with chopsticks, this leads to thinning and then to the disappearance of this protective barrier. As a result - a decrease in local immunity and the reproduction of pathogenic microflora.

With frequent processing of children's noses from snot, the mucous membranes dry out. There is a protective reaction of the body - an increase in the secreted secretion. Having processed the nasal passages of monthly crumbs from mucus, you can cause its accumulation. In addition, diligent parents often damage the baby's mucous membrane. This leads to pain, discomfort and irritation in the baby. Therefore, to the question: how often to clean the nasal passages, experienced specialists answer - the less often, the better.

The better to use

How to clean the nose of a newborn baby? And most importantly - with what? These questions are often asked by neonatologists and pediatricians. Here are some acceptable ways:

flagella, twisted from cotton wool. This is a great way to cleanse your nose. They are made from a small piece of cotton wool, which is twisted. Then they are inserted gently into the nasal passage and slowly rotated. Some people advise to rinse the nose with saline before using such "turundochek". This will soften the crusts and reduce the risk of injury. In addition, the fibers left at the end of the tourniquet contribute to sneezing. And this is another way to clear the moves. The nose is considered cleaned if, after the procedure, no crusts and snot are visually detected;

syringe or regular pear. These items are suitable for heavy and liquid discharge. Newborns do not like this procedure very much, but it is more effective. Be sure to rinse the pear before use. When using it, the risk of injury is minimal. How pr
clean your nose with a syringe? To do this, the pear is squeezed and gently inserted into the nasal passage, but not deeply. Next, slowly and gently release the pressure on it. At the same time, the child does not experience a strong sense of discomfort. This method is somewhat reminiscent of "blowing your nose" in an adult. After the pear is completely unclenched in the hand, it is carefully removed and freed from the contents. To do this, on a previously prepared handkerchief or rag, the mucus is sharply squeezed out by abruptly pressing the syringe. Then the procedure is repeated until the nose is free of snot as much as possible. When doing this manipulation, at the time of mucus suction, the adjacent nostril of the crumbs is clamped with a finger;
how to properly clean the nose of a newborn with an aspirator? Many mothers call this procedure "snot suction." An aspirator is a device that works on the same principle as a pear. Only he is considered improved. There are several types of such aspirators. There is a mechanical one with a long tube. Electronic - syringe with batteries. Vacuum - rarely used on babies' nose care.

Moisturizing the nose

Before you clean the nose of a newborn from boogers, you need to soften them. The following remedies are suitable for rinsing the nose of an infant:

saline is considered the best option for flushing. At the same time, children do not experience discomfort or an unpleasant aftertaste. It is used every time before cleaning the baby's nose;
homemade salt solutions;
pharmacy products: chamomile, peach oil, and others. Before you rinse your nose with these products, you must study the instructions for use.

More experienced mothers rarely have a question: "How to clean a baby's nose?" For the most part, this process takes a minimum of time and is extremely rare. Therefore, before starting this procedure, you should make sure whether it is really necessary. Since nature itself took care of everything and provided for everything, taking care of the newborn.