The two month old baby grunts. Physiological causes have a number of prerequisites. Why does a child older than a year grunt his nose if he does not have a runny nose?

01.08.2019

Parents are always wary of the health of their infant, because his body is not yet fully strengthened. Therefore, any deviations from the norm can be cause for concern.

For example, if a baby grunts his nose, but there is no snot, he sniffs, his nose is stuffy, parents need to figure out why grunting occurs, how dangerous it is, and what to do.

Causes in newborns and infants

A situation in which a newborn baby grunts and sniffles, but there is no snot, no inflammation, and he develops well, is quite common.

The nasal passages of a newborn are very narrow, and even a small air obstruction provokes trouble.

The mucous membrane may be irritated from air or regurgitation., mucus or milk blocks the nasal passages and provokes sounds when the air passes through, which sound like a characteristic grunt. "

Why does a newborn grunt, sniff, and the nose is empty, what should I do? The reason may be commonplace - parents simply do not clear the baby's nose or do it incompletely.

This is called a physiological rhinitis. Usually, after some time, this problem goes away on its own.

But things could get worse. If the baby suddenly began to grunt without snot, this may indicate unfavorable conditions around him.

The case may be a viral infection, too dry air, or an allergic reaction that can manifest itself on dust, animal hair .

If grunting sounds only occur at night, this may indicate that sputum accumulates on the back of the pharynx during the night.

This often manifests itself in the autumn period, when the heating starts to work, and the air in the room is dry, in winter due to frost or in autumn in rainy weather. These are all variants of the norm.

Indoor air too dry or warm- a common reason why a baby grunts his nose, but no snot. To normalize the condition, it is necessary to humidify the air and regular wet cleaning in the room.

The nose may grunt due to a viral infection... In infants, this may appear due to severe hypothermia. A mild cold often manifests itself in this way: wheezing (a newborn wheezes in the nose), not accompanied by nasal discharge.

Breathing can become grunting due to various medical conditions, and it can be quite severe. The following diseases cannot be ruled out:

transient tachypnea in infants... It occurs in 1% of cases. It is characterized by rapid breathing, blue skin, wheezing in the lungs. Usually passes without a trace;
hyaline membrane disease... It makes itself felt in the first days of life, and its main symptom is shortness of breath. Medicines will allow you to get rid of unpleasant symptoms in a week;
polycythemia... It is manifested by cyanosis of the limb, shortness of breath, convulsions, suppression of reflexes.

Usually, it is easy to exclude such diseases - grunting is not the main and not the only symptom, more unpleasant symptoms usually appear.

What to do

What should parents do if a newborn baby grunts his nose? If the matter is in physiological reasons, then there is no need to treat the baby... You can only alleviate its condition by adjusting the temperature and humidity level in the room.

You can use saline or drops based on seawater - Aquamaris, Aqualor.

If there is a small amount of clear discharge, it should be removed using a nasal aspirator.

How to properly clean the nose for newborns:

If mucus accumulates in the nasopharynx of a yellow-green color, this suggests that the cause is infectious. Possible fever, coughing, sneezing, general malaise.

A newborn has a runny nose, he wheezes, grunts. Treatment should be supervised by a specialist.

Prescribe vasoconstrictor drops designed specifically for babies. Use them carefully, according to the instructions.

Often, children are prescribed drugs such as Nazivin and Otrivin... To fight viruses and bacteria in the nasopharynx, use the drug Protargol or... It is an antiseptic that constricts blood vessels and at the same time makes breathing easier.

Home treatments also include inhalations, for which saline or mineral water can be used. This relieves the grunting symptom in the newborn.

If the mucous membrane of the sinuses is not sufficiently hydrated, the nasal passages are recommended to be lubricated with flagella lubricated with oil solutions of drugs.

However, this method is risky, since such drugs are strong allergens, so they can be used only with the permission of a doctor.

From folk remedies used decoction of chamomile or calendula... Apply them with a pipette. Seawater based products can be replaced with mildly concentrated saline solution.

You can moisturize the mucous membrane with sea buckthorn oil, aloe or Kalanchoe juice, diluted with water in equal proportions.

Such remedies help get rid of the symptoms of a "grunting" nose, when a newborn wheezes, but there is no snot, but a specialist should establish the cause of this phenomenon.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky

The well-known children's doctor Komarovsky says that if a newborn grunts his nose, but there is no snot, the baby does not show any unpleasant symptoms, he has no signs of infection, then it is enough to make breathing easier with simple measures getting rid of grunting.

It is important to create a favorable climate in the room where the baby stays. The room needs to be ventilated, especially before bedtime. Fresh cool air is better tolerated by a child than dry air.

Dry, compressed air may be the problem. To ensure normal humidity, you can use special humidifiers, complex air purification systems.

After carrying out water procedures, clean the baby's nose using thin gauze flagella or turundas moistened with boiled water. If these manipulations do not help, rinse the nose with saline or slightly salted water.

If you want to know if you need to do this, read our article.
The material will tell you how many times to process the navel of a newborn with a clothespin.
To rinse the baby's nose, put it on its side and irrigate the upper nostril with the solution. For newborns, drops are optimal, not sprays.
Do not use 9% saline.... The concentration of salts in them exceeds their concentration in the blood, which can cause the delicate mucous membrane to dry out, and the grunting as a result can only become stronger.
If the baby wheezes, grunts his nose without snot, you can try to pay more attention to cleaning the room and hygiene procedures. With proper care, the symptoms should go away on their own, even if the baby is overcooled or has a cold.
H to play it safe, it's better call a pediatrician at home, which will help make sure that the baby is healthy and answer the question of why newborn babies grunt.
In contact with

The adaptation of the mucous membrane of the baby's nasal cavity to the air environment includes a number of different reactions. As a result, it may appear that the child is grunting his nose.

This condition is usually not accompanied by a runny nose or other unpleasant symptoms. However, sometimes it indicates dangerous pathologies.

Physiological causes

Most often, the baby grunts his nose due to the adaptation of the mucous membrane of the nose to the surrounding conditions and the narrowness of the nasal openings. There is a slimy secret in the baby's nose all the time, which is required to disinfect the air entering his body.

The air flow passes through the narrow nasal passages of babies and collides with an obstacle in the form of mucus. This is what causes grunting sounds. This is usually the case for newborn babies and babies 1-2 months old.

In addition, there are several physiological reasons why a child grunts:

If grunting sounds occur, but there is no snot, an increased dryness of the mucous membrane of the respiratory system can be suspected. When the nasal passages are irritated, a large amount of mucus is produced, which is similar to a runny nose in viral infections. It accumulates in the baby's nose. Insufficient humidity in the room leads to dryness and swelling of the mucous membrane. This is why a child can grunt in their sleep. To avoid such symptoms, you need to constantly ventilate the room and use a humidifier.

Mobility of the nasal septum. It is a characteristic of the baby that makes grunting sounds when breathing. As the baby's body develops, the septa become stronger and the grunting disappears.

Teething. This condition is often accompanied by the appearance of a runny nose, low-grade fever, and excessive production of saliva. After the appearance of the tooth, the discharge and the grunting sounds that accompany them disappear.

In about 90% of cases, grunting, which is not accompanied by the appearance of nasal discharge, is due to one or more of the above reasons. However, in 10% of situations, this symptom speaks of pathologies. In such cases, it will not be possible to do without medical assistance.

Pathological causes

The abnormal factors that provoke the appearance of this clinical picture include the following:

Clinical picture

The presence of other symptoms may indicate the development of dangerous complications. This is the basis for a detailed survey. Additional manifestations include the following:

an increase in temperature;

sleep disturbance of the baby;

increased anxiety;

loss of appetite;

intestinal disorders;

general weakness;

sneezing;

rashes on the skin.

All of these symptoms indicate the development of infectious pathologies. The reason for their appearance can be a variety of ailments. Without an appropriate examination, it will not be possible to determine the provoking factor.

Most often, such manifestations indicate bronchitis, pneumonia, laryngitis. They can also talk about the development of diphtheria, whooping cough, measles and other dangerous disorders. Even if there is a slight suspicion of an unfavorable outcome, an experienced doctor should be consulted.

How to clear a baby's nose - Dr. Komarovsky

What to do if a child grunts his nose

What to do if this symptom appears? This question worries many parents. If physiological factors are the cause of the grunt, no specific measures are required. The baby needs to rinse the nose with saline every day. Also for this purpose, funds based on sea water are quite suitable - aqualor, aquamaris, saline.

Transparent discharge provoked by an allergic reaction or viral infection should be removed with a special aspirator or syringe. The procedure must be performed with extreme caution until the nasal passages are completely cleared. The nose should be periodically cleaned with saline solution.

To carry out the manipulation, the soft tip of the aspirator is inserted into the nasal opening, and the reverse one is placed into the oral cavity and air is drawn in. The pressure builds up the snot into the tube.

Green or yellow discharge indicates a bacterial origin of the disease. As a rule, they are characterized by an increase in body temperature, coughing, and impaired well-being. Purulent inflammation should be treated under medical supervision.

What medicines will help

In addition, depending on the causes of the onset of the symptom, pediatricians may prescribe the following remedies:

Sniffling is considered a fairly common symptom in young children. It can indicate a variety of conditions and most often does not pose a health hazard. If you have any other signs, you should consult your doctor.

Attention, only TODAY!

A baby is a child from a month to a year, who causes not only affection, but also anxiety among parents if he has an incomprehensible sniffling, strange sounds, grunting, but no snot. These symptoms disturb adults, make them look for causes and methods of therapy. But is treatment always needed, medical help - these are the questions that parents should know the answers to.
If a child sniffs, grunts, but there is no snot, the reason may lie in the anatomical and physiological features of the respiratory system - the narrow nasal passages do not allow air to pass calmly. But there is no need to worry, because with the growth of the baby in 2-3 months these problems disappear. The reasons for grunting without snot can be dry indoor air, reaction to dust, pets, aquarium fish, houseplants.
Sometimes nasal puffing occurs in those babies who are put on the bed immediately after feeding, while a small part of the milk can end up in the lower parts of the nasal passages, which causes sounds similar to grunting. Sniffling in a dream can develop if the baby has a congenital pathology of the respiratory tract, an anomaly of the nasal septum. Injuries as a result of inaccurate cleaning, blows received during a fall, adenoids or polyps are additional causes of sniffling in infants. If such alarming symptoms occur, you need to consult a pediatrician and an ENT doctor.
Treatment methods
If a newborn has a runny nose (rhinitis), the condition has worsened, symptoms of a cold, allergic manifestations, sneezing appear, an urgent need to help the baby.
Before the arrival of the pediatrician, you can rinse the nasal passages with saline. Since the baby does not know how to blow his nose on his own, you need to suck the accumulated thick mucus with a special device - a nasal aspirator or a baby rubber bulb. Try to give the baby enough water to drink so that the water-salt balance of the body is not disturbed, and the snot becomes less viscous.
A newborn needs to gently cleanse the nose to remove mucus in the morning and evening with a cotton swab dipped in baby oil or petroleum jelly.
Cleansing the nasal passages

Washing the nasal passages of a baby is an important but rather simple procedure. If the baby grunts, but there is no snot, doctors recommend using saline, Aqualor or its analogues for cleaning.
Aqualor is a preparation based on purified sea water. Recommended for newborns and older children for prophylactic purposes, for hygienic washing or treatment. Droplets based on saline solution, injected into the nasal cavity, moisturize, cleanse the mucous membrane of allergens or bacteria.

It is undesirable to use sea water from open reservoirs - the composition of the salt differs from the physiological norm, which means that it will not only not benefit the child, but it can also harm.
Nasal flushing mechanism
If there is no snot, but it squishes in the nose, you need to rinse it:
heat the sanitizing solution to room temperature;

lay the child on his back, hold his head and chin;

collect 2-3 drops of the solution with a child's pipette and inject into each nostril;

raise the child, hold him in an upright position so that the liquid flows down;

after 5-10 minutes, clean the baby's nasal passages with cotton turundas.

The use of medicines
When a child has no temperature, he is active, eats well, snot is absent, you can do without medication. If you are going to transfer the baby to new formulas or food, be sure to consult a pediatrician before that.
If the baby suspects an allergic reaction, it is necessary to call a doctor or an ambulance (the type of help depends on the symptoms that the child has). Before the arrival of the ambulance, you need to follow the recommendations proposed by the doctor on duty. In no case should you give yourself "adult" antihistamines, which are in the first-aid kit.
If an infant has a fever, nasal congestion, or becomes lethargic or restless, a pediatrician should be called. Do not put mustard plasters on children under one year old, soar in hot water, do steam inhalations.
In newborns, sweat glands are still underdeveloped, so overheating, like hypothermia, is very dangerous.

The opinion of Dr. Komarovsky
Pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky reminds that if a child grunts his nose, but the snot does not flow, there is no need to worry - you just need to clear the paths. It is known that in newborns, the nasal passages and trachea are narrowed, and the epithelial tissue of the respiratory organs is sufficiently well supplied with capillary blood. This feature leads to drying out of the epithelium, the mucus is taken by a crust, gets stuck, accumulates on the inner surface of the nasal passages.

Do not bury the baby with "adult" vasoconstrictor drops or those drugs that have not been prescribed by the attending physician - uncontrolled use can lead to severe drying out and damage to the mucous membrane, impaired sense of smell, complications in the form of side effects.
Prophylaxis
The basic rules that need to be remembered for the parents of a newborn or baby who grunt nose, but without snot:
keep the children's room at a comfortable temperature of at least 18–20 degrees;

ensure a sufficient level of humidity, wet cleaning more often and ventilate the nursery;

be sure, even in frosty weather, walk with the baby in the fresh air, make sure that there is no hypothermia;

do not use for cleaning floors, wiping walls, furniture, products with a pungent odor that are not intended for cleaning in children's rooms;

if the air becomes dry, place water containers or a humidifier next to the batteries, hang a wet, clean diaper;

more often turn the child over from his back to the side so that crusts of dried mucus do not form in the nose, which interferes with normal breathing;

water your baby regularly with lukewarm or room temperature water.

When the nasal cavity of a newborn dries up, the baby can be dripped with saline (no more than every 3 hours). These prevention rules must be followed in all cases - when the child is healthy or has a cold, an allergy has begun.
If sniffling, grunting lasts for a long time, is alarming, be sure to tell the pediatrician about the alleged reasons. Only the joint care of parents and doctors about the child will help to preserve his health, to take up prophylaxis or treatment in time.

The adaptation of the child's nasal mucosa to the normal air environment takes place against the background of various physiological reactions, including "grunting". Typically, characteristic sounds are not accompanied by secretions and other negative symptoms. Grunting is a sure sign that the baby's body is adjusting normally. And yet, parents begin to worry, look for "dirty tricks", hidden diseases.

Physiological causes

Grunts occur in the first month after the baby is born. Physiological reasons, in contrast to pathological ones, are not a reason for starting a comprehensive treatment. The mechanism is simple: before the child was in the aquatic environment, and now it is in the air. The mucous membrane of the nose quickly dries up, becomes covered with crusts, which gives the baby discomfort.

Grunting occurs when milk or formula enters the nasal passages. And it happens often, especially when regurgitating. Other common physiological causes:

Anatomical specificity. Narrow nasal passages, underdeveloped bronchi, trachea, lungs in general. The passage of air through the narrowing channels is accompanied by grunting and sobbing sounds.

Development of the nasal septum. The baby is born with a very soft and flexible septum. Gradually, cartilage and bones thicken, harden, and become not as elastic as before. Breathing is temporarily difficult, inhaling and exhaling provoke grunting.

Accumulation of mucus and food debris in the nose. With a previous runny nose, mucus could remain in the nasopharynx, which thickened, dried up and added difficulty in breathing. In addition to mucus, accumulations form milk and mixtures that enter the nasopharynx during regurgitation.

Flatulence. In the gastrointestinal tract with flatulence, gases are formed and accumulate, which impede the normal functioning of the diaphragm.

Long stay in a horizontal position. Fluids and mucus accumulate in the nasopharynx, complicating the passage of air. When you change the position ("putting" the child upright), discharge appears for a short time, but quickly disappears.

Up to 90% of cases of grunting, not accompanied by persistent nasal discharge, are associated with one or more of the named reasons. But 10% remain, which are pathological and even sometimes dangerous situations. It is they who must be excluded in the first place when symptoms are detected.

Pathological causes

Defects of the nasal septum and canals, lungs. This means congenital pathologies that develop even before the baby is born. Congenital deformed septum, irregular shape and clamping of the nasal passages, impaired structure of the lungs (up to the absence of one lobe) - each named defect presupposes prompt surgical intervention.

Mucosal injury. Injury is caused by bruises, blows to the area of the nose, the ingress of foreign objects (with their subsequent removal). The damage causes swelling, and if there is even a slight bruise, squelching "sounds" during breathing are inevitable.

Infection. Most often, infection causes a profuse runny nose. But the course of the disease is possible without mucus secretion. You can understand that a child has become infected with something by his behavior. He becomes capricious, refuses to eat, is frightened by harsh sounds. An additional symptom is fever. After the squelching, after a while, discharge also appears - from transparent to greenish.

Ingress of a foreign object. The most dangerous case for two reasons. Firstly, it is difficult for parents to determine that a small object has entered the child's nasopharynx. One can only guess if there are no "witnesses". Secondly, it is necessary to remove a foreign object as quickly as possible, while in other cases, immediate intervention is not required. The only objective and alarming symptom: difficulty breathing through the nose (or even its impossibility), which does not improve after washing, using vasoconstrictor drops and increasing the humidity in the room.

Tumors. Even in the early stages in children, they are accompanied by obvious symptoms: breathing is difficult (or through the mouth), constant anxiety, weakness, malaise. In the future, transparent nasal discharge appears, the baby ceases to distinguish odors. Weight loss is possible.

Allergic reaction. Squelching is accompanied by active sneezing, redness. Eliminating the allergen is paramount. If it is not possible to identify it on your own, an allergist will do it. He will also prescribe antiallergenic therapy appropriate for age.

Adenoiditis. In children, it develops against the background of a variety of factors: hypothermia, the same allergy, infection ... Pus is formed, entering the larynx and causing squelching. Other symptoms: high fever, paroxysmal cough, general malaise.

Treatment

Treatment is chosen depending on the reasons that provoked the grunting. If they are physiological, natural, then special complex manipulations will not be required. The parents' actions are as follows:

carry out wet cleaning every day without using cleaning agents and household chemicals;

monitor the freshness and humidity of the air in the room: regularly ventilate the room;

finding dried out accumulations in the nasal passages, remove them with a moistened cotton swab;

rinse the nose, suitable for this: simple saline and physiological solutions;

do not restrain the child in movements, swaddle is not too tight;

spend longer time with your baby in the fresh air, every day at the same time;

do gymnastics, massage babies regularly;

develop a clear daily routine in order to create the best conditions for strengthening immunity.

For prophylactic purposes, the nose is washed with drugs recommended at a young age. For example, Dolphin, Aqualor and other compounds are suitable, the main component of which is salty sea water. In general, the task of the parents is to create optimal conditions for the growing up and development of the baby. The physiological causes of grunting will disappear by themselves as soon as the child overcomes the critical growth stage.

A completely different matter is treatment when pathological changes and diseases are detected. Some recommendations coincide with those previously mentioned. But there are also specific ones that require especially careful attention from the parents:

visit a pediatrician, ENT specialist, allergist (immunologist);

upon finding an infection or allergy, prepare an aspirator or syringe without a needle: you will soon have to eliminate the accumulating discharge;

do not visit public places with a child, less often communicate with other people, especially with potentially dangerous (sneezing, coughing);

perform wet cleaning in the room where the child is, every day; ventilate; go for walks regularly, if the weather permits;

use vasoconstrictor drugs: Otrivin, For the Nose;

drugs that stop the inflammatory process (Grippferon);

drops that accelerate the regeneration of damaged mucous membranes: Sialor, Protargol;

antiallergenic drugs - Vibrocil.

Regardless of the tool chosen, you must remember about the limited period of its use. Most nasal drops are allowed for a maximum of five days. It is necessary to stop instillation when the swelling of the mucous membrane disappears, normal breathing through the nose is restored.

The doctor adheres to traditional views and advises not to abuse drugs. His recommendations:

Monitor the humidity in the children's room so that it is at the level of 50–70%. Low humidity adds the risk of drying out the mucosa. This is especially likely when there are heating devices in the room, in winter the radiators are very hot. Ways to increase humidity: buy a special humidifier, put a bowl of water next to the battery, hang out wet towels, and ventilate more often.

Maintain a suitable air temperature. The temperature should be around +20 ° C. The reason is the same as above. The temperature is lower than permissible, higher is undesirable.

Moisturizing the mucous membrane with local methods. Komarovsky recommends using saline to moisturize the drying out mucous membrane of the child. 3 drops in the nostrils are enough to moisturize the nasal mucosa for several hours. Dried mucus accumulated in the nasal passages should also be removed by rinsing with saline.

Being outdoors is recommended, but not longer than two hours in a row. Before starting a walk, measure the temperature of the baby. If it is increased, you will have to skip air baths. Wrapping tightly, covering with a blanket is useless and unreasonable.

What not to do

A dubious recommendation is to rinse the baby's nose with breast milk. Supposedly, it is completely safe and natural for the child's body. This is not the case, since milk is a favorable environment for the growth of microorganisms and bacteria. When grunting is caused by infection, breast milk will speed up its spread and worsen the baby's well-being.

Dangerous folk remedies are onion and garlic juice, which are advised to rinse the nose. Undiluted cause burns, diluted are ineffective and harmful, since even boiled water can provoke infection.

You can not apply compresses, rub your chest and feet, put mustard plasters. Grunting in the nose is not cured by warming up, regardless of the cause. It is possible to partially drown out the symptom, after which the parents calm down. But the true source of the pathology remains undetected.

It is unwise and criminal to base treatment on homeopathic remedies. The result: not an improvement in the child's well-being, but a worsening of the condition, the appearance of complications and side effects.

The reasons for "grunting" at an early age are physiological and pathological. The former are harmless, and the "treatment" consists in creating conditions conducive to moisturizing the nasal mucosa and the normal development of the baby. The doctor must deal with the pathological causes and ways to eliminate them. Sometimes rinsing and instilling nasal drops is enough, and sometimes surgical intervention is necessary.

Young parents, noticing that their newborn child grunts his nose, are very worried - is he sick? What to do if a newborn grunts his nose, and how to help him? In this situation, mothers often hastily undertake attempts to "cure" grunting in all possible ways - instillation, warming, etc. are used.

Often, parents even refuse daily walks with the baby, fearing that he already has a cold. Is it reasonable? In fact, the appearance of grunting sounds when breathing in a newborn is rarely indicative of illness - in most cases, this phenomenon is completely harmless. This is usually due to the peculiarities of the anatomy and physiology of children in the first months of life. Indeed, a healthy newborn, and often a 2-month-old baby, can grunt, sniff, groan - there is nothing wrong with that.

In this article, we will talk about why grunting sounds occur in newborns, and also consider cases when grunting is a symptom of the disease.

Causes

Why does a newborn grunt his nose? Any specific sounds coming from the nasopharynx, including grunting, occurs when the air flow on inhalation or exhalation collides with obstacles - mucus, dry crusts, etc. This brings discomfort to the child, but he still does not know how to get rid of mucus in the nose by blowing his nose, and all that remains for him is to grunt and wheeze.

Features of anatomy

The nasal passages of infants are much narrower than those of adults, and the nasopharynx is more hydrated, so infants often suffer from nasal breathing difficulties, especially in the first year of life.

Feeding is often accompanied by grunting. In this case, it is possible for milk to enter the nasopharynx - this irritates the receptors, the baby tries to get rid of it and grunts. Also, milk can enter the nasopharynx when regurgitating, therefore, during and after feeding, it is advisable to keep the baby upright for some time, supporting the head straight.

Physiological rhinitis

If a newborn baby grunts his nose, but you do not observe any other disorders, most likely you are dealing with a physiological rhinitis. This phenomenon is associated with increased secretion of nasal mucus within one to two months after birth. Sometimes a physiological rhinitis is observed a little longer, up to 3-4 months of life. The fact is that the mucous membranes of the child did not function while he was in the womb, and now they need some time to adapt to new conditions.

Thus, if a child of 1 month grunts his nose, but otherwise he feels great, you do not need to treat him - this phenomenon will go away by itself.

Congestion of mucus in the nose

If you notice that your baby is wheezing on his nose, it is very likely that thick mucus has accumulated in his nasopharynx, making it difficult to breathe.

Infants spend almost all their time lying on their backs. In this position, the outflow of mucus from the nasopharynx is difficult, and it accumulates between the nose and throat. A similar problem worries many adults, who notice clots of mucus in the throat after waking up - this is muconasal mucus accumulated overnight.

In medicine, clinical cases of persistent runoff of nasal mucus down the pharynx are called postnasal drip syndrome.

The syndrome of post-anasal leakage is a consequence of both excessive mucus production and its thickening. So, liquid mucus drains freely, but viscous and thick can linger in the posterior parts of the nasopharynx for a long time, causing significant discomfort.

Thickening of mucus in the nasopharynx occurs as a result of:

breathing dry or hot air;

prolonged stay in a dusty, rarely ventilated room;

insufficient mobility of the baby;

lack of fluid in the body.

With the accumulation of viscous mucus in the posterior parts of the nasopharynx, the child sleeps restlessly, and in the morning he grunts and coughs.

How can you make sure your baby is not sick?

Grunting by itself should not be considered a sign of illness. It is another matter if grunting occurs simultaneously with other symptoms, such as:

nasal congestion (the child is constantly with an open mouth, cannot suckle at the breast);

copious discharge of snot;

the newborn wheezes through the nose constantly, cannot sleep and eat normally;

increased body temperature;

cough;

sneezing;

indigestion;

lethargy of the child, frequent crying, whims.

Grunting against the background of a general deterioration in health can be a sign of a viral infection, bacterial rhinitis or rhinopharyngitis, an allergic reaction, problems with milk digestion, etc.

To find out the exact reason, the child must be examined by a pediatrician.

How can I help my child?

To make breathing easier for a newborn, you need to set yourself 2 tasks:

regularly clean the nose from accumulated crusts and mucus;

improve the conditions surrounding the baby in such a way that the mucus in the nose does not thicken and is easily eliminated by itself.

Let's see how to do this.

We clean the nose

To remove excess mucus from the baby's nose, you can use an aspirator or a small pear. This should be done with a runny nose, if it runs from the nose. If the baby sniffles strongly, it means that dry crusts have accumulated in the nasal passages - they should be removed.

The procedure for cleansing the nose of an infant is as follows:

We'll need a saline solution. This can be boiled water with a small amount of kitchen salt (no more than a teaspoon per liter), or special nasal drops based on sea water for babies. The best option is a saline solution purchased from a pharmacy. It is sterile, harmless and very affordable. Before use, the solution must be warmed up to body temperature by holding the bottle in your hand.

The child should lie on his back. You don't need to throw your head back.

Into the child's nostrils, add 1-2 drops of the solution.

Next, you need to take the child in your arms, hold it in an upright position, lightly massage the nose. At this time, droplets of the solution are distributed over the nasopharynx and soften the crusts.

After that, you can clean the front part of the nasal passages using cotton turundas moistened with a solution. You should not penetrate deep into the child's nose, and also wipe the inside of the nasal passages dry.

Cleaning the nose should be carried out regularly, but it should not be abused either if the child is already breathing calmly.

We create comfortable conditions

Our times are such that children spend most of their time indoors, and short walks hardly meet the growing body's need for fresh air. That is why one of the most important tasks in caring for children is maintaining the cleanliness and humidity of the air in the nursery. Regular wet cleaning (3-4 times a week), daily airing, rejection of excess carpets, soft toys and other dust collectors will help with this. During the heating season, care should be taken to maintain normal humidity - it should be at least 50%. In such conditions, the work of the mucous membrane is normalized, and nothing interferes with the baby's breathing.