Babies breathe through the nose and nothing needs to be done to make breathing easier unless they have a blocked nose and this prevents them from breathing.
In this case, it is recommended clean baby's nose so you can breathe for it and eat without fatigue (remember what it costs to chew when you are congested).
Let's see what is the best way to do it (or at least the one I like the most, since there are many ways to do it):
They are not always boogers
Before explaining anything I want to make a point. Not always that we think they have boogers they have them. There are times when they choke on the breast or bottle and they have some milk left in the airways.
In Babies and more, boogers are our friends (although they sometimes tire)This means that when you breathe you hear a “crec, crec” that makes us suspect a cold. If they could clear their throat they would solve it without problems, but as they do not know, the milk remains in the “elevator” plan until it is absorbed or until it returns to their mouths.
Anyway, if it is milk, we will not see it through the nose, so not seeing snot we will not clean it.
When to do it
There is no predefined moment, since if the baby has a clogged nose and is having trouble breathing and therefore eating, it is best to try to clean it a little, however it is true that there are times when the mucus comes out a little more easy as after bath, when the water vapor fluidizes the mucus a little.
Physiological serum
It is the main tool when cleaning the baby's nose and the most used. It is water to which salt has been added so that it is in a “physiological” proportion, that is, to resemble the fluids of our organism. That is why it is suitable for washing any area of the body, including wounds, eyes, nose and therefore it can be administered parenterally (through the vein).
Physiological serum It helps undo the snot and drag them so that the baby can take them out or to swallow them. Yes, I know that you will be wondering if nothing happens because he swallows them, so I answer: no, there is no problem, if I had sure that babies would be born knowing how to blow their nose.
Different presentations
The physiological serum can be purchased in small ampoules, which makes it more comfortable and hygienic, in large bottles (100 ml, 500 ml, 1000 ml, ...) and even aerosol, which apparently dissolves the mucus.
Which is better is something that every mother should decide. The important thing is that at the time of administration, nothing is introduced into the baby's hole (not even the spray applicator) to prevent damage.
In Babies and more My baby sneezes a lot, is she cold?Heat it first
This is a “trick” that a pediatrician who works divinely once told me. If we apply the serum in babies at a temperature similar to that of their body, it bothers them considerably less than if we administer it cold.
I did the test myself (sometimes I like to know what they feel) and being hot I did not even realize that the serum was entering until the moment I felt it in the throat, however, being cold, I noticed it immediately in the nose and the feeling was more annoying.
To warm it up, it is enough to have it in your hands for a while, in a pocket that contacts our body ... (the mother who explained it to the pediatrician put it in her neckline).
How to do it
In case we use physiological spray serum the most that must be done is to support the applicator in the nostril the minimum to bring the serum into it.
The pressure is limited and appropriate to each age, so it is difficult to hurt with it, however it is dangerous if we try to perfectly adjust the spray applicator to the child's hole because all the strength of the spray will go directly to the nose (if we don't adjust it, part of that pressure will come out through the same hole).
I comment on the issue of pressure because an excess of pressure can make the mucus go to the ears (and with it the microbes).
Ideally, since an aerosol has a certain strength, it is to do it with the baby lying down, with the head turned to one side and administer the serum in the hole that is above, doing the same with the other hole but facing the other side .
Syringes are not recommended if you do not know how to use them well, because it is difficult to control the pressure of the administration and it is important to know well where to aim. In case of using them, it is better that the baby is face down, practically, to prevent the serum from going where it does not have to go. This video shows the position we should use, and even makes use of a knob to introduce serum, instead of removing mucus:
In case of using the individual serum bottles the ideal is to bring the serum into the nose as if it were tears (droplet to droplet with good aim). If we have warmed it a little previously, they do not realize it until the mucus and / or serum reaches their throat.
In this case it can be done with the baby on his back (if we put it aside it will be difficult to instill drop by drop), although it is easy to have the reflex to swallow, to make us expressions of “what a strange taste” or even that have a cough if the serum has reached a little beyond the throat. Ideally, after a few drops we put it aside or incorporated (although if we incorporate it very quickly it may be that the serum comes out as it entered, almost without touching the mucus).
Is it sucked later with a rubber pear?
Rubber pears were used a lot in the past, however they don't work too well and can cause problems.
In Babies and more The baby has a blocked nose, what to do?It is not recommended to adjust to the nostril because the aspiration may be too strong and affect the baby's ears and because there are people who press the pear inside the hole, then aspirate, when the pressure to make the vacuum should be done outside ( I often plan to put air under pressure and then take it out.)
The problem with this is that if it does not adapt to the nostril, not too many results are achieved, so whatever we do, it is useless, or we run the risk of harming the baby.
And with nasal aspirators?
For some time now, nasal aspirators have become very fashionable, consisting of a mouthpiece for the father or mother, a tube and a head that fits the baby's nose. In the head there is a filter to limit the suction pressure and to retain the mucus that arrives (and the heads are interchangeable, of course).
They work quite well, although from experience the aspiration, despite the filter, can become excessive. Ideally, be a little careful and gently aspirate and, if there are not too many mucus, return to add some physiological serum and try again after a while (let the mucus get wet).
Now, because of the risk that the mucus ends in the ear canal By using them in an erroneous way, or too frequently, it is advised that they be used as little as possible.
But they don't like my nose cleaned ...
Well, no, they usually hate it and get quite angry when we do it. That is why I have tried to find out which methods annoy more and which less.
The least bothersome is the physiological serum heated drop by drop and without aspiration. The baby has to be a few seconds with the serum in the nose (sideways) and then we will incorporate it. In this way the serum will come out with the mucus that has dissolved (and maybe even swallow a bit of it).
Then the spray would come, which when having more pressure causes a very different sensation in the nose and finally we would talk about the serum-aspiration dyad, which is the most effective, but the most annoying. This method would leave him for those occasions in which only the serum is not enough and in which, despite washing, the baby is still congested.
How many times can it be done?
It can be done as many times as necessary, although we must bear in mind that it bothers them. Therefore, if they only have a bit of mucus that does not prevent them from breathing or eating, it is best not to insist and do washing again when necessary.
Photos | Flickr (yozza), Flickr (gregoryjameswalsh)
