How often do you clean a newborn's nose? Cleaning a newborn’s nose: what and how to do it correctly, does the baby need it, what do doctors say?

A runny nose or crusts in the nose can cause poor sleep, appetite, whims, and crying of a newborn. The baby cannot yet 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 you clean your baby's nose?

Doctors do not recommend invading the respiratory system newborn Despite the fact that the nasal passages in infants are very narrow, they have a well-established self-cleaning system. Microvilli, which cover the nasal mucosa, effectively move mucus and foreign particles to the exit. In addition, the mucous membranes of the nasal passages produce the protective protein interferon. It is involved in the formation of local immunity and protection of the child’s body from pathogenic viruses and bacteria. If you clean your baby's nose too often, the interferon is washed away and the body's immune defenses are weakened.

During a runny nose, too much mucus forms; it dries out, forming dense crusts. They block the baby’s narrow nasal passages, and the baby still does not know how to breathe through the mouth like adults. Therefore, crying, whims, anxiety, poor sleep, snoring during sleep, and lack of appetite may be an indicator that the child needs to clear his nose.

What to use?

To clean a newborn's nose, you can use flagella from cotton pads, bulb or aspirator.

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

pear Before use, rinse thoroughly. After this, squeeze tightly in your hand so that all the air comes out. Then slowly and carefully insert it into the baby’s nostril and slowly open your hand. After removal, the pear should be washed immediately.

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

When cleaning a newborn's nose, it is not recommended to use dry cotton wool, as 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 solution or sea water are best suited for this. Only the visible part of the nasal passages needs to be cleaned.

The formation of dry crusts in the nose can prevent the maintenance of optimal microclimatic conditions in the room in which the child is located. The temperature should not exceed 20 °C. The room must be ventilated regularly. You should also, if necessary, additionally humidify the air (especially during the heating season). Don't forget about the benefits of walking in the fresh air.

Immediately after birth, the baby is completely helpless, so all the most basic procedures must be done for him by his mother and father. These include cleaning and rinsing the nose. Every parent should know how to clean a newborn's nose. Otherwise, they may harm the baby.

Why clean a newborn's nose?

Infants have very, very narrow nasal passages, which complicates the breathing process. If they become clogged, the child feels unwell, is capricious, and cannot eat or sleep normally. There is a self-cleaning system for the spout, which ensures that dust and other contaminants move closer to the exit and are removed when sneezing. However, in order for the organ to function normally, it needs to be cleaned additionally.

Your baby's nose needs cleaning if you notice that:

• too much mucus has accumulated in the nostrils and this makes breathing difficult;
• dry crusts and boogers appeared;
• the child often grunts when breathing, especially when feeding;
• the newborn sleeps restlessly, possibly with snoring;
• He behaves very capriciously, due to lack of air he has trouble taking his chest.

How to clean a newborn's nose

The procedure should be carried out as necessary. If the newborn breathes well, is not capricious and does not show other alarming signs, then there is no need to do it again. There are several ways to clean a baby's nose. You can immediately decide which one to use or try them all and then choose the one that is most convenient for you. Check out the pros and cons of how to clean your newborn's nose using each method.

Cotton buds

Experts, including Dr. Komarovsky, consider this method the least effective and safe. You could injure your baby or push the mucus even deeper. Even special children's cotton swabs will be much wider than the child's nasal passages, which will cause discomfort. This method should be used only as a last resort, if other devices are not available. Before cleaning your baby's nose with chopsticks, be sure to soften the crusts.

Cotton flagella or turundums

A good method for removing crusts, but it does not clear out all the mucus that has accumulated in the spout. To make flagella, take cotton pad, layer. Make four equal parts from one half. Roll each one into a thin cone. Before cleaning your newborn's nose, lightly moisten the flagellum. Place it in your nostril and swirl. If necessary, you can repeat it many times.

Pear or syringe

This device is great for cleaning the nose, although it does not completely remove all the mucus. However, it is safest to use a blower. The risk of you injuring your child is minimized. It is advisable to buy special children's syringes with soft tip made of rubber, but if you couldn’t find any, you can use the smallest ordinary pear.

Aspirator

A special device that works on the same principle as a syringe, but is more advanced. There are practically no disadvantages, so the only thing that stops many parents from purchasing one is the high price. The aspirator can be:

1. Mechanical. Container with a straw. At the junction there is a foam rubber gasket, like in a respirator. The mother inserts the narrow edge of the container into the child’s nostril, and sucks air through the tube with her mouth. Nasal secretions and crusts will remain in the reservoir.
2. Electronic. Reminds me of a syringe with batteries. For the device to start sucking out the secretions, you just need to press the power button.
3. Vacuum. Looks the same as an electronic one, works from a vacuum cleaner. Not everyone understands how to clean a newborn’s nose with an aspirator if it is a vacuum one. Many parents do not like this feature.

Nasal moisturizers

Regular cleaning alone will not be enough. To prevent the mucous membranes from drying out from this procedure, the nose must be washed regularly and treated with special compounds and other oils. This is necessary not only for hydration, but also to prevent infections from entering the nasopharynx and spreading throughout the body. To decide what to rinse your newborn’s nose with, you should familiarize yourself with the products that are suitable for this. Be sure to choose one of these and use it constantly:

1. Saline solution for rinsing the nose. Saline solution of sodium chloride is one of the best liquids for moisturizing and softening crusts. It is sold in every pharmacy. It is recommended to use saline solution every time before cleaning. If you don’t know how to rinse a baby’s nose with it, then you’ll learn quickly. To do this, a few minutes before cleaning, simply drop two drops of saline solution into each nostril with a sterile baby pipette.
2. Saline solution homemade. You can easily make an analogue of saline solution yourself. To prepare the mixture, dissolve a teaspoon of ordinary table salt in a liter of warm boiled water. Before rinsing your child’s nose, bring it to a temperature of 35-37C. You will get a liquid that is perfect for cleaning and softening crusts. It should be used in the same way as saline solution.
3. Pharmacy products. To soften crusts and moisturize your nose, you can also use medications offered in pharmacies. All products are used according to the instructions indicated on the packaging. List of drugs for moisturizing the nose:

• AquaMaris;
• peach, apricot, vaseline, sea buckthorn oils;
• chamomile (for preparing the solution);
• Humer;
• Aqualor;
• Marimer;
• Physiometer;
• Fluimarin;
• Dr. Theiss allergol;
• Morenasal;
• Salin.

How to clean crusts from a newborn's nose

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Before cleaning your newborn's nose, soften the scabs. Place the child on his back and place 2 drops of any pharmacy or homemade moisturizer from the above into each nostril. Start brushing after a few minutes.
2. Take one of the pre-prepared cotton buds. Dip it into any oil or solution and squeeze it out lightly to make it easier to pass and not injure. Insert the flagellum into the nostril to a depth of no more than two centimeters and twist. Repeat the same for each nostril until you see that there is no mucus residue on the cotton wool. Use a new, clean flagellum each time.
3. If you are using a syringe, then squeeze it, close one of the baby’s nostrils, and insert the oiled tip of the device into the second. Smoothly and carefully unclench the syringe. Your speed should be average. Repeat the procedure for the second nostril.
4. If you are using an aspirator, insert its tip into one nostril and close the other. Place the straw in your mouth and make a suction motion. Repeat for the second nostril.
5. After cleaning, wipe the spout to remove any excess oil or solution.

How to rinse your nose with a runny nose

If too much mucus is produced, you should consult a doctor before rinsing your newborn's nose. He may prescribe special vasoconstrictor drugs. If the doctor has determined that there is no cold or other illness and there is no need for one, then getting rid of congestion is easy. When you notice that too much snot has accumulated, drip your nose with saline solution or pharmaceutical sea water (AquaMaris and others). After a few minutes, suck out the mucus with a syringe or aspirator. Ordinary cotton wool will not be effective enough here.

How to clean a newborn’s nose is a question that worries young mothers. Fears and uncertainty arise that you are doing everything right. How to cope with a seemingly difficult task at first glance? Small tricks and our recommendations will help with this.

Why do crusts and boogers appear?

If the baby has no breathing problems, inspect your nasal passages for crusts. Hard bumps in the nose appear for several reasons. Dry and warm air provokes the formation of hard snot, which consists of various microorganisms and dust from the environment.

Colds and frequent cleansing of the nasal cavity lead to dryness of the mucous membrane and swelling.

A question that is often asked when visiting a pediatrician: How often should you clean your nose?? The answer is if necessary. Make it a rule to check your baby before bathing.

How to clean a newborn's nose?

To free the baby's nose, use:

Cotton pads and flagella (turundums)

You can buy them at the pharmacy, but it is more convenient to make them from cotton wool or cotton pads, in which case they will not spread.

In order to make a turunda from a disk, divide it into 2 halves, each into 2 more parts, which we roll into a cone. And now we have 4 flagella ready.

If the desire arises, we make a lot of turundas and use them as needed.

Before clearing your baby's nasal passages hardened boogers are first softened by dropping saline solution into the nose using a pipette. After which they wait for the crusts to become softer and begin peeling.

Start scrolling the turunda, wrapping the nozzles around it and cleaning the spout. To soften dried snot, do not put breast milk in your baby's nose. Although you will soften them, you will not disinfect the nasal passages, but will create an excellent environment for the growth of bacteria.

Cotton buds

When cleaning with special cotton swabs, you must first moisten the cotton swab

Regular cotton swabs for cleaning a newborn's nose are not the best option.

The size of the cotton wool is not large, and you may not notice how you start cleaning the spout too far.

There are specimens for sale for small children; they have a larger cotton tip, which does not allow it to penetrate deeper.

Before the procedure, do not forget to moisten the cotton wool water or sterile vegetable (vaseline) oil.

When removing crusts from a child’s nose, the most important thing is to be careful, because the baby will turn his head and try to dodge you.

Fighting runny nose and nasal congestion

If a child has a runny nose, he cannot breathe, eat and sleep calmly, which immediately affects his behavior.

The easiest way to clean your spout is to use a syringe or bulb with special tips.

To clear snot from your nose, use an aspirator or a budget option - a syringe (bulb).

Aspirators differ in functionality and price.

Special devices for removing mucus from the nose of babies are sold in pharmacies. If you don’t have such a device at hand, take a baby enema and treat it in boiling water.

The syringe is squeezed so that the air comes out, inserted into the baby’s nostril (the second one is closed) and smoothly unclenched.

This method has one serious drawback: once for cleansing will not be enough. At first the baby will not resist treatment, but then neither songs nor persuasion will help.

Price: from 150 rub.

Mechanical nasal aspirator

A tube to which a mouthpiece, a body and additional attachments with filters are attached. The effect is the same as when using a syringe, but more convenient.

Price: from 300 rub.

Electronic

As the name suggests, this device runs on batteries. Some models have additional functions, humidification or ringtones.

It’s easier to work with such an aspirator, the process happens faster: you put the nozzle against your nose and press the button, the snot ends up in a removable reservoir.

Price: from 1,500 rub.

Vacuum

Vacuum aspirator Snubnosik with less suction force is suitable for newborns

An unusual device for removing sputum, where the device is connected to a special vacuum cleaner (found in medical institutions).

Price: from 10,000 rub.

If your baby has nasal congestion, copious discharge no, but breathing is difficult, or the sniffles are thick, It is recommended to drip a weak saline solution into the nose before clearing.

If finances allow, we choose an electronic aspirator, but the presence of additional functions does not play a special role, you should not overpay (Aspirator B. Well WC-150 for 1600 rubles).

You can learn more about it from a special review.

If the budget is limited, we choose a mechanical analogue (Otrivin Baby with replaceable nozzles for 300 rubles) or a “pear” (Nasal Aspirator with replaceable nozzles “Canpol” for 250 rubles).

If the nozzles are thick, you can drip a weak saline solution or Aqua Maris before cleaning

Use the aspirator when you think it’s necessary, but be sure to do so before feeding and going to bed.

If the baby has nasal congestion, there is no copious discharge, and breathing is difficult, or the sniffles are thick, it is recommended to drip a weak saline solution into the nose before clearing.

There are a variety of such solutions on the market, but choose drops rather than sprays. The fact is that the spray jet exerts strong pressure on nasal cavity, causing harm to the baby.

For example, you can buy “Salin”, “Aqua Maris”, “Marimer”.

You can also prepare the product yourself: 1 tsp. table salt per 1 liter. boiled water.

Some parents suck out the mucus with their mouth, but do not do this for hygiene reasons.

Many mothers have extensive experience in the matter of cleansing the nose of infants.

Anastasia, 29 years old, Novosibirsk

When my baby had a runny nose at the age of 1 month, I stopped sleeping completely, the baby was capricious, and it was difficult for him to breathe.

I called a doctor who, in addition to general recommendations, gave me interesting advice.

Secondly, keep the baby on his stomach more so that the phlegm comes out. And one more thing, when the child is hungry, press on the base of his tongue to help cough up everything that has accumulated inside (as a pediatrician looks at the throat at an appointment).

Olga, 31 years old, Krasnodar

When I gave birth to my first son, I was afraid that I would hurt him, not knowing how to clean a newborn’s nose, since the baby is so small. Over time, I began to feel more confident, now I can say for sure that there is nothing complicated about it, the main thing is to follow the rules, and everything will be fine.

conclusions

So, let's summarize. To clean crusts from a newborn’s nose:

• bury the oil
• preparing flagella
• clear the nasal cavity

When asked how to clean a newborn’s nose from snot:

• instill saline solution
• remove the contents from the spout
• We use a vasoconstrictor drug if prescribed by a doctor.

In fact, everything is not as difficult as it seems at first. And remember, the main thing is not treatment, but prevention. Walk with your baby more, ventilate and humidify the room. If you have any questions, contact your pediatrician.

And finally, Dr. Komarovsky’s advice on how to properly clean a newborn’s nose in this video.

A newborn baby is completely helpless. Who, if not the mother, will come to the rescue and “save” from all the problems that befall the baby. Often mothers, especially new ones, notice the presence of discharge or accumulations in the child’s nose. And here the question arises: how to clean a newborn’s nose and what is best to use for this difficult procedure?

A newborn has rather narrow nasal passages. This makes nasal breathing somewhat difficult. If there is an accumulation of discharge, the baby feels discomfort, which he informs his parents about by frequent crying. In very young children, a “self-cleaning system” of the nasal passages is activated from unnecessary accumulation of mucus. This occurs by moving the interfering or irritating factor closer to the exit, thus provoking the sneezing reflex. But this procedure is not always sufficient. Therefore, mothers have to take extra care of their baby’s nose.

Etiology

A clogged nose, even for an adult, causes a lot of discomfort. What can we say then about a small and helpless creature? This unpleasant condition is a consequence of 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, so parents often notice sniffling or sneezing in the child. This removes any remaining liquid, large quantity mucus from the nasal passages. Usually a week after discharge from the maternity hospital, the child begins to breathe quite evenly and cleanly.

If, nevertheless, the baby’s nose breathes poorly for a long time, this may be a consequence of several reasons:

• about the presence of too dry air in the room;
• one of the parents smokes indoors;
• the presence of a pungent aroma of perfume in the room where the baby is;
• dusty or poorly ventilated area;
• viral or colds;
• pathologies 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 nervousness of the baby, poor appetite, low weight gain.

When to clean your nasal passages

It is necessary to clean a newborn's nose only as needed. Such cases include:

• clean your nose infant necessary 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 if there is snoring, snoring and restlessness during sleep and feeding;
• the presence of appetite, but the inability to suckle for a long time due to swelling of the mucous membrane.

Why shouldn't you wash it often?

In order to understand the question of how to properly clean your nose, you need to understand why you can’t do it regularly. Newborns undergo this 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. Mucosal cells produce a deterministic amount of interferon. It prevents the entry and proliferation of pathogenic microflora. If a parent often treats the baby's nasal passages or cleans them with chopsticks, this leads to thinning and then to the disappearance of this protective barrier. The result is a decrease in local immunity and the proliferation of pathogenic microflora.

When children's noses are frequently treated for snot, the mucous membranes dry out. A protective reaction of the body occurs - an increase in secretion. By treating the nasal passages of a monthly baby from mucus, you can cause its accumulation. In addition, diligent parents often damage the baby’s mucous membrane. It leads to pain, discomfort and irritability of the baby. Therefore, to the question: how often to clean the nasal passages, experienced specialists answer - the less often, the better.

What is better to use

How to clean a newborn baby's nose? And most importantly – what? These questions are often asked at appointments with neonatologists and pediatricians. Here are some acceptable ways:

• flagella twisted from cotton wool. This is a great way to clean your nose. They are made from a small piece of cotton wool that is twisted. Then they are inserted carefully into the nasal passage and slowly turned. Some people advise rinsing your nose with saline solution before using such “turundas”. This will soften the crusts and reduce the risk of injury. In addition, fibers left at the end of the tourniquet promote sneezing. And this is another way to clear the passages. The nose is considered cleaned if, after the procedure, no crusts or snot are visually detected;

• syringe or regular bulb. These items are suitable for heavy and liquid discharge. Newborns do not really like this procedure, but it is more effective. Before use, be sure to rinse the pear. When using it, the risk of injury is minimal. How about
  clean your nose with a syringe? To do this, the bulb is squeezed and carefully inserted into the nasal passage, but not deep. Next, slowly and carefully reduce the pressure on it. In this case, the child does not experience a strong feeling 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, sharply squeeze out the mucus onto a previously prepared handkerchief or cloth by sharply pressing the syringe. Then the procedure is repeated until the nose is as free from snot as possible. When performing this manipulation, at the moment of suctioning out the mucus, the baby’s adjacent nostril is pinched with a finger;
• How to properly clean a newborn's nose with an aspirator? Many mothers call this procedure “snot sucking.” An aspirator is a device that works on the same principle as a pear. Only it 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 to care for the nose of infants.

Moisturizing the spout

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

• saline solution is considered the best option for rinsing. 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 saline solutions;
• pharmaceuticals: , chamomile, Peach oil, and others. Before rinsing your nose with these products, you must read the instructions for use.

More experienced mothers rarely ask the question: “How to clean a baby’s nose?” For the most part, this process takes a minimum of time and is carried out extremely rarely. Therefore, before you begin 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.

There is nothing more beautiful and sweeter than a newborn baby. This little baby brings drastic changes to our lives, which we take for granted, taking upon ourselves enormous responsibility for his life. A child is happiness and this happiness requires care, care and attention. Every mother, caring for her baby, changing his diapers, dressing him, bathing him, sometimes faces issues that did not create any problems for her as an adult. Everyday life. Here is one such question: how to clean a newborn’s nose from boogers?

Reasons for the appearance of crusts or boogers in the nose of a newborn baby

To answer this question, you first need to understand and understand what causes crusts or, as the common people call it, “boogers” in a newborn’s nose? A clogged nose creates great anxiety for both the baby and the mother. Because of a clogged nose, the baby has trouble breathing, sleeping, or eating. The causes of dry mucous membranes in newborns can be:

How and how to clean a newborn's nose from boogers

There are four ways to clean a newborn's nose from boogers.

1. cotton flagellum;
2. cotton swab;
3. pear (syringe);
4. aspirator.

When starting to clean using one of the proposed methods, it is necessary to soften the mucus and boogers in the baby’s nose. For softening the following are used:

• regular saline solution, you can prepare it for your mother at home (one liter of water, one teaspoon of salt);
• saline;
• sea ​​water for infants - “Humer”, “Morenazol” (purchased in pharmacies).

A couple of drops of the above solutions in each nostril will be enough.

Important! Breast milk Not suitable for softening crusts in mucous membranes. It will only be harmful, since it creates a good environment for the proliferation of microbes.

To drip the solution into the nose, you need to fix the baby’s head. It will be good if there is someone who will hold your head. If the mother herself, then bury it, lightly holding the child in one hand, pressing him to her body, and dripping with the other hand. Or, lay the baby on his back and slightly tilt his head up. To prevent the baby from turning his head, you should cover his head with rolled up towels. After a few minutes after instillation, you can begin the cleaning itself.

Ways to clean a newborn's nose from boogers

You can buy cotton swabs at a pharmacy or make your own. To make a cotton swab yourself, you need to cut a cotton swab in half, and then cut the halves in half again. Twist the quarters into cones and four flagella are ready. Next, you should carefully insert the cone into the spout and turn it so that the boogers wrap around it. Use each flagellum separately in each nostril. The cotton wool has average effectiveness, but it does a wonderful job of removing crusts. There is no risk of injuring the child. The disadvantage of the flagellum is that it rolls up and does not reach the caps, which are located deep in the nose.

Advice. A warm bath perfectly softens boogers.

Cotton buds, also called ear cleaning sticks. It is not recommended to clean your baby's nose with them. There is a high risk of injuring the child. But if this is the only option at hand, you should remove excess cotton from the tip (if the tip is larger than the baby’s nostril), put the stick in the nose and twist it in one direction. Again it should be noted that each side of the stick is separate for each nostril. And it would be nice if the stick itself was made of a soft plastic tube, and not of wood. If used incorrectly, it can push crusts even deeper into the nasal cavity - this is a disadvantage cotton swab.

Pear (syringe). Before using the pear, you need to wash it well with soap and water. hot water. First you need to release the air from the pear, squeezing the ball, insert the tip into the child’s nose and release the ball. Mucus and boogers will be drawn inside the ball. To perform the same operation with the other nostril, you should wash the syringe and continue cleaning. The disadvantage of the bulb (syringe) is that it does not completely clean the nasal cavity.

Aspirator– a highly effective device for cleaning the nasal cavity. Works great for nasal discharge. Zero percent risk of injuring the child. The disadvantage is the high cost of the device. There are three types of aspirator: mechanical, electronic and vacuum.

When using an electronic and vacuum aspirator, the mother should check the suction strength before use by touching the end of the aspirator to her hand. Carefully insert the tip of the aspirator into the baby’s nostril and suck out the mucus. Through transparent tubes, mom will see how the nose is cleaned. Aspirator spare parts should be washed thoroughly with hot water before use.

In conclusion of the topic of how to clean a newborn’s nose from boogers, let’s draw some conclusions. In order to avoid dried crusts in your beloved baby’s nose, you should adhere to basic hygiene rules. The room in which the newborn is located must be regularly cleaned and thoroughly ventilated. Room humidity should be 50% for healthy child, and for the patient should not be lower than 70%. Humidifiers are used to humidify the air. And to find out the humidity there is a device - a hygrometer. Do not under any circumstances abuse heaters in the room where the baby is. The best option It will be better to dress the baby warmly and avoid the heater altogether. If the child is not capricious, eats with a good appetite, and does not sniffle during sleep, then there is no need to specifically clean his nose.

How to clean a newborn's nose: video

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