Tips to Relieve Your Baby's Congestion (2024)

FAQs

How can I clear my baby's congestion fast? ›

When your baby has a stuffy nose, upright is the best position to sleep in. You can use a baby carrier/wrap to help keep your infant upright as you go about your day, as this position will help relieve any stuffiness. Remember that you will have to lie your baby down on a flat mattress while putting them to sleep.

Safety Tip: Parents often ask if they should allow their congested babies to sleep in an elevated position to help them breathe better. This is NOT recommended. Research tells us that a firm, flat surface (in a crib, bassinet, or play yard) is the only safe option for unsupervised sleep, even during an illness.

Along with viruses, the body may also produce more mucus to help “trap and remove types of irritants,” in the nose, Playforth adds, such as allergens, pollutants, cigarette smoke, dry air or even a little bit of breast milk. Congestion in babies is most prevalent when they're prone to reflux and spitting up.

Children with RSV typically have two to four days of upper respiratory tract symptoms, such as fever and runny nose/congestion. These are then followed by lower respiratory tract symptoms, like increasing wheezing cough that sounds wet and forceful with increased work breathing.

Place a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier in your baby's room to add moisture to the air. It helps clear their stuffy nose. Clean the machine regularly so mold doesn't grow inside it. You can get the same soothing effect if you and your baby sit in a steamy bathroom.

Using nasal drops or spray should clear your baby's nose and help them to sleep better. The temptation may be to put them down to sleep on their side, as you may be worried your baby can't breathe at night. Don't do this – you must always put your baby to sleep on their back, which is the safest position.

This can be observed when BM spontaneously drops out of the nose of the breastfeeding newborn. It occurs even more often in the immature swallowing coordination in preterms. Giving nose drops from neonates' own mothers' milk is a simple and common measure for treating their nasal congestion.

If your baby is under the age of 2, you should never apply Vicks to their chest, nose, feet, or elsewhere. You could try special nonmedicated rub for babies 3 months and older. The blend is dubbed as a “soothing ointment” that contains fragrances of eucalyptus, rosemary, and lavender.

Can a baby use a pacifier while congested? ›

When babies can't breathe through their nose, it's almost impossible for them to keep a pacifier in place, which can add to the fussiness and trouble falling and staying asleep. If you're unsure where to begin, you can start with a baby massage to soothe them and break up congestion.

Generic Name: pseudoephed-DM-acetaminophen. This combination medication is used to temporarily treat cough, stuffy nose, body aches, and other symptoms (such as fever, headache, sore throat) caused by the common cold, flu, or other breathing illnesses (such as sinusitis, bronchitis).

One of the safest and most effective ways to help clear a baby's congestion is with a saline (salt water) spray or nose drops. These products are available without a prescription. If you use drops, place two drops in each nostril to loosen the mucus inside.

If your child has a green or yellow runny nose in the first three to four days of a cold, that's normal and not considered a sinus infection — it's just that the mucus has been sitting in the nose for so long. That generally fades away within seven to 10 days and the fever is usually gone in two to three days.

Before placing the bulb into the nostril, push all the air out of it with your thumb on the top of the bulb. Carefully and gently, place the tip of the bulb into a nostril until nostril is sealed. Remove the bulb from baby's nose and squeeze mucus out of bulb into a tissue.

If your baby has a cold with no complications, it should resolve within 10 to 14 days. Most colds are simply a nuisance. But it's important to take your baby's signs and symptoms seriously. If symptoms don't improve or if they worsen, it's time to talk to your doctor.

It is normal for a baby's nose to get congested (stuffed up) from time to time. When this happens, you can use nasal saline to thin their mucus and then suction it out with a bulb syringe. Suctioning mucus out of the nose makes it easier for them to breathe, suck, and eat.

Lay your baby belly down on your forearm, with their head lowered slightly. Firmly but gently tap baby's upper back with the palm of your hand. This should dislodge the mucus ball and your baby will happily drool away. Call 911 immediately if your baby is not breathing as usual within a few seconds of doing this.