Health Tip: Ease Baby's Stuffy Nose

(HealthDay News) -- Easing a sniffly baby's stuffy nose can make both baby and parents feel better.

The ADAM Encyclopedia suggests how to help reduce nasal congestion in babies:

  • With the baby lying on the back and a towel rolled up beneath the shoulders, place two-to-three drops of a saline solution into the nose before rolling baby onto the stomach.
  • Use a nasal suction bulb, sometimes called an aspirator, to suck mucus from baby's nose. Follow the product's directions carefully.
  • Elevate the head of baby's crib.
  • Get baby to drink a lot of fluids, so breast-feed or offer formula frequently.
  • Use a cool-mist vaporizer. But don't let the room get too humid, and remember to disinfect the vaporizer daily.
  • Before bedtime, run a hot shower and take baby into the steamy bathroom to help break up congestion. Never put baby in the hot shower.
  • Don't use cough-and-cold medicines or nasal sprays in children younger than 2.

    • Date Published: 04/28/2011

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