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
