My 11 week old has had a stuffy nose for 8 weeks- Fam. Doc's no help- can it be allergies?

Question

She's 11 weeks old and has been stuffy w/ clear/white boogs since 3 weeks old. My Fam. Doc is no help, he says to use saline but it's not helping. I suction out her nose 3 or 4 times a day (once in the middle of the night every night) because she can't breath well. She coughs and chokes on her boogs- is it allergies? Would a Pedi be better to see?

We don't smoke but we do have cats and dogs- maybe she's allergic to them?

She's breast fed only at this point but needed formula to supliment from day one b/c she lost 10% of her weight the first 24 hours after C-section. Now she's growing well w/ just nursing.

She's seen the Doc. each week for last 8 weeks b/c I know somethings wrong- I'm not just now figuring this out- I'm trying to get her help!

Answer 1

First, to help her (and you!) get some sleep through the night, elevate just the head of her crib by placing an adult-size pillow under her crib mattress. It will make a little slope so you have to make sure it's not so steep she'll slide down it (as my son did the first night! haha!).

Next, you can get a cool mist humidifier/vaporizer for her room and let it run at night. These don't harbor bacteria like the warm vaporizers and they won't heat up the room, since it's summer!

Next, put a little bit of Vapor Rub on her chest. Don't put it in her nostrils, however tempting that may sound (I put it in mine when my sinuses are bad). Make sure she has on an old or stained onesie or pjs as the Vapor Rub is greasy and may stain. If you rock her to sleep after feeding, put some Vapo Rub on your chest too so she'll be close to it. You could even do this if you don't usually rock her.

This should help her breathe better at night and it will help all that goop drain instead of just sitting in her sinuses.

You can also gently massage her face right above her cheekbones to encourage drainage. Another helpful hint is to steam up the bathroom with really hot shower water and sit in the room w/her (more Vapo Rub and even some Johnson's and Johnson's Vapor Bath poured in the tub while the shower's going-don't sit in the shower, just on the toilet or a stool).

All this will help clear her sinuses for a bit but you should see a pediatrician for a diagnosis. Like some of the other people have mentioned, see how she does when she's away from the pets.

Although allergies aren't usually diagnosed until a child is older (sometimes not until they're two!), we've had a lot of issues w/our son being extremely sensitive to LOTS of things.
He had horribly dry skin (we live in the desert) but baby oil clogged his pores and made his back break out in 1,000 bumps. Laundry detergent dries out his skin so we use unscented, no dyes, no additives, etc. detergent now. Lotions made his dry spots hurt. We now use lots of natural or pure products (Burt's Bees, olive oil, Ivory soap) on him and he seems to be 100 times better than he was through his first year. Unfortunately, it's a lot of hit or miss, trial and error.

Hang in there. I don't think there's anything seriously wrong w/your daughter (she'd have a fever, poor appetite, losing weight, etc.) but a pediatrician will give you reassurance and, maybe, a diagnosis to allay your concerns.

G-d bless you and baby!

Answer 2

It's probably allergies. A virus wouldn't last for almost 2 months!!

If you're eating any dairy, the baby may be getting it through your milk. Eliminate all dairy from your diet--including "hidden dairy", anything with an ingredient like casein, whey, or anything with a "lact" in it--for at least 2 weeks to know if this is the problem. A newborn is probably too young to have inhalation allergies.

And, by the way, even better than saline is your milk. Squirt a few drops up her nose. It has the same mineral balance as saline solution, but it is also antiviral and antibacterial.

Answer 3

It does sound like allergies. Since the mucus is clear that would lead me to say it's sounds allergy related rather than viral or bacterial. I would get a second opinion from a Pediatrician. In the meantime, stick with the saline. You may not think it's helping, but it is. You're helping to flush out the mucus in her sinus cavities and relieving it. Do you have a cat or dog or other furry creature in the house? That could be a cause for the allergies other than the pollen in the air.

Answer 4

At that age Dr. or pediatrician will not give any medication for stuffy noses but Saline Drops...
but i understand how you feel and yes at that age they can and do have allergies... My now 4 year had a runny nose from the age of 4 weeks.. yes he has severe allergies.. he takes weekly allergy shots.. you might also want to if you are giving formula and it is milk based talk to the Dr. about switching to a soy based because my son has a milk allergy and one of the signs was chronic runny nose.. only found out much later from his allergist...
Good Luck!! Just remember it is always best to talk to your Dr. and then if you are not satisfied ask them to refer you to an ENT.. couldn't hurt to get an opion from a specialist...

Answer 5

Yes. You probably should have taken her to her pediatrician in the first place. There's no hard and fast rule that says babies HAVE to see a pediatrician, but they do specialize in children and children's illnesses. Why did you wait two months to figure this out??

Oh, and bulb syringes are bad news...don't ever stick one up your child's nose. The mucous membranes in the baby's nose are very delicate and can be damaged easily. I know the nurses do it when the baby is born, but they know what they're doing. My sons' pediatrician said never to use one unless the mucous is on the very edge of the nostril. If you can ear the mucous but not see it, just use saline and let that break it up. You can do more damage than good with a bulb syringe.

Answer 6

Doc's will tell you no, but my son was the same way. He is 6 now and has really bad allergies. Has been on prescription meds since before age 1 and can't go a day without them or he gets stuffy, runny nose and sneezing.

Answer 7

Could be allergies, is she fine when out of the house and away from pets???
To relieve the stuffy nose try giving her saline solution drops in her nose then using a sucker, will atleast make her feel better.
Also maybe take her to another doc

Answer 8

Yes you can get some nose drops from the pharmacy they are made from saline and wont do your baby any harm. If the problem persists for more than a couple of days would check out with your GP

Answer 9

You might try taking a sudafed and let her get it thru your breast milk. There are some medicines that nursing mothers can take that are Ok for the baby. Don't take anything with alcohol like nyquil. Good luck.

Answer 10

Keep plenty of moisture in the air, if you are living somewhere with a really dry climate, etc. Although be sure to not allow the moist air to blow directly on your little one.
My son had similiar issues and keeping the air moist with a humidifier really helped. (Be sure to disinfect your humidifier regularly.) GOOD LUCK !