My 2 and a half month baby has a congested nose and he has trouble breathing... what do i do?

Question

the pediatrician said we should use OCEAN the nasal drops but it doesnt really work tooo well.. it moistens his nose but it doesnt get rid of the mucus.. the aspirator just isnt strong enough and we got a warm water VICKS vaporizer but it gave my husband and i sore throats in the morning and we felt congested so we think it might be worse for the baby.. is there anything that i can do? or should i be getting a better vaporizer or humidifier? is there anything anyone suggests??? what if he cant breathe when he sleeps will he have SIDS? cuz he doesnt seem to try to sleep with his mouth at all. what do i do?????

Answer 1

Sometimes when a baby is congested, you can let them sleep in their baby carrier, as it helps them sleep semi-upright. Usually, with congestion, a humidifier/vaporiser, or using a hot steamy bathroom helps a lot. If the Vicks seemed to irritate you and your husband, you may have just used too much. You can use it without the Vicks. Saline solution works really well for the nasal passages as well, and won't hurt baby. Mucus takes time to clear up. And understandably, while your baby is little, any length of time of illness seems too long. What getting enough moisture into the air and into your baby is going to do for you is thin the mucus, so it's going to clear up faster and so it's going to be easier to breath. Just think about the difference between thick mucus and thin mucus. Which one is better? you are right if you said thin. And that's what you are going to do with baby. If you wanted to let your baby have warm baths (not hot) that would be ok too.
And they still haven't decided what causes SIDS, so don't worry about this being the problem for that.
And as for the sleeping and breathing through the mouth? well, you might try him in his carseat, like I said, if it seems he can breath that way better. Also, you can try holding the baby in your arms somewhat upright. Whatever seems to soothe and help baby.

Answer 2

First, SIDS is not a disease you "have". It's a diagnosis of elimination made when there's no real explanation of why a baby dies in his or her sleep. Risk factors are mostly habitual: sleeping on their tummy, living with smokers, having soft bedding. If nasal congestion even is a risk factor, it's definately not one of the biggies.

Having a cold does not mean your son will die in his sleep.

You need to use a humidifier, because it can help with the congestion. Do you sleep with the baby? If he didn't really seem to be getting worse with the vaporizer, you need to use it, regardless of how you're feeling yourselves. Getting a sore throat and becoming more congested could mean you are catching a cold from the baby, totally unrelated to the humidifier.

If that's not the case, run the humidifier without the vapor, or with very little vapor.

Also, talk to your doctor and make sure of this first, but you might be able to give your baby a Triaminic chest patch. It's a medicated patch, about 2"x3", and you put it either directly on the skin on his chest, or on an article of clothing. It may be strong enough to provide him with some help but keep you guys from being disturbed by it. They also make Vicks Vapor Rub for babies. It's okay for very sensitive skin, and a little less strong. Rub some of that on the baby's chest.

Try running a very very hot shower. Get your baby and you guys go in the bathroom, and put a towel on the floor by the bottom of the door. Let him breath in the steam for a little bit.

Check with your doctor to make sure you're using the aspirator correctly, and to make sure your'e using the best kind. The First Steps, for example, has a totally useless aspirator. The bulb is tiny, and the point is rounded and about two or three times the size of the average nostril, made of thick, non-pliable plastic. Use a hospital grade aspirator and make sure you're using it correctly. Also, when you use it, make sure you've waited about five or ten minutes after using OCEAN, because if you administer that, then you just immediately suction, the only thing you're suctioning out is the nasal drops.

In very small sessions, apply a warm (not hot) compress to his forehead. It can help with any sinus pain he's having, and can help a bit with relieving the pressure in his sinus cavities.

My son liked (well, he still does) for us to massage right above the bridge of his nose. I think the counterpressure is comforting.

Ask the doctor when you can begin giving your son an infant formula decongestant. It shouldn't be too long now.

Keep his head elevated. Because he shouldn't be on pillows or other items in his crib, lift the mattress on one side, place a cushion or something else that will elevate that one side a bit, and put him down that way.

Try not to worry about him dying in his sleep. All babies are congested at one time or another. If he can't breathe through his nose, he knows to breathe through his mouth. My 4-yr-old has been congested almost every day of his life. Occasionally, he'll not be snoring (the child can be heard across the entire house), and I'm pretty sure it's because his congestion is far enough back that it doesn't really keep him from getting at least SOME air.

Try every remedy you hear (that makes at least a little sense). Make sure your'e using the OCEAN and the aspirator correctly, and that the aspirator is hospital grade. If something works for him, do it. If not, keep trying to comfort him and eventually this will blow over.

Answer 3

Hello, I was born preemie and have horrible sinuses. They have been a problem ever since I was a newborn. Now, my 3 week old is having the same problem..

If the humidifier isn't working, and the nasal drops aren't working too well try sitting in the bathroom with the door closed and baby only wearing a diaper... hold the baby upright like you are burping and run the shower on hot water.. let the bathroom fill with steam and sit there and pat the baby on the back, that will loosen the mucous and bring it down from his nose. After leaving the steam make sure to keep the baby upright or elevated so that the mucous won't come back to his throat/nose.

elevate whatever he sleeps in (like prop a book or two under the top 2 legs of his crib)..

the goal is to just keep him elevated as much as possible. Don't use the bulb syringe unless his nostrils seem to be packed with boogers, frequent use of the syringe will just cause more mucous because of the irritation to the nostril.

Also, are you using A/C where you live? the air in the home may be irritating him.. try to keep his room a little warmer than the others if possible...

give it 2 weeks without meds... thats what I have to do with my sinus irriations and thats what im doing with my son. he is just fine even though he has a stuffy nose...

**EDIT: moisture is key!!! you want moisture in the air in your home, you just need to frequently pat him on the back and keep him elevated (he needs to cough it up/out).. just as an adult with a cold.

Answer 4

My daughter is 3 and half months old and she has the same problems. Stay away from humidifiers. They actually cause more harm than good. (My doctor told me that with my child.) They put more moisture in the air, and that is not good for the baby. If you do use a humidifier only use it for an hour or two, but nothing longer. if saline drops didnt work, trying steaming up the bathroom and take your baby in there for a little while. That will loosen everything up and then try to aspirate it. Good luck!

(like i said advise my daughter's pediatrician told me)

Answer 5

Use a bulb syringe. Lay him on your lap use the nasal drops, wait about 30 seconds, then hold one side closed with your finger and use the bulb syringe to suction out the other. Then do the other side the same way. And rub vicks vapor cream for babies on his chest.

Answer 6

In a pregnancy book by Vicky Iovine, I read about these little rubber bulbs... like syringes I guess that you gently place up the baby's nose (the syringe is teeny dont worry) and you extract the mucus yourself. I'm assuming you could buy them from the pharmacy..?

Answer 7

Are you breastfeeding? Breastmilk is a great nasal drop. And there's nothing at all wrong with humidifiers, what a cooky answer. Good luck~

Answer 8

My mother use to have this thing that sucked out all of the stuff out of my baby brother's nose, maybe you should go to a baby store and try to find something there. It looks like a little baloon with a sucking nosil infront of it

Answer 9

Every one here has good tips - I personally like the breastmilk and the bulb syringe (works great). If your baby is in a bassinet (which mine was), put rolled up blankets under the mattress and elevate it so your baby isn't laying flat. Good luck!

Answer 10

Don't know what others have said, but take him to a chiropractor. I've been under chiropractic care for years and have not had a congested nose or the cold for that matter.

You're never too young, nor do you need to be in pain, to go to the chiropractor.