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Runny nose in infants

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Before you learn about all the details of the occurrence and treatment of this pathology as a runny nose in infants, remember the rule: when the first manifestations of the disease in infants should consult a pediatrician. To examine the little patient, to diagnose the disease and prescribe treatment can only a doctor.

Causes of cold in infants

Infants, whose age does not exceed two months can suffer from cold without any preconditions to respiratory diseases. While the development of the baby is only the beginning of a long journey that the mucosa, like other systems of the body, constantly calibrates the intensity of the performance of its functions. Because of this, you may stand out too much mucus that is defined by medicine as the physiological runny nose, which is not harmful for the baby.

Pathological runny nose in infants appears due to the infection of the respiratory tract of the newborn by various bacteria or viruses. The main difference between the disease state from the physiological runny nose in a baby under one year old is swelling of the mucous membrane, violating the airway.

In some cases, the same symptoms of an allergic reaction of babies to a variety of stimuli. In modern urban environments such substances can be a huge variety, therefore it is necessary to conduct separate tests to exclude or establish a Allergy (see also: How to distinguish allergies from other conditions?). Runny nose with frequent sneezing and swelling of the mucous membrane can be even more serious than the infection.

Causes of nasal discharge can be different – Allergy in toddler, pathological or physiological runny nose, in any case, necessary to consult a pediatrician. If the baby on top of that, have a fever, call the doctor at home. Emergency physicians also requires compounded by a pathological condition in which there is a rejection of the breast, lethargy, tearfulness, cough, and lacrimation.


Features of common cold in infants

To detect the common cold in infants is easy, because symptoms overlap with those seen in adults.Mucous discharge from the nose, sneezing, nasal congestion and difficulty breathing, causing the baby refuses the breast and cries a lot, mostly mouth breathing. Unlike adults, infants can't clear the nose of mucus, so this should solve the problem of parents.

For this purpose there is a special tool suction mucus, called an aspirator. It can be purchased in a pharmacy or store with a good selection for babies. In order to unclog the nasal passages of the baby also use an ordinary syringe with a soft spout. To clear the airway, you need to first boil and cool tool to room temperature, then in the clamped condition to enter the nasal passage of the child and gradually let go. Thus, all the excess mucus quickly absorbed into the device.

An ordinary cotton swab on a hard surface (plastic, wood) cannot be used because they can injure the delicate cartilage and mucosa of the infant. The syringe can not play the role of the suction device, due to the fact that it gives too much pressure. Accidentally wrong move can cause the mucus will be in the Eustachian tube of the baby and cause otitis media.

The common cold for infants is a greater risk than for older child. Sometimes a lingering runny nose interferes with breathing so much that infants, who have not yet learned sufficiently to breathe through the mouth, feel the deadly hypoxia, then there is the suffocation. The list of complications of the common cold for the newborn included early bronchitis and otitis media, manifested after exposure of mucus in the bronchi or the Eustachian tube.


Treatment of rhinitis in infants

As already mentioned, the first procedure required for the treatment of rhinitis in infants, is suctioning mucus extractor. It is easy to use, costs only a little practice. Most often, the nose, the child becomes clogged, but the discharge in this case quite a bit. In such cases, for clearing the nasal passages use a cotton flagellum.

General recommendations on the treatment for a runny nose in an infant

By itself, the runny nose should not break the usual routine, but with increasing temperature the baby shouldn't go out with him for a walk, especially if the weather is not conducive to this (wind, rain, frost, etc.). It is not recommended to bathe the baby at an elevated temperature.

Runny nose prevents the child it is normal to breastfeed – he can not simultaneously breathe and eat. Due to incomplete closure of the lips when trying to breathe through the mouth the process of sucking broken, so the appetite of the baby is reduced. If the common cold in infants is provokedrespiratory infection is pathological, poor appetite logical. During illness the body can not withstand the load on the digestive system, throwing all the power on the immune process and protect against other infectious agents.

When the baby starts to refuse regular food, you need to make every effort to restore the child's appetite. In this case, you need a constant cleansing of the nose and, if necessary, the use of vasoconstrictor drops. It is very important, especially in a state of illness to maintain the child's diet at least a third of the usual number. Shorten breaks between feeding, in case of refusal of the breast children fed with a spoon, Cup or syringe, but it is important to avoid dehydration and exhaustion, which poses a threat to a child's life.

To restore fluid balance in children older than 8 months their diet Supplement juices, herbal teas and juice (if earlier the child tried these products, and there was no negative reactions). Children from one year have to hard to drink warm water, helps avoid dehydration, thins mucus and facilitates its elimination. The air in the room where the patient is a child, should be fresh and moist in a dry and dusty air, the healing process slows down.

The high temperature for the common cold in infants is necessary to lower by using antipyretics, dangerous and require intervention is the temperature above 38 degrees.

Drug treatment of runny nose

If the child is not observed temperatures (see also: high fever without symptoms of the child) and other complications of rhinitis, medication use funds for local use drops and nasal sprays. Security considerations for the treatment of rhinitis in infants is more likely to use drops than sprays.

Moisturizing drugs

Means for humidification of the nasal mucosa in the form of sprays, made on the basis of sea water (the most common drugs – aquamarine, Otrivin, Phrase, Kviks), used for the treatment of infants is impossible. Of these drugs have contraindications age.

When using sprays in infants increases the risk of complications of the common cold, spasm of the larynx and the ear infection that develops after contact of the drug to the Eustachian tube.

Vasoconstrictor

Vasoconstrictors require special care to use for the treatment of rhinitis in infants. To bury their nose it is possible only in case of significant edema of the mucosa,which interferes with breathing. It uses a pipette to measure out the proper amount manually, and the interval between treatments should be at least six hours. Commonly used vasoconstrictor drops – Nazol Baby and Nazivin 0.01% and Vibrocil, which combines a vasoconstrictor and antipruritic action.

Use decongestants for longer than three days is strictly prohibited – can form an addiction to the drug, and then the swelling would be impossible, even with the threat to the life of a child. Other complications that can occur with the incorrect use of a vasoconstrictor – in heart palpitations, seizures and vomiting.

Read more: Vasoconstrictor nasal drops nasal

Drops with preservatives

Common antiseptic for the treatment of rhinitis – Protargol. The drug is made in the prescription Department of pharmacy on the basis of silver, it can be used for instillation of nose during rhinitis in infants. Another drug with a similar action – Sulfacetamide – made on the basis of sodium sulfacyl, intended for instillation to the eye, but you can also bury your nose in the cold. Antiseptic must be used only on prescription.

Antiviral and immunomodulatory agent

Immunomodulating and antiviral drug can be used only under the supervision of a physician with great care, so as to end unknown consequences for their use in children, the immune system which is being formed. The pediatrician may prescribe for the treatment of SARS and the common cold drugs such as Grippferon, Genferon ® light, Viferon, Derinat.

Derinat is a drug with immunomodulatory properties, is made on the basis of natural raw materials. Often used in Pediatrics for the treatment of rhinitis in children, is gentle tool, which helps to activate the immune system against infection.

To bury the nose needs three times a day for a few drops of no longer than three consecutive days. This contributes to the prevention of rhinitis in children in contact with sick people. If the disease is in an infant has already appeared, then bury your nose means you need every hour and a half for three days. Do it better manually with a pipette, as attached to the drug dropper typically issue too much.

Complications from a cold in newborns

Despite the fact that a cold in infants often resolves on its own, leave it without treatment in infants is notrecommended. Breastfed baby can not tell the parents how hard he has, therefore, a high probability that the disease will progress and cause complications.

First and foremost, the cold disrupts the normal breathing of the child, which he couldn't eat normally – to suck milk from the breast or formula from a bottle. Disturbed nasal breathing, and the baby breathes mainly through the mouth. Swelling of the nasal mucosa and respiratory distress causes headaches, sleep disturbances. The child's behavior changes – he is often crying, cranky for no apparent reason or becomes lethargic. External signs of dermatitis – redness on the upper lip and the nose. If the mother is too hard clears the baby's nose, injured delicate skin on the face and around the nose sores appear, which increases the discomfort of the child.

In the long course of the disease the baby loses weight, he is dehydration due to the inability to fill the balance of fluid power.

However, the greatest danger lies in the possible complications untreated, the common cold, which include bronchitis, etmoidit, otitis media, dacryocystitis and bacterial conjunctivitis (read more: causes, symptoms and types of conjunctivitis).


Is it possible to cure common cold breast milk? – Dr. Komarovsky