APPENDIX 15 |
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BABY WITH A COLD: HOW TO CLEAN THE NOSE
Small infants (especially those under 5 or 6 months of age) become particularly miserable when they catch a cold. The principal reason is that until they are about 5 or 6 months old, babies may be unable to breathe through their mouths when their noses get plugged up with mucus. Thus, they can't sleep and they can't relax.
To help remedy this situation, you may need to clean out your baby's nose from time to time, especially when the baby is ready for sleep. Follow this technique:
Obtain a bottle of "isotonic saline nose drops," or prepare your own by adding 1/2 teaspoon of salt to 8 ounces of water), boil for 15 minutes, and allow to cool. Have close by a dropper, a soft rubber bulb ear syringe, and a person to help.
Request the helper to hold the baby's face upward with the child's head between the helper's knees. Hold the head and arms still.
Squirt a dropperful of the saline nose drops gently into one nostril.
Insert the soft rubber tip of the nose syringe into the baby's nostril and gently but thoroughly suck out the mucus. The child will probably object.
Repeat the previous 2 steps, several times if necessary, until both of the baby's nostrils are clear and clean. You can use as many dropperfuls of the saline nose drops as you need to clean the baby's nose.
Put your child to bed with a cool mist vaporizer.
CAUTION:
Don't use regular adult nose drops, which are too strong for a baby.
A baby with a fever should be seen by your doctor.
A baby that "looks sick" should be seen by your doctor.
A baby with a significant cough should be seen by your doctor.
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