What if a small child has a runny nose? Parents can notice this unpleasant symptom not only in the cold season - nasal congestion often appears, even if there is no draft in the room, and while walking outside the child is warmly dressed. A runny nose of an infectious nature is much more dangerous for newborns than for adults, its manifestations are equated in terms of the severity of the condition with a systemic inflammatory process. In the absence of therapy, spontaneous recovery is unlikely, the risk of complications is very high - otitis media, sinusitis. Therefore, the treatment of a common cold in newborns should include the toilet of the nasal cavity, the use of symptomatic decongestants.
What you need to know
For a small child, a runny nose is much more dangerous than for an adult. Newborn babies are in the supine position most of the time, while mucus from the nasal cavity flows down the throat. A runny nose in an infant disrupts nasal breathing, interferes with sucking, promotes swallowing of air and the development of symptoms of flatulence, the occurrence of otitis media and other complications.
It is impossible to start treatment of a common cold in a child without realizing what pathology we are talking about. A runny nose is called a syndrome, that is, a complex of symptoms that are most often caused by the presence of an inflammatory process in the anatomical boundaries of the nasal mucosa - rhinitis. In infants, rhinitis is always combined with pharyngitis, an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the pharynx, so the doctor on examination may talk about a diagnosis such as rhinopharyngitis or nasopharyngitis.
Thinking about how to quickly cure a runny nose, you need to understand that the inflammatory process proceeds sequentially and cannot be interrupted. An infectious rhinitis in a child lasts for several days, and the general condition depends on the severity of the edema and the degree of intoxication. Rhinitis may not be the only manifestation, therefore, it is impossible to treat only a runny nose in isolation, it is only a symptom - it is important to eliminate the root cause.
How to cure rhinitis in babies? There is no drug or method that can immediately relieve unpleasant symptoms. This also applies to traditional medicines - most of them cannot be called safe for newborns. To alleviate the child's condition, you must:
- understand what caused the runny nose;
- make the air that the child breathes clean, humidified, cool;
- eliminate dryness and swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose and throat.
These are the main activities. Additionally, antimicrobial drugs (for bacterial infection), antiallergic drugs can be prescribed. The need for medication for an infant is determined by a pediatrician. Before a visit to a medical institution, you should not use pharmacological preparations on your own, since for the correct choice you need confidence in the diagnosis.
Looking for a reason
A runny nose in newborns is very common - this is due to the immaturity of all functional systems of the body, including the respiratory and immune systems. With inflammation of the nasal mucosa, babies need help - a runny nose is carried by such children as a systemic one, that is, a disease affecting the entire body. In addition, in young children, due to anatomical features, there are very narrow nasal passages - even a slight edema significantly disrupts nasal breathing.
The vast majority of cases of a common cold in newborns are associated with respiratory infections, which can recur throughout the year. In addition to infection, rhinitis can also be triggered by allergies, trauma (thermal, chemical, mechanical). The last option should not be forgotten, since the likelihood of injury to the nasal mucosa in childhood is quite high - for example, with inaccurate use of a bottle with nasal drops, the introduction of onion juice into the nose. However, most often there is still an infectious rhinitis - among the probable pathogens in newborns, one can name:
respiratory syncytial virus;- rhinoviruses;
- parainfluenza virus;
- measles virus, etc.
respiratory syncytial virus;When choosing a treatment, it is worth remembering that snot in a newborn child is not always a manifestation that confirms the presence of an inflammatory process.
The mucous membrane reacts to dry and dusty air in the room, it often swells when teeth are cut in children - this is due to the activation of blood circulation and an increase in the functional activity of the glands in the nasal cavity. A runny nose can be physiological and thus becomes a manifestation of adaptation to new environmental conditions for the child. Therefore, before you suspect a cold, you need to exclude other causes of congestion - this will help avoid a useless drug load on the body.
Eliminate discomfort
Numerous recommendations are devoted to the proper care of a newborn, which were probably read by parents both before childbirth and after the birth of a child more than once. They tell you how to feed, swaddle and bathe your babies properly. But with a cold of any nature, it is also important to answer the following questions:
- Is the children's room ventilated?
- What indicators of humidity and temperature are supported in it?
- How dusty, chemical, and probable allergens is the air?
- Is wet cleaning carried out?
Newborn children spend a lot of time indoors, and the microclimate conditions in it directly affect their health. What if a newborn has snot - what to do in this case? Evaluate how the nursery microclimate meets the requirements:
- humidity in the range of 50–70%;
- temperature within 18–20 ° C;
- no "dust accumulators" - bookcases, heavy fabric curtains, fleecy carpets.
Dust increases the dryness of the air; dryness increases the swelling. If the child's nose was stuffy due to unsatisfactory moisture and temperature of the inhaled air, after adjusting the microclimate conditions, the runny nose will disappear. In case of inflammation, the fight against dust and dryness will alleviate the condition - the mucus will stop drying out, it will be easier to remove it from the nasal cavity. Dress your child warmly, but do not cover your neck, nose, and mouth with a blanket.
Ventilate and clean the room regularly, but when the child is not there. If there are no obstacles in the form of bad weather or poor health, go for a short walk. To clean surfaces, it is better to use the safest household chemicals or do without them. In the room where the child is, do not spray perfumes, cosmetics with a strong odor (for example, deodorants in the form of sprays), air fresheners.
If a newborn baby has nasal discharge, pay attention to the humidity, temperature and dustiness of the air, avoid irritants - household chemicals, cosmetics, perfumes.
Moisturizing the mucous membrane
How to treat a cold in a newborn? The fact that dryness of the nasal mucosa is an unfavorable factor has already been mentioned in the previous section. However, improving the microclimate is not the only way to help a newborn child with a cold. A variety of saline solutions are available and safe, with which you can:
- moisturize the mucous membrane;
- achieve liquefaction of thick mucus;
- cleanse the nasal cavity from secretions.
The saline solution has no pharmacological activity and has no side effects.Of course, when using it, precautions must be taken, but the adverse consequences are mainly associated with incorrect or inaccurate administration. An example is the use of a solution in the form of a spray with a completely blocked nose - excessive pressure leads to the ingress of infected mucus into the auditory tube and can cause the development of otitis media.
Doctors call the procedure for injecting saline into a child's nose differently - toilet or nasal rinsing, irrigation therapy. One way or another, the treatment of a cold in a newborn should begin with cleansing the nasal cavity with a saline preparation. How to do it right? A small child does not need a syringe, and even more so a syringe pear, which could be useful for an adult. Instead, take a bottle of drops and follow these steps:
- Wait until the solution warms up to body temperature (for this, you can hold the bottle in the palm of your hand for a few minutes).
- Lay the baby on his back so that the head is tilted back a little - this position is necessary in order to effectively clear the nasopharynx.
- Inject up to 3 drops of saline solution into each nostril - the drops must be infused at random, the tip of the bottle cannot be inserted deep into the nose.
You can rinse regularly, even every hour and a half. Saline solution is used both to eliminate congestion and moisture, and to prepare for the administration of drugs - for example, vasoconstrictor drops. 
If the nose is not cleared, there is a risk that the medicine will have no effect - it will be blocked by a layer of dried mucus. After rinsing, you can suck out the increased and liquid mucus using a nasal aspirator.
To treat a runny nose in a newborn child, drugs such as Salin, Aqua Maris Baby, Otrivin Baby and their analogues are suitable - and exclusively in the form of drops.
Drops are safer than pressurized spray. To avoid irritation of the mucous membranes, you need to use isotonic saline solutions (for example, 0.9% sodium chloride solution). You can also drip a preparation with a salt concentration in the range of 0.65–0.75% for an infant.
Reduce swelling
How to treat snot? The main symptoms of a common cold - swelling and mucus production - can be eliminated with vasoconstrictor drugs. It is important to understand that eliminating, that is, fighting a symptom, does not mean treating. The causes of rhinitis from vasoconstrictor drops will not go anywhere, but many adverse effects, such as otitis media, can be avoided.
Many parents are afraid to use vasoconstrictor drops due to the risk of side effects - in particular, the development of arrhythmias. It sounds scary, especially since the symptoms of overdose are actually observed often - but only if, through inattention or unknowingly, "adult" medications are used. The concentrations of the active ingredients in the preparations intended for children are significantly reduced. This does not negate the need to control the amount and frequency of administration of the drug, but it allows the use of vasoconstrictor drops even in infants.
When does a baby need decongestant drops? The indication may be:
- inability to breathe through the nose;
- febrile fever (temperature above 38.5 ° C);
- otitis media and other complications of rhinitis;
- rapid breathing, shortness of breath.
It is not necessary to drip the vasoconstrictor in advance while the nose is still breathing - use it only when indicated. Choose only drugs allowed for children in the right concentration (Vibrocil), do not forget to prepare the mucous membrane with a saline solution. You should not use the drug more often 3 times a day, observe the frequency of administration (for example, every 6 hours, it depends on the duration of the active ingredient and is indicated in the instructions).
With a cold in a newborn, vasoconstrictor drops are not used for more than 3 days due to the likelihood of undesirable effects (in particular, addiction to the drug).
The use of vasoconstrictors is closely related to the risk of tachyphylaxis, a condition 
in which, to eliminate edema, you will need to constantly increase the dose of the drug. In addition, at the same time, there is an increase in the common cold, there is a dependence on drops, constant edema (rhinitis medicamentosa). Therefore, the duration of the use of decongestants should be limited, especially since with proper treatment after 3 days from the onset of the disease, they are usually not necessary.
When a newborn child has symptoms of a runny nose, it is necessary to contact a medical institution - a specialist will establish the correct diagnosis and give recommendations that are appropriate in a particular case. Show your child to the doctor immediately if congestion is accompanied by fever, refusal to feed, upset stools, vomiting, weight loss, seizures, rash on the skin, mucous membranes.
