Newly made parents feel a great responsibility before the newborn baby. They take care of him and protect him in every possible way, protecting him from hypothermia and viral diseases. Meanwhile, some time after discharge from the hospital, most babies still have a runny nose. Parents begin to panic: what to do, how and how to treat such a baby, because he does not know how to blow his nose at all?
Before resorting to any means of drug treatment, you first need to find out the nature of this disease. Perhaps this is just a physiological runny nose of newborns. We will describe in detail what this condition is, what are the causes of its appearance, and how to treat it, in our article.
What is the physiological runny nose of newborns?
It should be noted that three types of the common cold are distinguished: infectious (viral or bacterial), allergic and physiological. We’ll talk about the latter in more detail.
The physiological runny nose in a newborn is the appearance of mucous discharge from the baby’s nose in the first weeks of his life. “It arose without a reason,” is what people say about this type of runny nose. And indeed, a physiological runny nose as it appears suddenly, and disappears unexpectedly, even if it is not treated at all. As a rule, he does not deliver any discomfort to the baby, except in rare cases when the baby’s nose stops breathing well, which can cause him concern.
To understand the nature of this common cold, you need to understand the causes of its occurrence.
Causes of the problem
The main reason for the appearance of a physiological rhinitis in infants is the immaturity of the nasal mucosa. The fact is that in the womb the child was in an aquatic environment, where the aforementioned mucous membrane of his nose was constantly moistened. After his birth, the baby falls into completely different conditions, and he, his organs and systems need to adapt for life in them. Until this happens, the mucous membrane requires additional hydration, and the baby’s body begins to produce a special substance. The physiological runny nose in a newborn is a protective reaction of his body to external stimuli.
Since the reason for the described phenomenon does not lie at all in viruses, allergens or bacteria, but in the immaturity of some organs and systems of the baby, it is also called neurovegetative.
Physiological runny nose of newborns: symptoms
The reason for the appearance of rhinitis in infants became clear. But how to make sure that this is the very physiological runny nose in a newborn? Symptoms of such rhinitis are as follows:
- the child is cheerful and cheerful, sleep and appetite are not disturbed;
- detachable mucus is transparent, has a liquid consistency;
- runny nose is often accompanied by sneezing;
- breathing, as a rule, is not difficult (provided there is a sufficient level of humidity in the room);
- an abundant amount of mucus (with dry air in the baby's room) causes the formation of crusts in the nose, making breathing difficult;
- during sleep, the child breathes through the mouth;
- while breastfeeding while lying down due to breathing difficulties, the baby becomes restless and refuses to breast.
Thus, in some cases, physiological rhinitis nevertheless leads to disruption of the usual rhythm of life of the mother and the newborn.
What to treat?
The use of any medication, especially vasoconstrictor, for the treatment of physiological rhinitis is strictly prohibited. This can lead to the fact that the mucous membrane will dry out, and the next time the mucus will be produced even more than before. All treatment of physiological rhinitis in newborns is limited only by instillation in the baby's nose in case of emergency, a solution of sea salt. You can cook it from a teaspoon of salt and a liter of boiled water. With the help of such a solution, crusts formed as a result of dry air can be removed from the nose and thus facilitate breathing of the newborn.
In addition, the following remedies will help ease the condition of the baby during this period of life:
- the humidifier should work in the room regularly, the humidity in the room where the baby sleeps should be maintained at 60%;
- the air temperature in the room should be 20-22 degrees, if the house is heated too much, it will be appropriate to put special temperature controllers on the batteries;
- the room should be regularly ventilated;
- wet cleaning should be carried out regularly.
All these tools will help to transfer the described condition easily and quickly.
Duration
Consider the physiological runny nose in a newborn for how long. The immature mucous membrane of the nose of a newborn baby is finally formed only by the age of 2.5-3 months. On average, such rhinitis lasts no more than 10-14 days. This happens when parents do not interfere in the natural physiological process and do not try to dry the nasal mucosa with additional funds, which is extremely rare. The most common situation is when the mother actively seeks to remove mucus from the nose, greatly drying it.
In this case, the common cold in the baby lasts for how long? The physiological runny nose in a newborn can last with irrational treatment for a very long time. In some cases, such an unjustified use of medications, especially vasoconstrictor drugs, can lead to chronic runny nose, which will be impossible to get rid of even in adulthood.
Danger to newborns
In some cases, due to rash acts, inaction of parents or for a number of other reasons, neurovegetative rhinitis leads to complications.
The physiological rhinitis in a newborn is dangerous as follows:
- The baby stops gaining weight and even sheds it, because due to nasal congestion, he cannot suckle normally.
- With prolonged runny nose, the nasal mucosa is so irritated that painful ulcers form on it.
- Due to prolonged runny nose, the baby may develop inflammation of the ear and upper respiratory tract. The newborn has a cough, which still has to be treated in order to avoid complications in the form of acute bronchitis and pneumonia.
Cough with physiological rhinitis in babies: how to treat
Before prescribing therapy for a cough resulting from a physiological rhinitis, the severity of the complication is determined. In most cases, it is a reflex reaction of the body to the abundant secretion of mucus with a runny nose. How does this happen? In this case, the mucus simply flows down the back wall of the nasopharynx, thereby interfering with the baby, and he reflexes coughs it.
In this case, a cough with a physiological runny nose in a newborn is treated by eliminating the cause of its occurrence, that is, by removing mucus from the nose. In turn, in order to get rid of it, it is necessary to create favorable conditions in the room: humidify the air, regularly ventilate the room and maintain the optimal temperature regime in it. In this case, the child should be under constant medical supervision until the complete disappearance of all symptoms of the disease.
Opinion of the pediatrician Komarovsky E.O.
Dr. Komarovsky gives his assessment of a physiological rhinitis. He emphasizes that it is strictly forbidden to treat rhinitis that occurs in the first trimester of a baby’s life with medications. This is not the common cold that is eliminated. It is associated with the adaptation of the nasal mucosa to the composition of the ambient air. Once this happens, rhinitis will go away on its own. That is why it is not worth treating a physiological runny nose in a newborn.
Komarovsky recommends creating favorable conditions for the child in the room to naturally moisten the mucous membrane and prevent its drying out. The doctor is outraged that some mothers are trying to bury the baby’s nose with breast milk, considering it a panacea for all diseases, and especially for the common cold. In fact, this is completely meaningless, especially since there are more effective and simple ways that can quickly alleviate the condition of the newborn.
Prevention
The considered type of runny nose proceeds without an increase in temperature and does not need medical treatment, but it also cannot be avoided. The task of the mother is to alleviate the condition of the baby during this period and do everything possible so that it ends as quickly as possible and without consequences.
To do this, you need:
- maintain optimal temperature and humidity in the room;
- for additional hydration, bury the baby's nose with saline;
- timely cleanse the nose of dry crusts with cotton buds and flagella.
The preventive measures outlined above will help you quickly forget what a physiological runny nose in a newborn is. Meanwhile, it is worth remembering that the optimal temperature regime and humidification of the air are always necessary for the child so that he grows up healthy and active.