If you have a newborn, you’ll know that keeping their nose clean is one of the essential tasks in your daily baby care routine. A newborn’s nose is very delicate and can easily get blocked due to mucus or nasal boogers. Besides being uncomfortable for the baby, these boogers can also lead to breathing problems and, in some cases, infections. Let’s see how to effectively and safely clean your newborn’s nose using suitable techniques and tools.
How to Clean a Newborn’s Nose
There are various techniques and tools for cleaning a newborn’s nose. Let’s see what the most effective methods are:
- Nasal rinses with saline solution
One of the simplest and most effective methods to clean a baby’s nose is to use a saline solution. Saline solution can be purchased at a pharmacy or made at home by mixing water and salt. To perform nasal rinses, simply put a few drops of saline solution into each of the baby’s nostrils by gently pressing on the dropper. Then, wait a few seconds for the solution to penetrate the nose, and use a specialized nasal aspirator to suction out the mucus.
- Nasal aspirators
Nasal aspirators are specialized tools used to remove mucus from a baby’s nose. There are various types of nasal aspirators, but the most common ones are bulb syringes or syringe aspirators. To use a nasal aspirator, you need to insert the tip of the tube into the baby’s nostril and gently suction. The suction should be done carefully and without excessive pressure to avoid harming the baby’s delicate nasal membranes. You can see nasal aspirators to clear your baby’s nose of boogers and mucus here.
- To blow the nose
Blowing the nose of the newborn is another technique used to remove boogers from the nose. However, this technique can be effective only in older children who can blow their noses on their own. If your child is still too young to blow their nose, it is better to use one of the other described techniques.
How to Safely Clean a Newborn’s Nose
Cleaning a newborn’s nose should be done with great care and gentleness to avoid damaging the baby’s delicate nasal membranes. Here are some tips for safely cleaning a newborn’s nose:
- Always use specialized tools to clean the baby’s nose, such as nasal aspirators or saline solutions.
- Never use your fingers or other objects to remove boogers from the baby’s nose to avoid causing damage or infections.
- Never use chemicals or medications without consulting a pediatrician.
- Practice cleaning the newborn’s nose only when necessary to avoid excessive irritation of the baby’s nasal mucosa.
- Don’t overdo the pressure when suctioning out the boogers to avoid damaging the baby’s nose.
- Practice cleaning the baby’s nose in a calm and relaxed environment to prevent the baby from getting agitated or restless.
How to remove boogers from a baby’s nose with blood
If you notice that your baby’s mucus or boogers contain traces of blood, don’t be alarmed. It’s normal for a baby’s nose to bleed easily due to the delicacy of the nasal mucous membranes. To remove boogers from a baby’s nose with blood, you can use the same techniques described earlier. However, it’s important to pay extra attention to the baby’s delicate nasal mucosa and avoid applying excessive pressure during cleaning.
Can you eat boogers?
One of the most common questions about boogers is whether it’s possible to eat them. In general, boogers are not a health risk and are not toxic. However, it is not advisable to eat boogers as they contain bacteria and viruses that can cause infections. Furthermore, eating boogers can be considered an unhygienic behavior.
