Why do children sneeze frequently?

Sneezing is a very common phenomenon in life. When we inhale harmful or dusty air, our body will sneeze. This is obviously the body helping us to excrete these wastes. Sometimes the same thing happens when you smell a pungent odor. On the other hand, frequent sneezing can also be a sign of illness. Let me tell you why children sneeze frequently.

1. Protective reflex

It is common for newborn babies under 1 year old to sneeze, especially around 3 to 4 months after birth. In fact, sneezing occasionally is not a bad thing. Sneezing can be said to be a protective reflex of the body. It can indicate disease and expel foreign objects in the nasal cavity in time. It can also prevent dust from entering the baby's respiratory tract.

2. Sensitive nasal mucosa

The nasal mucosa of newborn babies is more sensitive and they are prone to sneezing when stimulated by, for example, dust or smoke. Some babies may experience paroxysmal sneezing, which is more obvious in the morning or when they inhale cold air. The main manifestation is several or dozens of consecutive sneezes, followed by a lot of nasal discharge.

3. Not suitable for the environment

Sneezing in newborn babies is probably a normal phenomenon of adapting to the new environment. After spending nearly 10 months in the womb, the baby is exposed to the outside air after birth and feels different temperatures, smells, etc. The reaction is frequent sneezing. Generally, as the baby grows older and adapts to the environment, the sneezing phenomenon will gradually decrease.

4. Caused by cold

In addition to the above situations, newborn babies may also sneeze when exposed to cold. The nasal mucosa of newborns is weak, so even if they don’t have a cold, they are prone to sneezing when the weather gets cold, and they don’t have any other symptoms. If someone around has a cold, it is highly contagious to the baby, so care should be taken to avoid infection. If you are in good health, you don't need to worry too much and never take cold medicine casually.