One month old baby with stuffy nose

Many children have nasal congestion problems shortly after they are born. This is most likely caused by rhinitis, nasal stenosis, choanae atresia or adenoids hypertrophy. Different methods are needed to treat nasal congestion caused by different reasons, especially the primary disease. Next, I will introduce to you some relevant knowledge about baby nasal congestion!

1. What is the cause of nasal congestion in babies?

Nasal congestion can be caused by edema, congestion, swelling of the nasal mucosa, increased secretions of the nasal mucosa, and space-occupying lesions in the nasal cavity, sinuses, and nasopharynx. Nasal congestion caused by different causes has different characteristics and accompanying symptoms.

(1) Rhinitis Rhinitis is the culprit for most nasal congestion in infants. The baby will have recurrent nasal congestion, accompanied by clear and purulent nasal discharge.

(2) Nasal stenosis and choanal atresia are usually present at birth and manifest as persistent nasal congestion, or even inability to breathe through the nose, breath holding, and cyanosis of the lips and face.

(3) Adenoids hypertrophy Adenoids hypertrophy is a common space-occupying lesion in the nasopharynx in infants, which manifests as obvious nasal congestion after falling asleep, snoring during sleep, accompanied by mouth breathing or even breath holding.

Different causes require different treatments, some require nasal sprays, and some require surgical treatment. Once parents find that their baby has a stuffy nose, they should go to the hospital as soon as possible to find out the cause and receive symptomatic treatment under the guidance of a doctor.

2. Why do babies suffer from rhinitis?

(1) Bacterial and viral infections Infection is the most common cause of rhinitis. Parasitic bacteria in the nasal cavity can become pathogenic bacteria of rhinitis when the body's immunity decreases.

(2) Fluctuating ambient temperatures, dry weather, dust, haze, crowded living quarters, malnutrition, and inhalation of allergens are all risk factors for rhinitis.

(3) Adenoid hypertrophy, palate malformation, and foreign bodies in the nasal cavity are also common causes of rhinitis.

3. What are the countermeasures for infant nasal congestion?

If you find that your baby has obvious nasal congestion, he or she should go to the hospital for treatment, and the doctor will diagnose the cause and treat it accordingly.

(1) Children with congenital nasal stenosis or choanal atresia require surgical treatment at around one year old. Before the operation, you can breathe through a cut-open pacifier and establish oral breathing.

(2) If conservative treatment is ineffective for children with adenoid hypertrophy and their sleep quality or even physical and mental development is seriously affected, adenoidectomy should be performed as soon as possible.

(3) If you suffer from rhinitis, there is no need to panic. The treatment of infant rhinitis is not as difficult as that of adult rhinitis. Most cases can be cured after systematic treatment. You must follow the doctor's instructions for regular follow-up visits and take medication according to the course of treatment to be cured. Often after one or two weeks of treatment, the symptoms can be significantly improved, but parents become lazy and do not send their children for follow-up visits, and before long, the child begins to have nasal congestion again. In addition, parents should avoid buying medicines at pharmacies on their own. Some nasal vasoconstrictors that are not suitable for children may cause refractory drug-induced rhinitis. Because children's nasal cavity and sinuses are still developing, sinus surgery is not considered for simple sinusitis.