Babies often have a blocked nose and find it difficult to breathe. It is understandable that parents want to make it easier for babies to breathe. However, reaching for nasal decongestant drops can be dangerous for babies.
Leonie (2 months) was already unusually fussy the day before and was also very restless during the night. Towards the morning, her blocked nose then showed: Leonie has caught a cold and is finding it harder to breathe. It's pitiful, mummy's heart overflows with compassion for the poor little worm. Of course the baby now needs help. However, decongestant nose drops are not the right help for little Leonie.
We know from ourselves how annoying a blocked nose can be. This symptom is even more stressful for babies, as they breathe mainly through their nose. One of the great advantages of this is that they cannot choke when drinking. This is another reason why they only gradually learn to breathe through their mouth after three months. It's easy to imagine how uncomfortable it is for babies when their noses close up. In addition, babies' nasal passages are only a few millimetres in size. They can therefore swell up quickly anyway if the baby has a cold and also cries a lot.
Naturally, parents want to help their child quickly and provide relief. What could be more obvious than nasal drops to decongest the mucous membranes? Some families even keep a bottle of these drops in their medicine cabinet as a preventative measure. Or you can pop round the corner to the pharmacy to pick up the remedy. After all, decongestant nasal drops are available over the counter for all age groups, even the youngest ones.
Decongestant nose drops are risky for babies!
Decongestant nasal drops should not be used on babies without an explicit doctor's prescription. This also applies to preparations that are explicitly offered for babies.
Decongestant nasal drops harbour the following risks for infants Risk of serious side effects: The most common active ingredients in nasal drops are Xylometazoline or Oxymetazoline. Due to their vasoconstrictive effects, they lead to a reduction in swelling of the nasal mucous membranes.
However, these substances can penetrate the central nervous system, especially in newborns and infants, due to their immature blood-brain barrier and thus cause the most severe side effects: they can reduce the baby's heart rate and dampen the functions of its central nervous system. This sedation, in turn, can lead to respiratory depression and Coma lead.
The younger the child, the higher the risk! This is why AMBOSS, the digital reference work for doctors, also warns against administering decongestant nasal drops to children under the age of one. These should only be used after a strict risk-benefit assessment.
This means for parents: If decongestant nasal drops are used at all in the first 12 months of life, then only on a paediatrician's prescription! However, even then the side effects described cannot be ruled out 100 per cent. However, there are therapeutic alternatives to vasoconstrictor nose drops that you can use without hesitation. I will show you some options below.
Risk of overdose: The organism of an infant reacts differently to that of an older child or even an adult. Above all, it reacts much more sensitively! That's why even the smallest droplet in the nose in the wrong dose can be life-threatening for a baby!
In other countries, for example in England, over-the-counter xylometazoline or oxymetazoline may not even be used in children under the age of six. "In contrast, Germany has low-dose dosage forms that are already approved for infants," criticised many years ago Prof Dr Antje Neubertwho conducts research into the therapeutic safety of medicines for children at the paediatric clinic at Erlangen University Hospital.
Unfortunately, this has not changed since then. The supply of decongestant nasal drops in Germany is still graded according to age. It would therefore be fatal if an infant were to be given a dosage that is completely inappropriate for their age.
Nasal drops with the active ingredient Xylometazoline (e.g. Otriven®) is available with the following dosage:
- for newborns, infants and under two-year-olds (0.024%)
- for two to under six-year-olds (0.05%)
- for children over the age of six, adolescents and adults (0.1%)
Nasal drops with the active ingredient Oxymetazoline (e.g. Nasivin®) is available with the following dosage:
- for newborns, infants and babies under 12 months (0.01%)
- for children aged between 1 and 6 years (0.025%)
- for children over six, adolescents and adults (0.05%)
The special feature of some preparations for babies is that they have a dosing dropper instead of a pipette. This is intended to ensure exact dosing - namely that no more than a single drop really gets into the baby's nostril.
When to take a baby with a cold to the doctor?
With a sniffly Infant under three months you should Always consult a doctor hold.
Is that Baby older than three monthsit depends on its General condition on. Maybe it's just a blocked nose - then gentle help (see below) could bring relief. However, it is also possible that the little one does not want to drink or eat at all, is very weak, cries a lot or even has a fever (over 38.5 degrees). In this case, a visit to the paediatrician's practice is advisable. The same applies if a child with a cold keeps touching their ear - this could be due to an inflammation of the ear canal. You should also seek medical advice if you find the nappy contents unusual (discolouration, odour).
Gentle help for baby colds
Parents can also help a baby with a cold with gentle remedies and alleviate the symptoms.
Here are some examples of gentle baby nose care:
Saline solution is a good secretion solvent. It is easy to make yourself: dissolve 1 gram of table salt in 100 millilitres of water (boiled and cooled). Of course, you can also buy saline solution for your baby at the pharmacy. There is no limit to how much you can put in your little one's nose.
The Application is carried out in the same way as with medical nose drops: it is best if the baby lies down. Then carefully remove as much secretion from his nose as possible (but please do not pick his nose!). Then tilt the baby's head slightly to the left to place a drop in the left nostril. Hold the dosing device or the Baby pipette before the nostril (do not insert it there!) and let the drop run into it. After a short exposure time, it is then the right nostril's turn in the same way.
By the way: saline solution can also be nebulised well as an inhalant with all common systems. When purchasing, not only make sure that the Inhalation device is practical and safe to use, but also on the volume. After all, sick babies are very sensitive to disturbing noises.
Sea water drops are a good alternative to xylometazoline or oxymetazoline preparations. This is because seawater drops also have a decongestant effect due to their low salt content (0.9 %), but are also safe for the very youngest children. They also keep the delicate nasal mucosa moisturised so that secretions can drain away better. Seawater drops for babies are available in pharmacies and drugstores.
The Application is the same as for the saline solution.
You can safely use seawater drops on your baby several times a day for several days.
Breast milkDrizzled into a baby's blocked nose is said to work wonders, as it contains plenty of antibodies. Many midwives swear by this measure for babies with a cold.
The nasal aspirator Many households with a child with a cold can no longer be imagined without it. Hand-held nasal aspiratorconsisting of the attachable suction head and a pump ball. It is very easy to use: squeeze the pump ball, bring the suction head to the child's nostril (do not insert!), carefully hold the other nostril closed and then release the pump ball. The resulting gentle vacuum sucks the secretions out of the nose.
The Manual nasal aspiratorwith which the secretions are sucked out of the mouth via a tube. But don't worry, the aspirated mucus doesn't end up in your mouth! However, the device and tube must be cleaned thoroughly afterwards.
There are also Electric nasal aspiratorpreferably with varying suction power. There are even nasal aspirators as attachments on the hoover, which I find a little strange. With both variants, the noise can also irritate children, as some parents report.
It has proven to be a good idea to moisten the secretions in baby's nose with a saline solution, breast milk or drops of seawater before suctioning. After a short exposure time, the nose can then be cleared.
Other relief for your snuffles baby
- To help your snuffling baby breathe better, you can put his or her Upper body slightly raised store. Simply place a file folder or a folded towel under the headboard of the mattress, for example.
- Whether breastfeeding or giving a bottle - keep your baby Baby as upright as possible when drinkingthen it can breathe better when drinking.
- Make sure that your child drinks a lot. Put it on more often if you are breastfeeding. You may also be able to offer him some water or mild tea. These are also suitable drinks if you are no longer breastfeeding.
- Care for good Humidity in the roomwhere your child spends time. On the one hand, always ventilate well - on the other hand, you can also hang up damp cloths in the room, which also benefits the child.
- Fresh air is also good for a baby with a cold - so take him or her for a drive. outside Take a quiet walk in between.
- Older babies (from about the fourth month of life) also helps gentle Angelica balm for colds. It is made from extracts of angelica root and mostly beeswax (for moisturising), has a delicate herbal scent and can be applied to the skin. Back of the baby. Products containing essential oils, on the other hand, are absolutely taboo for babies because they can trigger respiratory cramps!
Otherwise: plenty of rest and lots of sleep help every child to recover more quickly. Even the very youngest!
