Question
Our 10-month-old baby has been experiencing severe nasal congestion at night recently, leading to a decline in sleep quality. What could be the possible causes of this condition, and how should treatment be conducted?
Answer
When a baby has a stuffy nose, the first step is to use a small flashlight to check if there is any mucus in the nostrils. Depending on the situation, you can gently pinch the outer side of the baby’s nostrils, which may cause the mucus to fall out or trigger the baby to sneeze and clear it. If this method is ineffective, you can drop a small amount of cold water or antiseptic nasal drops, or saline solution into the nostrils to soften the mucus before trying the aforementioned methods again. You can also use a small cotton swab to remove the mucus. Experienced parents may use tweezers to pull it out, but care should be taken not to insert the tweezers too deeply into the nostrils. These methods can quickly and effectively alleviate the baby’s nasal congestion.