What A Runny Nose Can Mean for Babies
If you’re a parent, a teacher to small kiddos or a caregiver - you know that babies and littles get runny noses a lot. Seeing that little wetness around your kid's nose can send you into a spiral. Does my child have a cold? Is it the flu? How do I treat this tiny baby? What does it all mean?!
Generally speaking, a runny nose happens. You’ll spend loads of time chasing your baby with a tissue and the Nose Frida for what feels like a lifetime and most of the time, it’s just a simple cold. Unfortunately, just like adults, sick babies start to get cranky, lose sleep and turn on the fuss. It can be a hard week for baby and momma and we’re here to help so that when they do get the sniffles, you know that you have options.
What Does a Runny Nose Mean for Babies?
A clear, runny nose with no other symptoms is probably just a cold. When the mucous gets a little discolored, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your baby has an infection. Sometimes when babies get congested, the mucous may be resting within the nasal canal for a few days before it’s loosened. If the color of the mucous turns yellow and green - it wouldn’t hurt to make an appointment with your pediatrician to be safe. Most of the time, this will clear out on its own. Our absolute favorite product to give our littles when they’re not feeling well is CQ Jr. It’s a lifesaver and always nips the cold in the bud.
If your baby is at least two months old and older, it’s common for a runny nose to be accompanied with a fever. The fever should remain relatively mild and break within a day or two.
When babies have a runny nose and are having respiratory issues, this can be the trickiest spot to be in. One rule of thumb is to check out their chest when they’re inhaling. If it looks like your baby's chest is working hard to inhale/exhale, and that the tummy is being used to intake oxygen, call the pediatrician.
When your baby has a runny nose, drools a ton and appears to be fussier, they might be popping a new tooth! Of course, every baby is different but check out their gums in a day or two and see if you see any signs of a tiny pearly white ridge. This might be the reason why your baby has had a runny nose, after all.
If you’re looking for personalized treatment options for your little one, we offer pediatric acupuncture services with our acupuncturist, Kelsey Beckman. This gentle, non-invasive service can be used to treat infants as young as one month old for diarrhea, GERD, indigestion, constipation and colic. For older children, pediatric acupuncture has been successful in treating allergies, hives, eczema, anxiety, pain, and nausea.