On the market there are many products, such as single -dose vials containing physiological solution or devices for nasal irrigations. But are they really effective? And in which cases can their use be used?
«Doctor, Enea always has the closed nose And he makes strange noises when I breathe, so I started making him good nasal washesbut does not improve … »
Babies often have noisy breath, but this is not necessarily a symptom of a closed nose. Among the most used practices to remove mucus, microorganisms and other particles from the nasal mucous membranes we find i nasal washespotentially very useful for this purpose, but to which to resort only in some cases and in any case always with the appropriate precautions.
Below we see then How to make nasal wash to the newborn And especially when they are recommended to allow the baby or little to breathe better.
What are nasal washes?
It is a method that is used for the nose cleaning and which can be used since birth. Small children, in fact, are not able to blow their noses and cannot breathe with their mouths as they are breastfed or drink through the bottle. For this i nasal washes for the newborn They can be very useful.
In the nasal washes The liquid injected into one nostril passes into the other and then escapes. The effectiveness is based on the mechanical capacity of the fluid to drag mucus, bacteria and foreign particles with it and thus freeing the nose. To be profitable, a nasal washing must be performed with the right pressure and with an adequate amount of liquid.
Furthermore, according to some studies, nasal washes would be effective in Reduce secretions and symptoms such as sore throat and loss of the sense of taste and smell, but other searches have not confirmed these results.
What to use to do nasal washes?
Water, saline solution, physiological solution … What to use for the newborn nasal washes? Generally one is used Isotonic saline solutionalso called physiological solution, consisting of water and sodium chloride at 0.9%. Hypertonic solutions, with greater salt content (up to 3%), could be useful in case of more dense secretions, due to them fluidifying effect. However, being more irritating, washing with hypertonic solution should alternate with washing with isotonic solution.
There are different markets on the market products for nasal washingas a single -dose vials containing physiological solution or devices for nasal irrigations, but in reality, to perform a washing it is sufficient to buy a Botone from 0.5/1 l of physiological solution and use a 5/10 ml syringe, to which to apply an adapter. This is certainly a cheaper and ecologically responsible option.
With the necessary precautions, the saline solution can also be made at home. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology provides a practical recipe in this regard:
- Mix three teaspoons of kitchen salt without iodine with a teaspoon of baking soda;
- Place the mixture in a small hermetic container;
- Take a teaspoon of the mixture and melt it in a glass with about 240 ml of distilled or boiling water for at least five minutes.
- Use the solution by first care to verify that it has reached the ambient temperature.
If, by testing the solution on oneself, this is irritating, it is appropriate to reduce the amount of salt or increase the amount of water. The homemade solution must be used within 24 hours.
How to do nasal washes
Before performing the nasal washes to the newborn, first of all you have to Wash your hands well. After preparing the syringe or disposable vial and a handkerchief or a Mussola, put the newborn in supine location (with the belly up) on the bed or on the changing table. If you prefer you can also wrap the newborn with a towel or a sheet using the Swaddling technique, to reassure it and make it stay more firm.
There head, in the nasal washes of the newborn, it must be moved gently on one sidethen the siring spout is placed in the opposite nostril compared to the side on which the head is placed. In this way the liquid will pass in the other nostril and then escape (Keep a handkerchief or a Mussola ready to dry the baby and don’t wet the changing table). Then proceed in the same way with the other side.
If the child is already sitting, the same procedure can be carried out after making the baby bend the chest slightly forward and head on one side.
These positions for nasal washes prevent liquid and mucus end up in the throat And above all, in the ear.
For the success of washing it is important that the liquid is abundant (about 5 ml for washing until the year and a half, then up to 10 ml) and runs continuously. For this reason, it is good to apply not excessive but constant pressure on the plunger of the full syringe or on vial. Each nostril should also be washed several times, until it is clean.
When to do nasal washes?
Nasal washes should not always be performed. For example, if the newborn breathes loudly but rests peacefully, you don’t need to wake it up to make this practice. But then, When to do nasal washes? If you see that the little one struggles to feed on the breast or bottle, he cannot rest well, he is very irritable and/or has a lot of mucus, i nasal washes could be useful.
How many times do nasal washes? It is recommended to start with a washing per day, or in any case up to three during the day. An excessive number of washing could in fact irritate the mucous membranes.
Finally, it is not advisable to carry out the washes like preventive in the absence of symptoms. This practice, in fact, does not prevent infections at all, on the contrary: it eliminates the mucus that normally covers the mucous membranes, who exerts one protective functionsince he traps microorganisms and irritating substances (it continually removing it, therefore, can increase the risk of developing infections).
Can nasal washes be dangerous?
If the nasal washes are performed correctly, the Side effects are minimal and temporary: the burning sensation or a slight irritation of the mucous membranes. Despite being a relatively safe practice, you still have to give some attentionas, albeit in very rare cases, nasal washes can lead to a danger to the newborn.
THE risks of nasal washing They essentially depend on three factors: the liquid used, the applied pressure, the cleaning of the device. To avoid irritating the mucous membranes, it is preferable to use a saline solutionrather than the only water, and do not exert excessive pressure. Although sterility is not necessary (nostrils are not sterile places), it is still important Clean the device that is used and dry it after washing.
If you use the syringe, this goes changed periodicallyand in the event that the washing are more members of the family, everyone must have their own (on the syringe they can deposit microorganisms which, through a shared use of the instrumentcan easily transmit).
Tap water can only be used if boiling flow for a few minutesthen cool or filtered (the filters pores must be of diameter equal to or less than the micron). This is because the water that comes from the aqueduct, despite being drinkable and absolutely usable to wash and cooking, can still contain microorganisms, such as Bacteria and Amebe.
