M.T. asks from Denver, CO on February 18, 2008
3 Month Old Still Congested
I have a three month old that has been congested since birth. My husband and I moved to Denver in September. We are originally from New Orleans and are used to 80-100% humidity year around, so we are adjusting to the dryer climate in CO. When my son was born we were told by the pediatrician that it was normal for the baby to have congestion and snort and sound stuffy due to his small airways and the climate. I have addressed the issue at each doctor visit with the same comment. Can anyone tell me if their little ones stay congested for this long, and if so, when does the relief come? We have a cool mist humidifier in his room and run it all day and night. I put baby vicks on his chest if he seems to have an especially stuffy day and we regularly flush with saline solution and aspirate when necessary. Any info or suggestions are welcome..
More Answers
K.D. answers from Denver on February 19, 2008
I would ask for a referral to an ENT. I have worked with two with my kids and depending on your insurance you could call them yourself. I really like the one at PSL. If you want, I would give you their number. The one our baby sees has been great. They keep him on Nasonex as it keeps ear infections away for him. GL and welcome to Denver. It will get better! :)
K.B. answers from Denver on February 21, 2008
Hi M., welcome to Denver. I am a CA native and the dry climate is still hard to get used to. I do have an infant that had the same issues. I ran the humidifier as you are and it wasn't helping. I found that it was turning out to be the enemy as I had it on too high. When we moved here I purchased a gage that tells how humid the room is and it guides me when I need to humidify or not. Walmart has them in the home improvement section near the thermometers. It was fairly cheap. With our baby I used the saline drops one in each nostril before feeding. Also, make sure you clean the humidifier weekly with vinegar & water. Hope this helps you!!
A.B. answers from Denver on February 28, 2008
Hi Mary,
My son who is now 4 was stuffy for the first 16 months of his life. I would ask the doctor at every visit if there was something wrong. I also was told to do the saline drops and humidifer none of which ever worked. My son would also get sick all of the time. He had many visits to childrens with multiple night stays. I finally demanded a referral to an Ear, Nose and throat specialist. The ent found that his adnoids were so enlarge that the were blocking the airway in his nose. We had them removed when he was 17 months old and what a difference it made within in weeks. He started to eat more and gain weight. He also has only been sick a handful of times since the adnoids were removed and no more stuffiness. I know every child is different but maybe this might help. I hope your son feels better soon.
H.W. answers from Denver on February 19, 2008
Welcome to Denver, M.!
If you're breastfeeding, you could try a drop or two of breastmilk in his nose (just express some and put it in a medicine dropper and use like the saline bottle) instead of saline solution. It has great antibiotic properties, so if there is anything sick-like going on, it would help in that regard. Good luck!
R.A. answers from Denver on February 19, 2008
M., my girls were both stuffy. We did the saline solution and the booger-ball with warm water just to keep the sinuses going. This, too, shall pass.
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