My almost-11-month-old son got over having the nasty rotavirus a couple days ago, but now has something of a cold or 'flu - that he got from hubby & me! He's got horrible mucus that's making it very difficult for him to breathe. The problem is that the bulb syringe isn't working to clear enough of it out and he's too young to actually blow it out. How do I get it out of there so he can breathe??? Should I take him to the doctor? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you all for your input! I ended up using a little bit from every suggestion. We picked up some Vicks vapo rub for babies and put that on him, plus got a waterless plug-in vaporizer for his room, and used the saline spray. His nose is still really runny, but I suction out whatever I can as often as possible. Hopefully this will clear up - and soon! I have been so freaked out about him being okay at night that I'm up every couple hours to check and make sure he's still breathing - so I could really use some sleep! lol Thanks again, ladies. Very much appreciated!
If he is having trouble breathing b/c of the build-up call your doctor and take him in.
In the meantime, try Vicks vapo rub (for babies) on his chest and if he won't like it off right under his nose. Also, the waterless vaporizers (plug into the wall) help. And there is a vapor bath you can buy for babies that sooths and clears the nasal pasages.
Oh you feel so bad for them when that happens. I swear by the the Vicks Vaproizer (with or without the smelly stuff) the warm water humidifier, works 100% better than the expensive cold water humidifier we bought and it was $20 at Rite-aid. Also the saline stuff works great, they squirm when you squirt it up there but it really works. I never was good with the bulb thingie. I hope he feels better soon.
L.-One trick that always worked for my kids and it is Pediatrician recommended is nasal saline drops. You can buy them at Babies-r-Us or at Kmart or Target they are in the baby aisle or by the cold medicine. It's only saline which is salty water so it contains no medicine so it is perfectly safe at any age. You just lie them down and gently squirt a little in there nose and he will probably cry cause they don't like it but they will usually sneeze it out and it helps clear all the mucous out. Also another thing that you can try is take a warm shower with him and the steam will help to loosen it.
Best of luck it's so hard when they are sick and so little. Take Care.
C.
L.,
I have tried using Ocean Drops and the nasal aspirator and that helps to clear out what he has in his nasal cavities. Put a drop or two of the Ocean Drops in each nostril and let it sit for a minute to losen up all the dried mucus and such. Then use the nasal aspirator to clean out his nostrils.
Something else to consider is if he has acid reflux. My son has ALWAYS been very congested, breathing very loudly and sneezing a lot. The congestion can develop at any time as an indication of the acid reflux. His Pediatrician was able to link it with several other symptoms and ended up refering us to a ped.gastroenterologist for his GERD, or acid reflux.
Just what I know from my experiences, hope it helps a little...what did your Pediatrician recommend? Your doctor is always there to help and you should never be worried to call him or her about ANYTHING!!! Plus, you're a first time mom and they KNOW you get worried about everything because it is ALL new to you! I do recommend at least calling your Ped... If you're in the market for a new doctor I recommend Dr. Mary Burton off of Hall Rd. and Hyedenreich...she is AMAZING and very personal! We tried a few Peds before I found her!
I know it must have been scary with your son getting the Rotavirus and having that scare of dehydration along with it. My son had Rotavirus when he was only TEN DAYS old!
Good luck! :)
