Why use nasal syringes to wash your child’s nose? Are there any tips to follow to use them properly? Are there other interesting alternatives?
What do you think of nasal syringes for washing your baby’s nose?
THE washing a baby’s nose can be done in different ways, notably with pipettes of physiological serum, or by putting this product in a specific syringe with a soft tip. This has the advantage of being able to better dose the quantity of physiological serum but also the pressure, and to administer it more easily.
However, this practice also carries risks. “The main risk with using a syringe is putting strong pressure on it. This is harmful because it can cause ear infections to the baby. It is not prohibited to use them but you have to be careful!” recalls Doctor Andreas Werner, president of the French Association of Outpatient Pediatrics (AFPA) and expert in pediatrics for the site Mpedia.
What pressure and what quantity should be applied if we decide to wash your baby’s nose in this way ? According to the CHU Sainte-Justine, we use 1 ml per nostril for a premature baby, 1 to 3 for a child under 2 years old, 3 for a child aged 2 to 5 years old, and 3 to 5 ml per nostril for a child bigger. As for the pressure level, you must gently press the syringe to release approximately 1 ml per second.
Are there any alternatives to this wash?
If you don’t want to use syringes, how can you wash your child’s nose? “For the little ones, the physiological serum in a pod it’s very good!” advises the doctor, “and for older children we can use a nasal hygiene horn of the type rhinohorn from the age of 2-3 years. If it’s a family habit they will quickly learn how to do it alone, and it’s so much simpler!”
To sterilize the rhinohorn, simply put it in the dishwasher. As for the syringes, “we cannot sterilize them, they must be rinsed and changed regularly”. And should we consider the sea water sprays ? “It’s very expensive for what it is.” replies Dr. Werner. “The only interesting spray is a hypertonic rather than isotonic spray, with a high salt concentration, which will draw fluid from the mucous membranes, make breathing easier and be effective for longer..”
Sources:
Doctor Andreas Werner, president of the French Association of Outpatient Pediatrics (AFPA) and expert in pediatrics
Mpedia
CHU Sainte-Justine