If your baby is having trouble nursing with a cold, pumping and offering milk in a bottle might help. Nursing or formula-feeding more frequently can help your baby feel better. Hydration also helps make mucus thinner and easier to remove from your child's nose. Be sure to clean the humidifier daily to prevent the growth of bacteria or mold. Cool mist helps moisten the air and makes the fluids in your child's nose thinner. Here are some tips for clearing your baby's nose: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends steering clear of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for children younger than 4 years old, but there are other ways you can help your baby breathe easier when they have a cold. Other ways to help clear your baby's nose Some types of nasal aspirators can also be sterilized by placing them in boiling water for five minutes. Nasal aspirator: The device can be taken apart and washed with soap and warm water. Suspend the syringe, tip side down, in a glass to dry. Rinse well by repeating the process several times with clear, warm water. But if their nose is still stuffy after a few minutes, you can break out your favorite suction device. The saline itself may ease your child's congestion. Place two or three drops of saline in each nostril with an eyedropper (or squirt once or twice if you're using a saline spray) and try to keep your baby's head still for about ten seconds. Lay your child down with their chin tilted up slightly. (If you get your water from a well, it's a good idea to boil the water first to sterilize it.) Make a fresh batch each day and store it in a clean, covered glass jar. You can buy saline at pharmacies or make it easily at home by dissolving 1/2 teaspoon of non-iodized salt and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 8 ounces of warm water. Start by squirting a little nasal saline into your child's nose to moisten and loosen up any hard or dry boogers before you try to suction them out. Other parents prefer to use a nasal aspirator, which may be even more efficient at removing mucus from a stuffy little nose. Many new parents get a rubber bulb syringe in their newborn supplies from the hospital, and it generally works pretty well.
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