Baby Snuffles

I think that most babies suffer from snuffles at some point.

In fact, our baby had about eight colds in her first year.
A soon as she got over one, she picked up another, probably from another child she met at the baby group. I picked up most of the colds, probably because I was so drained from looking after her.
It's good for babies to get colds as it strengthens their immune system.

The mucus collects in the nasal passages and it's difficult for the baby to clear. It often happens as a result of an infection or a cold. It's frustrating for the baby and the parents!

There are a few things you can try:

Try gently stroking the inside of a nostril with a wisp of cotton wool. This may make the baby sneeze and clear the blocked mucus.

Snuffle Babe [left photo], contains eucalyptus, thyme and menthol and can be applied to the clothing or alternatively to a handkerchief placed out of reach. It is not to be used on babies less than three months.

Saline drops [middle photo], help to thin the mucus. You can make up your own mixture or buy a pre-mixed formula. You might remember Karvol from when you were a child, [right photo]. We used the capsules, see photo below.

Like the Snuffle Babe, it can be added to a handkerchief secured nearby, but out of reach of the child. It is not to be used on babies less than three months. It's really powerful stuff and we found it invaluable.

You can buy a little sucker from many pharmacists or baby shops. You can use this to suck out the mucus from the baby's nostrils before feeds and before they sleep.

If nothing else works, there is a last resort... Medised

medised We found Medised useful when our daughter had a really bad cold and couldn't breathe properly, or when she was teething.

Medised for Children is an oral pain and fever relief medicine that also helps to clear blocked, stuffy noses.
Its dual action formula combines two ingredients:

Paracetamol to provide effective relief from pain including teething pain, sore throat, headache, and other aches and pains.
It is also used to treat high temperatures, colds and flu.

Diphenhydramine is a mild antihistamine, which can clear blocked stuffy noses associated with colds. It also helps restful sleep. Sugar- colour- and alcohol-free, this strawberry flavoured medicine is ideal for providing relief from the most common childhood ailments.