A child grunts his nose - what does this mean, what to do and when do you need a doctor?

Why does a newborn grunt without snot?

Sometimes the child grunts a lot, but there is no snot. This causes confusion - it turns out that the baby is healthy, but the sounds he makes suggest the opposite thoughts. There are three types of causes and factors that cause grunting.

Physiological reasons

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In 90% of cases, grunting in a newborn is associated with physiological factors; they disappear on their own by 2-3 months of life. The child makes such sounds because he is constantly in a horizontal position, and his body is accustomed to receiving oxygen in utero, through the umbilical cord. After birth, the baby's body adapts to the world around it. Physiological reasons:

From 2 weeks, the baby begins to experience colic and gas accumulates in the stomach. They put pressure on the organs, the diaphragm protrudes. This makes breathing difficult and the baby grunts.
After regurgitation, a small part of the food enters the respiratory tract, which partially clogs the nasal passages.
Constantly being in a horizontal position causes stagnation of mucus discharge in the sinuses. The inner membranes dry out, and wheezing occurs when breathing. It is recommended to stimulate the discharge of mucus by placing the baby on the tummy.
Swaddling a newborn too tightly puts pressure on the diaphragm, resulting in grunting. Modern pediatricians are completely against swaddling.
Due to the active blood supply to the nasal passages, dry crusts accumulate in the nose, which impede the flow of air.
Too dry air in a child's room dries out the mucous membranes. The child needs moist air for normal breathing and mucus separation.

To get rid of extraneous sounds, it is necessary to follow preventive measures. For newborns, living conditions are slightly different.

Important! To increase the level of humidity in the room, use humidifiers, spraying water from a spray bottle, and hanging wet diapers in the room.

Psychological factors

In a one-month-old baby, nose grunting can be psychological. Babies at this age often cry and are capricious. Screams can last up to 40 minutes until parents find the cause of the disorder.

A baby under one year old is very impressionable - any unusual action, going to a new place, meeting guests can provoke a psychological disorder. If the impact factor is one-time, then the baby quickly returns to normal.

After crying for a long time, the baby takes in large currents of air. This causes drying of the nasal mucosa. After the baby calms down, he begins to grunt through his nose.

Girl's nose being cleaned

Pathological

The remaining 10% are pathological conditions of the nose that need to be treated. Usually the child continues to grunt even after one year of age. Main reasons:

The onset of a bacterial or viral disease. The kids gradually get stuffy nose and develop a weak cough.
Deviation of the nasal septum. A congenital phenomenon that is often diagnosed in newborns. There is no snot with this pathology; surgical intervention is required for treatment.
Allergic reaction. After the allergen gets into the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, a runny nose, red eyes, lacrimation and frequent sneezing begin. The reaction is possible to any volatile substances: pollen, chemicals, dust.
Congenital changes in the nasal passages in a newborn. They are usually diagnosed in the maternity hospital; rarely, diseases may appear later. This may be a malformation of the lungs, changes in the nasolabial triangle, fusion of the nasal passages, and others.

It is difficult to say why and what causes congenital changes. Some diseases appear due to hereditary factors, others due to gene mutations, this may be associated with complications of pregnancy.

Preventive measures

Free breathing is very important for calm, well-being and further development of the child. Nasal breathing problems can be prevented.

Preventive measures include:

daily wet cleaning without the use of cleaning products and household chemicals;
regular ventilation;
timely cleaning of the nose;
frequent walks in the fresh air;
refusal of tight swaddling;
Massage - promote muscle development and improve the functioning of the respiratory system, prevent mucus stagnation in the nasopharynx;
Avoid lying on your back for long periods of time during the day;
visit your pediatrician regularly;
monitor the child's stool;
exclude from the diet of a nursing mother foods that increase gas formation in the baby (carbonated drinks, grapes, legumes);
introduce new foods into the diet carefully, observing the baby’s reaction;
remove carpets, books and large soft toys from the children's room - sources of dust and allergens;
organizing a proper daily routine will help strengthen the immune system;
monitor the humidity in the room;
when regurgitating through the nose - immediate cleaning;
refuse toys with small parts;
do not leave small objects (beads, beads, peas and beans) in places accessible to the child;
avoid perfumes and washing powders with a strong odor;
protect your baby from infections, do not choose places with large crowds of people for walks.

If a baby has a stuffy nose and grunts, then in the absence of a disease or developmental defect, the problem can be easily solved. But if the reason that caused the violation of nasal breathing is pathological, medical intervention cannot be avoided.

Your child snores - Doctor Komarovsky - Inter

Could grunting be normal?

Grunting in the baby's nasopharynx at night and during the day without snot is normal in 90% of cases. The baby begins to wheeze during sleep, he is in a horizontal position. Breathing in children under one year of age is imperfect. If the grunting does not go away for a long time, it is better to contact a specialist and find out the reason.

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For the first few months of a baby’s life, pediatricians advise rinsing the nose with saline solution to rid the sinuses of crusts. They most often cause wheezing. If such measures do not help, then consult a doctor.

Important! After each feeding, the baby is carried in a column so that he can regurgitate excess milk and it does not get into the respiratory tract.

Snoring as a symptom

Sometimes the reasons can be unpleasant and pathological in nature:

Congenital adenoids - overgrown tonsils can come into contact with the palate and block nasal breathing.
This is more common in older children and rare in infants. The pediatrician will refer your child to an ENT specialist, who will decide to treat them or remove them surgically. The only correct way to remove adenoids is endoscopic. The operation is performed under anesthesia, a small camera is inserted into the nasal cavity. According to Dr. Komarovsky, frequent viral infections lead to chronic diseases in the nasopharynx, which are the cause of adenoids.
Swelling of the mucous membrane can be a sign of an allergy. Remove allergens from the bedroom such as animal hair, carpets and other dust collectors, or find out what has changed in the diet of the baby or nursing mother.
Choanal atresia is an abnormal structure of the nasopharynx, when the opening of the nasal cavity is narrowed. This can cause difficulty breathing and can be treated surgically.
Asthma - snoring may indicate the likelihood of developing this disease. Medical studies confirm that children with asthma are 2 times more likely to snore than healthy children.
Apnea – when a baby’s snoring is accompanied by stoppages of breathing, which can be very dangerous, leading to hypoxia and affecting vital organs. Such stops can last from a few seconds to several minutes. Due to frequent awakenings, the child is unable to get quality sleep and recover during the night. As a result, he wakes up irritable and apathetic. Constant lack of sleep leads to stunted growth. Apnea of prematurity occurs in babies born at 34 weeks of pregnancy or earlier. Due to an undeveloped respiratory system, premature babies have difficulty controlling their breathing, which is why it is so important for them to be under constant medical supervision until they return home.

Methods for correct diagnosis

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An infant's nose needs to be cleaned periodically. If such measures do not help, an examination is prescribed:

At the appointment, the pediatrician performs auscultation with tapping. The lungs are listened to to exclude pneumonia and bronchitis.
Chest X-ray. In case of suspected respiratory tract disease.
General blood analysis. Helps eliminate inflammation and allergies.
Examination by an ENT doctor. The doctor examines the structure of the septum and cartilage to rule out congenital pathologies.

Such actions will help eliminate any changes associated with congenital disorders. All diagnostic measures are mandatory for newborns, except for X-ray diagnostics. An image is prescribed only as a last resort, when it is impossible to make a diagnosis without it.

Dripping into the baby's nose

Diseases that cause a newborn to snore in his sleep

An infant cannot breathe through his mouth. Diseases accompanied by snoring can pose a threat to the health and life of a child, as they are symptoms of serious complications.

A runny nose—nasal congestion and mucus—can be the result of hypothermia or allergies. In this case, the child snores through his nose, lacks breathing, sleep and feeding are disturbed. Complications such as bronchitis, pneumonia, Quinc's edema are possible.

Uneven breathing and snoring are harbingers of apnea: sudden stop breathing syndrome. Narrowing of the airway for any reason can lead to obstructive apnea. Children with allergies, upper respiratory tract diseases, and obesity are at risk.

How to help your child

To help the baby, it is necessary to examine the baby's nose. If a foreign body is found inside, you should urgently call an ambulance. Small parts cause swelling of the mucous membrane and difficulty breathing.

Until 3 months of age, a newborn breathes only through the nose. Prolonged nasal congestion causes oxygen starvation in the body. The most common cause of wheezing is crusting. To get rid of them, you need to wash:

Place the baby on the changing table;
A baby saline solution is sprayed into each nostril;
An aspirator is used to suck out the liquid from the spout.

Not all kids like this procedure; they are usually very capricious. Such measures are necessary for normal breathing.

Elimination of external negative factors

Often external factors cause irritation of the respiratory system. The newborn develops a runny nose and wheezing during sleep and breathing. It is necessary to eliminate unfavorable conditions so that the baby is comfortable. Helpful Tips:

An air humidifier is installed in the children's room.
The room is ventilated 2 times a day for at least 20 minutes.
They try not to overfeed the baby so that he spits up less.
Any indoor plants are moved to other rooms to eliminate allergies.
Minimize contact between the newborn and pets.
Wet cleaning is carried out daily to remove dust.

These are mandatory measures that all parents must follow. As the baby gets closer to the age of one year, it becomes more adapted to its environment.

Child in a striped suit

Prevention

When your baby starts coughing and grunting, he is most likely choking on leftover breast milk. Dr. Komarovsky advises following preventive measures:

When artificial feeding, use nipples with a small flow so that the baby has time to swallow all the food.
Maintain the humidity level in the children's room at least 70%. To determine indicators, special instruments are used.
Every day they clean the children's nose from crusts.
Dress the baby according to the weather to avoid colds.
Ventilate the room and wipe off dust from all shelves twice a day.

Prevention will help avoid nighttime grunting in a newborn. This is a physiological phenomenon that does not require special treatment, but it can be controlled.

Important! If you experience prolonged wheezing, it is better to consult a doctor to rule out possible diseases.

First aid

Normal nasal congestion is a big problem for babies. The baby cannot blow his nose on his own. Breathing through the mouth is difficult in the first months of life. This is due to anatomical features: in newborns, the entrance to the oropharynx is closed by the tongue. There are cases where babies died with a stuffy nose from asphyxia.

Therefore, noisy nasal breathing, snoring and other unusual sounds cannot be ignored. First of all, you need to examine the nasal passages. Sometimes you can see a foreign body inside. Swelling and dried crusts are also clearly visible. Attention! If you notice a foreign body, do not attempt to remove it yourself. It is necessary to urgently call a doctor.

Cleaning your nose from crusts

If a baby's nose is clogged with dry crusts, it is necessary to clean it. The procedure is carried out in several stages:

First you need to rinse the nasal passages. For this purpose, salt solutions are used: “Salin”, “Aquamaris”. Place 2-3 drops of solution into the nasal passage. Place the baby so that the head is lower than the rest of the body. Wait a few minutes (this helps soften the crusts). Rinsing should be gentle: interrupt the procedure if the baby cries or resists. Calm the child;

Cleaning softened nasal mucus is done with soft circular movements using cotton wool flagella, which need to be moistened with Vaseline or boiled water. Do not use cotton swabs: there is a high risk of injury to the nasal septum. Also, the cotton head can easily come off and you will need special tools to remove it from the nasal passage. Cleaning each half of the nose should be done in turn.

A child has a runny nose or How to clean a newborn’s nose!

Eliminating congestion

In order to relieve swelling and restore patency of the nasal passages, vasoconstrictor drops are used. For infants the following are used: “Nazivin for babies”, “Nazol baby”. These drops are produced specifically for young children. It is unacceptable to drip into the nose from the bottle; the medicine must be measured using a pipette and used only after rinsing.

All drops are used only as prescribed by a doctor. Overdose is life-threatening!

Removing thickened mucus

If the baby grunts due to thick mucus accumulated in the nasopharynx, you need to use an aspirator or syringe to clean it.

Algorithm of actions:

Rinse your nasal passages with saline solution. This will make it easier to remove mucus. In addition, the Aquamaris solution contains substances that promote the restoration of the mucous membrane. Squeeze the bulb, removing the air from it.
Carefully, without using force, insert the tip into the nose.
Slowly and smoothly open your hand. The contents of the nasal cavity will pass into the aspirator.

Improper use of the device can lead to inflammation of the middle ear.
Do not squeeze the bulb if the aspirator tip is in your nose! The following are strictly prohibited for the treatment of infants:

Sea water sprays.
Breast milk. It is a breeding ground for bacteria. Massive milk aspiration is a threat to the baby’s life. Requires emergency resuscitation measures. Inhalation of even a small amount of it leads to the development of severe pneumonia.
Onions and garlic will cause burns to the mucous membrane and increased swelling.
Warming compresses and mustard plasters.
Homeopathic medicines.
Essential oils.

If the nose does not breathe due to allergies

Research by the World Health Organization has shown that almost all infants with allergic rhinitis suffer from dysbacteriosis. In this regard, it is recommended to pay attention to the normalization of intestinal microflora. For this, probiotics are used (Linex, Lactobacterin, Bifidumbacterin). You must first take a stool test for dysbacteriosis.

When is it necessary to contact a specialist?

Grunting in children does not always indicate normality. In some cases, you should consult a specialist, in particular if wheezing is accompanied by accompanying symptoms:

coughing;
may have a stuffy nose;
temperature increase;
difficulty breathing;
frequent whims and severe crying.

Not all diseases can be detected immediately after birth. Some diseases appear after 2-3 months. If you suspect a pathology, you should contact your pediatrician.

Grunting in children is most often associated with physiological causes that are easily eliminated. To avoid such a problem, follow preventive measures. In rare cases, children's wheezing indicates congenital pathologies. You can get rid of them surgically.

Why does a child sniffle: pathological changes in the nasopharynx

If a child constantly sniffles and often suffers from rhinitis, then the cause of breathing problems is pathological changes in the respiratory system.

Congenital defect in the development of the respiratory organs. Congenital defects involve the formation of an abnormal structure of the nasal septum and passages at the stage of fetal formation. Most often, a baby is born with a deviated septum, pinched nasal passages, and a closed or narrowed opening between the passages and the nasopharynx. As a result of a congenital defect, the infant grunts through his nose and has difficulty breathing until he stops breathing.
Injuries. Strong blows to the nose and septum lead to damage to the mucous membrane and the formation of tissue edema. The appearance of bruising and an increase in mucous membranes leads to the fact that the baby grunts through his nose without snot. The problem is solved after swelling is removed and tissue is restored.
Infection with acute respiratory diseases. The penetration of the virus into the body leads to increased activity of the mucous membrane and the appearance of copious discharge. If liquid exudate forms, the child sniffles. In some cases, the virus passes without visible discharge from the nasal cavity. In such a situation, the sinuses may be blocked, and general swelling of the mucous tissue is observed.
Adenoiditis. The acute form is accompanied by nasal grunting and viscous discharge, the color of which varies from clear to white or green. A thick secretion, flowing down the back of the throat, prevents the child from breathing normally and provokes a paroxysmal cough.
Proliferation of adenoid tissue. If the baby sniffs through his nose without snot, snoring is observed at night, and breathing is through the mouth, then we are talking about the growth of adenoid tissue. The causes of the pathology are associated with improper treatment of rhinitis or its transition to a chronic form.
Allergic reaction. A runny nose in a newborn or older person without signs of illness may be associated with an allergic reaction. The pathology is expressed in sniffing, the appearance of clear discharge, and the seasonality of the disease. If a child grunts through his nose for 2 months without worsening his condition as a whole, then we are talking about the constant presence of an allergen in the baby’s environment. The solution to the problem is the use of antihistamines and a review of the patient’s lifestyle and diet.
Neoplasms in the nasal cavity and respiratory organs. The formation of polyps or cysts in the nasal passages or sinuses can lead to the fact that there is no obvious runny nose, and the child does not breathe through the nose. The appearance of neoplasms and tumors is also characterized by congestion and a nasal voice. The baby may grunt or snore. Breathing is done primarily through the nose.

Reasons why your baby grunts his nose

It often happens that, after returning from the maternity hospital, a mother begins to notice certain manifestations in her baby that cause her serious concern. For example, when a baby grunts through his nose, but there is no snot. There are no other symptoms of colds: cough, redness in the throat, fever. While babies sleep, mothers notice the sniffling sounds that their babies make. The reasons why a baby snores loudly can be of two types - physiological and pathological.

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Experts say that the most common cause is dry air. At the same time, the nose experiences a kind of stress on the mucous membrane. An unfortunate crust appears, perhaps even in the distant parts of the nasal passages. It's very difficult to get one. If this happens, it is recommended to take the following measures.

Humidify the air with wet rags and basins of water. You can hang washed diapers on batteries. The heat from them will provoke evaporation, humidifying the room. If you want a more interesting apartment decor, buy a mini fountain or an aquarium with fish. This will not only have a beneficial effect on the nose, but will also calm the nervous system. But for this kind of event, check the apartment to see if humidification is really necessary there. Perhaps there is already enough moisture there, then you can provoke the appearance of mold fungi on the walls. This, in turn, will have a detrimental effect on the baby’s health. Mold pores cause severe allergies, accompanied not only by a runny nose.
Regular cleaning of the premises. While the child is small, wet cleaning must be done daily.
Cleaning the nostrils with cotton pads. They are first moistened in Vaseline oil and slowly inserted into the nose with a twisting motion, first into one nostril, then into the other. It is very good to drop a drop of saline or weak saline solution a minute before cleaning. This will perfectly moisturize the mucous membrane, which will prevent troubles from occurring. It is believed that you cannot overdo it here; it is good to drip a few drops every 3 hours.
Inhalations with saline solution are also used. Another advantage of the procedure is disinfection due to salt.
Installation of a humidifier. This measure is used together with aquariums or wet rags. You simply purchase a specialized device that is aimed at helping in the fight against dry air. Such devices help dust not to linger in the air for long. This eliminates the cause of large amounts of dust getting on the mucous membrane.
The temperature in the room should not be higher than 22 degrees. So, the baby will feel comfortable, it will not be hot, but he will not freeze. The hot atmosphere contributes to drying out and the appearance of insidious crusts. And microbes love conditions of excess heat. It is necessary to avoid such hot climates.
Drinking enough. There is an improvement in water-salt metabolism. This is necessary regardless of whether there is snot or not. If present, the liquid consumed should be saturated with vitamin C.
Regular walks in the fresh air will eliminate the possibility of dry mucous membranes. In combination with other measures, it has an effective effect.

Remember that these measures are good when the baby grunts, but there is no snot. If this is accompanied by increased anxiety in the child, fever, or the nose begins to run, consult a doctor. Usually, the baby’s painful condition is immediately visible from the symptoms described above. A newborn child cannot tell why and what worries him. But he gives active signals with his behavior.

Even when the baby grunts through his nose, but there is no snot, this can sometimes be a sign of a mild infection. This will be complemented by restless behavior. But if he remains cheerful, is interested in what is happening, chatters, in accordance with his age, and lacks tearfulness, then there is no reason to worry.