Baby Cold Symptoms & Treatment

Infant and newborn nasal congestion is due to the blockage of the nasal passages usually due build-up of mucus or the membranes lining the nose becoming swollen from inflamed blood vessels. It is also known as nasal blockage, nasal obstruction, blocked nose, runny nose, stuffy nose, or stuffed up nose.

Nasal congestion in newborns can range from a mild annoyance to a life-threatening condition. As newborns can only breathe through the nose (newborns are “obligate nose breathers”). Infant congestion can interfere with breastfeeding and cause life-threatening respiratory distress such as RSV. Mucus that remains in the nose for long periods of time can cause sinus infections that can spread to the ears.

Newborn and Infant congestion can interfere with the ears, hearing, and speech development. Significant congestion may interfere with sleep, cause snoring, and can be associated with sleep. Excess mucus can also drip into your throat (postnasal drip), causing coughing and a sore throat. In some cases, the secretions can plug up the sinus cavities or the ear’s eustachian tubes, causing infection and pain.