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Baby’s nosebleeds
Not all baby bleeds are due to a shock or a cut, far from it! The nosebleeds, more or less intense, are all the more distressing as their cause escapes us! Rest assured: most of this bleeding doesn’t hide anything really bad.
What causes baby’s nosebleeds?
Baby nosebleeds are very common. Their official name is the epistaxis. In most cases, a child with a nosebleed has respiratory allergies (eg pollen, dust) or a bad cold. By blowing his nose too vigorously, he damages his nasal wall which promotes bleeding. You may also have inadvertently injured him with the improperly cut tip of a serum pipette. Children with frequent noses may also just scratch and bleed from the nose. A too dry atmosphere can also weaken the nasal wall and cause spontaneous epistaxis. What should alert you: a unstoppable nasal bleedingafter 15 minutes. This can indicate various problems, such as poor blood clotting. If your baby has a nosebleed after a fall or a blow to the head, also see it right away. There is a risk of internal bleeding. It is also possible that there is a foreign object stuck in the nostril. Pearls, gravel, or a soldier’s sword… So many foreign bodies that can cause microtrauma and bleeding. If your child is of speaking age, ask him / her without getting angry. If he tells you that this is not the case, do not worry, most often there is no specific cause for a nosebleed. Note that certain infectious diseases (scarlet fever, measles, influenza, nasopharyngitis?) Are sometimes accompanied by rhinitis: the lining of the nose is weakened and likely to bleed more easily.
What to do in case of nosebleeds in a baby?
The minor nosebleeds in the childcan be calmed down easily. Ask the child to tilt his head slightly forward and blow his nose to clear the blood clots. Alternatively, pinch his nose and make him tilt his head forward. On your side, stay calm and reassure him. Stay like this for about three minutes, while the blood clots. Do not lay your child down: the blood will be swallowed, which will prevent you from being able to measure the quantity. Essential information to pass on to the doctor.
If bleeding persists or is profuse, see a doctor.
He will look at the bleeding area to look for dilation of vessels in the nasal lining or sometimes a blood clotting disorder. In more serious cases, he asks the parents about a possible fall of the child and may ask for various additional examinations. It may, for example, be a cranial x-ray, an electroencephalography or even a measurement of blood coagulation. If the child’s nasal wall is really weakened, the doctor may prescribe a tanning ointment to strengthen it.
Other baby bleeds
The ear bleeding in babies, otoragies, are usually the symptoms of a viral ear infection. The doctor may then prescribe ear drops. If they follow a big shock on the head, the bleeding ear child may be a sign of more or less serious head trauma that will require drug treatment or surgery. If you find a little blood in baby’s stool, it is most often a problem of constipation. Baby’s stool is so hard that he hurt himself while pushing. The anal fissures responsible for the bleeding are usually not serious, but it is better to have the baby examined. Also pay attention to bloody diarrhea : some can be serious, consult as soon as possible!
Nose bleeds: tips to prevent recurrence
If your child has a tendency to bleed from the nose, apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) with a cotton swab to the sides of their nose every day. When he has a cold, avoid nasal solutions and prefer washing the nose with physiological serum. The overheated atmosphere of houses or classrooms in winter also helps to dry up the mucous membrane and nasal secretions, thus promoting scratching. With his fingernail, the child risks injuring the fragile skin of his nasal septum and exposing a small blood vessel. To prevent nosebleeds, think about solving dry air problems: install one or more air humidifiers in your home. And cut his nails regularly. Finally, teach him to open his mouth by sneezing to reduce the pressure and to blow his nose without blowing too hard, one nostril after the other.
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