SUCTIONING MUCUS

Suctioning mucus out of your baby's nose makes it easier for him or her to breathe and to eat. Before suctioning, you may thin the mucus with normal saline (salt water) nose drops.

YOU WILL NEED
Respiratory saline (as prescribed) or saline nose drops Bulb syringe Soft tissues A soft blanket (rolled up) '

HOW TO MAKE SALINE NOSE DROPS
1. Fill a cup with 8 ounces of warm (not hot) tap water.
2. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt.
3. Stir to dissolve the salt.
4. Make new solution each time. Throw away unused solution.

HOW TO PUT NOSE DROPS INTO THE CHILD'S NOSE
1. Lay your baby on his back and place a rolled-up blanket under the baby's shoulders
2. Using a nose dropper, put the number of drops prescribed by your doctor (usually 1-2 drops per side) into each nostril. The nose drops may make the baby sneeze.
3. After giving the nose drops, pick up your baby. Hold your baby in your arms with his head back for about a minute. This will give the saline enough time to thin the mucus. Then suction.
4. Do not use any other type of nose drops unless prescribed by your doctor.

HOW TO SUCTION
1. Suction your baby before feeding. By cleaning out the baby's nose before feeding, he or she will be able to breathe, suck, and eat more easily. (If you suction after the baby has been fed, the combination of saline and suctioning may cause vomiting.)
4. To use the bulb syringe, squeeze the air out of the bulb.
3. Gently place the tip of the bulb into a nostril.
4. Let the air come back into the bulb.
5. The suction will pull the mucus out of the nose and into the bulb.
6. Suction the other nostril the same way.
7. Gently wipe off the mucus around the baby's nose with tissues to prevent skin irritation.

AFTER SUCTIONING
Wash the jar, dropper, and bulb syringe in warm, soapy water. Squeeze the bulb several times to clean out the mucus. Rinse with clear water.