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Why does the newborn have a cold nose and pens for a walk and indoors

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 18.10.2021
 
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A cold nose in a newborn is often not a problem, although parents are concerned about this symptom. Only in some cases, a cold nose in a child can be the cause of the disease, and in other cases it is only a feature of the adaptation of the newborn to the conditions of the external environment. But you need to know all the "symptoms of danger", and when you need to contact a doctor.

Causes of the cold nose in a newborn

Most often the cold nose is found in newborns. Why is this happening?

The child is not yet fully developed. After birth, his blood circulation system is still learning to supply the whole body with blood. Its priority is to send blood to vital organs - the heart, lungs, digestive and urinary organs. Because of this, blood is redirected from less important parts, such as the nose, arms and legs, to the more important parts of the body. Reduction of blood flow of peripheral parts of the body and causes the nose to become cold.

There are several more physiological reasons for the cold nose of the newborn. The fetus swims in the amniotic fluid. Some of these fluids fall into their nasal passages during labor and the cleansing of the nasal passages from these fluids can take several days, which causes such manifestations as a cold nose or discharge from it.

Newborns do not breathe regularly. Instead, they usually have shallow breaths, then pauses and deeper breaths. Deeper breaths create turbulence in the nasal passages, which causes the air to move unevenly. Nasal passages of the child are equipped with tiny hairs and mucous glands to catch dust and other floating substances, thereby performing a protective function. This process can lead to the fact that the turbulent air is not sufficiently warmed and enters the lower respiratory tract. This system is imperfect, so in the cold air the child immediately has a cold nose, because the process of warming the air and its movement is disturbed. But this is just a temporary process, which is closer to the first month of the child's life.

Newborns can not breathe through the mouth in the first few months of life. Because babies have small nasal passages, they breathe more time. This is one of the reasons why the newborn often has a cold nose, because there passes the main amount of air, especially during feeding.

Why does the newborn have a cold nose and hands? The reason in this case is often the wrong temperature in the room, on the street during a walk, or the wrong dressing of the child. But simply because your baby's legs and nose are cold, this does not mean that you need to wrap it up tightly, because this will lead to overheating and the risk of developing a cold. Here's an empirical rule: dress your child the same way you dress, and then add another blouse or jacket. It is important to evaluate the temperature while walking, touching the handles, legs and nose.

From time to time, a cold nose and legs can be a sign of something more serious happening inside your child's body. It is worth worrying if a cold nose in a newborn appears against a background of fever.

The pathogenesis of such changes consists in the fact that when the body temperature rises, the child has several stages of this process. At the initial stage, the body temperature rises, then it is held for some time increased, and then decreases by itself or under the action of antipyretic agents. It is at the stage of lowering the temperature that certain parts of the body are cooled, including the nose, and the legs of the handle can become cold.

But the very rise in body temperature does not happen without a definite reason, so it is necessary to search for the cause of this. A cold nose and runny nose is usually the first sign that your child has a cold.

A cold is an infection of the upper respiratory tract, which most often causes an increase in the body temperature of the newborn, and with it a cold nose, as one of the symptoms. These infections are caused by one of many viruses, with rhinoviruses being the most common. Once your child is infected with a virus, he usually develops immunity to this particular virus. The viruses that cause colds are contagious and transmitted to your child in several ways. Air-drop: someone who has a cold can spread viral particles by coughing, sneezing or even talking. Direct contact: a person with an infection can transmit viruses when your child is touched. Also, known virus agents can be stored for a long time on surfaces such as toys or dishes for several hours.

Such main causes of infection of the child with a virus lead to the appearance of such symptoms as a cold nose.

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Risk factors

The risk factors for cold nose in a child is primarily a violation of the temperature regime, but the main risk factor to consider is contact with a person who has a viral infection. This factor must be taken into account and avoided for such a small child.

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Symptoms of the cold nose in a newborn

A cold nose in a newborn home or on a walk is most likely caused by a low temperature. In this case, you need to make sure that the child is not frozen. If you are not sure, then you need to measure the temperature of the child's body.

Diagnosis of a cold nose in a newborn often requires measuring body temperature, especially if this symptom is not repeated for the first time. Measurement of body temperature can be done with a mercury thermometer, an electronic thermometer or an infrared thermometer. It is believed that the most accurate measurement of body temperature is performed by an infrared thermometer on the tympanic membrane. The mercury thermometer is also quite accurate, but the measurement should be carried out in the armpit or in the groin for at least 10 minutes. An electronic thermometer can be considered the least accurate, but with the right measurement, the result must also be taken into account. The temperature of the body of a newborn child, due to imperfect regulation of the temperature regime, varies between 36.5 and 37.5 degrees. Therefore, the diagnosis is very simple: if the body temperature is below 36.5, the baby is frozen and needs to be dressed, fed or raised in the room. If the body temperature is above 37.5, then it is likely that the baby is sick. Thus, the main principle of diagnosis in a cold nose in a child is the measurement of body temperature.

The first signs of the disease together with a cold nose can develop during the first 24 hours after an increase in body temperature. Other symptoms that occur with colds and viral infections include:

Small fever (<38 ° C), sneezing, coughing, red eyes, hoarse voice, decreased appetite, irritability, and sleeping problems. These symptoms most likely indicate a cold. In newborns, these symptoms are usually resolved within two weeks, without requiring treatment from a doctor. If your child cope with his symptoms without medication, wait and see what happens. Probably, the child will be on the way to recovery, before you know it, because he has antibodies from his mother.

When a cold nose is combined with pronounced serous discharge from it, snoring, a violation of feeding, then this is a manifestation of rhinitis. This is an acute viral infection, which is characterized by inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nasal cavity. In this case, a cold nose can be one of the first signs, even before the onset of discharge from the nose.

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Complications and consequences

The consequences of a cold nose, if these are isolated cases, are usually not serious. When a child has a systematically cold nose during a walk, it is likely that he is easily dressed and then he can get sick.

Complications in newborns can be when a cold can lead to more serious infections, including an ear infection, also called otitis media. This is a very common complication of the common cold. This can happen if the virus or bacteria enters the child's ear canal.

Secondary respiratory tract infections, which are often bacterial, include pneumonia, croup, bronchiolitis.

trusted-source[12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18]

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis should be conducted between conditions when the cold nose is a sign of easy cooling or reaction to cold air, as well as between infectious conditions.

Treatment of the cold nose in a newborn

The principles of treating a cold nose in a newborn are certainly etiological. If you diagnosed that a newborn has a cold nose and his body temperature is below 36.5, then you need to cover it or change it into something warmer. Sometimes a hungry child also has a drop in body temperature, so the baby needs to be fed. If this helped, then such treatment is enough.

Treatment of a cold, when a child not only has a cold nose, but also a stuffy nose with copious watery discharge, must necessarily be carried out. After all, in this case the child can not eat normally because of stuffy nose.

In such cases, the main principles of treatment is the toilet of the nasal cavity of a newborn child with the restoration of free nasal breathing.

Salt spray for infants or nasal drops are considered safe and effective in treating rhinitis and restoring nasal breathing. Saline drops can be made at home by mixing one teaspoon of salt with 1/2 a glass of warm water. Before use, the water must be completely cooled. It is best to use a special adapted pharmacy with a known amount of substance. To treat the infant's nasal cavity, two drops of saline solution should be dripped into each nasal passage and wait two to three minutes. After that, it is necessary to suck the contents from each nostril in turn with a special nasal pediatric aspirator. This procedure should be performed several times a day, when nasal breathing worsens, and also before feeding.

At night, for a better sleep of the child, and also no more than three times in the afternoon, you can use special vasoconstrictive drops for the nose. They reduce edema, relieve congestion and excessive discharge from the nose. Antiviral agents can be used in complex therapy of viral infection of the nose.

It is necessary to continue breastfeeding, because this is the main immune defense for a child at this age.

Prevention

Prophylaxis of a cold nose in a newborn is first and foremost the proper care for it, the correct temperature regime and dressing for the weather. Walking in the open air is not only a risk of cooling, it is primarily a measure of disease prevention, because in the open air viruses are killed.

trusted-source[19]

Forecast

The prognosis for this problem is always favorable, since most often the cold nose is a symptom of violations of the imperfection of thermoregulatory mechanisms in newborns, which eventually passes. If the child has a cold, then with proper care and treatment, the prognosis is also favorable.

A cold nose in a newborn can be at home or on the street, which may indicate that the child is not dressed for the weather. If environmental factors are excluded as a possible cause of cold nose and limbs, then you need to measure body temperature to make sure that it is within the normal range. If there are other signs of a cold, other than a cold nose, then you need to see a doctor. 

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