Nasal washes for children

Is nasal discharge a bad thing?

Yes. Imagine a world without nasal discharge. A very beautiful world.
Snot, no matter what colour it is, is a big troublemaker for children and adults.
Especially in the younger ones, when it blocks their upper airways and makes it difficult for them to feed (because the nares are blocked and the child struggles to breastfeed or bottle feed), as it causes difficulties for air to enter and when the mucous slides backwards, especially during the night, it causes a productive cough.
This is why I have dedicated an entire chapter to the baby with a runny nose.

Is nasal discharge an illness?

No.
Nasal discharge is a discharge that is released from the mucous membranes of the nose as a reaction to a certain stimulus, in children it is mostly viruses and in older people it can also be from an allergic origin (find out more about allergic rhinitis in the link here).

So, does it make sense to try and stop nasal discharge?

Yes. If there was a good and real medication for snot in babies and children, then of course we would all be better off without nasal discharge.
But I am not sure whether such a medication exists. Especially not in babies under the age of two.

So, does it make sense to try and pull the discharge out of the nose, or in other words, to perform nasal washes?

If there was a tool that could pull the discharge out, without causing any discomfort or complications, and could bring about a stable change in the child’s discharge (in such a way that it wouldn’t all reaccumulate within five minutes), then great.

Excellent – then nasal washes are a good thing, right?

Wait, be patient my friends. Continuing reading below.

What are nasal washes and what is a sinus flush?

Nasal wash – the use of a specific type of pump that simple pulls the discharge out of the child’s nose. This is typically used in babies with blocked noses.
Sinus flush/nasal irrigation – many people do this on different age groups and the idea is to push water into one nostril (usually salt water) and pull it out from the other. Some of these pumps require the parents’ mouth to do the sucking so that the discharge collects in a small cup.

So, what is so bad about these nasal washes?

Three things.
1. It simply doesn’t help – even if it feels like you’ve cleared the baby’s nose for five minutes (which I agree can be a blessing), you have provoked the mucous membrane even more in a way that causes it to produce 7 times as much mucous in the next few minutes. There is no medical literature to provide evidence that this is helpful in babies or children.
2. Injuring the mucous membrane of the nose – pushing water into the nose with pressure or sucking out of the nose injured the baby’s mucous membrane, sometimes in a very microscopy way. As a result, the membrane is affected in a way that disturbs its function.
3. Introduction of infections – the pumps that you use, whether they are the regular pumps or those that suck out air, are not sterile. The tube that you insert into your child’s nose is also not sterile. And therefore, as an extension of the previous clause, you are actually simply introducing viruses/bacteria/fungi into the child’s nose. This can lead to infection. This has happened in the past.

So, what is the difference between this and the suction that is done on babies in the hospital – isn’t it the same thing?

The suction that we sometimes perform on little babies in the hospital is done through a suction pump that is connected to the wall, and does not require anyone’s mouth to suck. The tube we use is sterile.
And the procedure is done by experienced nurses.
And I’ll tell you a secret, I’m not sure whether that procedure is helpful either, but it is custom to perform it.

Wait, Dr Efi, can you explain it again – what is wrong with nasal washes?

When you perform it, you injure the mucous membrane of the nose and you introduce infections into the area that is not helpful for the child at all.

But my neighbour’s aunt swears that she does it to her child every time they have a runny nose and that it works wonders?

I am aware of the videos on social media about the child that underwent a wash and was able to breathe again after suffering from nasal discharge for five years.
I also saw that viral video of the Japanese mom that splashed holy water into one of her baby’s nostrils and got tons of nasty discharge from the other.
I know that people on social media will say that I know nothing and that sinus washes are life.
And I am also aware of how difficult it is for pediatricians to sit in front of parents that haven’t slept all night and say “there’s nothing for us to offer”.
But please, don’t do this to your child.

Are there specific cases where you would recommend nasal/sinus washes for a child?

Listen, everything in life is about moderation.
If you’re unable to fall asleep at night without a shallow wash from your child who has no underlying health conditions, then do so gently and use a device that you sterilize before every single use. While you’re at it though, explain to me how you are able to sterilize a plastic device.
You have chronic sinusitis (the sinuses are underdeveloped in children, find out more here), you are 100 percent healthy otherwise and your ENT specialist told you that you have to do these washes because of chronic sinusitis? Then do as you’re told.
However, if you have a sick baby or one that is immune comprised, don’t insert these tubes into their noses.
And if you haven’t tried this and you’re not into in, just forget it exists.
I have a number of other addictions to suggest to you.