Liu Ping
Suzhou Municipal Hospital
Deputy Chief Physician of Child Health Department
There is a common saying about nosebleeds: when a baby has nosebleeds, as long as he looks up his head, nosebleeds will not flow again.
In fact, it is very dangerous to help the baby stop nosebleeds by raising his head.
When nosebleeds flow, the head leans back, and blood will pass through the throat, enter the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract, stimulating the intestines and stomach to make the baby vomit. If the amount of bleeding is large, the blood may also flow into the trachea, causing the baby to have difficulty breathing.
The correct way to deal with baby nosebleeds is:
- Let the child lean forward slightly and let nosebleeds flow out of the nostrils. Hold the cartilage under the bridge of the nose with your thumb and index finger for about 10 minutes to allow the baby to breathe with his mouth temporarily. If the nosebleed is not stopped, try to press it again. If conditions permit, ice bags or cold towels can be applied to the baby’s forehead to help stop bleeding.
In most cases, the baby’s nasal hemorrhage is caused by dry air, and the body will start the coagulation function to repair and stop bleeding on its own. Parents need not worry too much.
However, if the baby bleeds frequently or with a large amount of blood, he needs to go to the otolaryngology department to eliminate other possible causes.
