Stuffy nose in a 1-month-old baby

Young babies rely heavily on nasal breathing, so even a small amount of mucus can make feeds and sleep noisier. Watch the baby rather than the sound alone: comfortable breathing, normal colour, alertness and usual wet nappies are reassuring signs.

Dry air, milk near the nostrils or ordinary mucus can narrow a newborn's tiny nasal passages. A common cold can also present with congestion, sneezing or discharge. Symptoms alone cannot establish the cause, and nasal noise may come from the nose rather than the chest.

Notice whether discharge is present, whether feeds take longer, and whether anyone at home has respiratory symptoms. These details help a clinician distinguish simple nasal blockage from an illness affecting breathing or hydration.

Place plain saline drops in each nostril and, if needed, use a baby nasal aspirator gently before a feed. Wipe discharge from the outside of the nose, offer usual feeds, and keep smoke, incense, perfume and aerosol sprays away from the baby.

Let the baby sleep flat on their back on a firm, clear sleep surface. Do not raise the mattress, use sleep positioners, insert cotton buds, or give decongestant, cold or allergy medicine unless a paediatric clinician specifically prescribes it.

Seek urgent care now if the baby has blue or grey lips, pauses in breathing, marked chest pulling, grunting, is difficult to wake, or cannot feed because of breathlessness. These signs matter regardless of what caused the blocked nose.

Contact a clinician promptly for fever in a baby this young, fewer wet nappies, repeated vomiting, worsening symptoms, or congestion that persistently disrupts feeding. Check temperature with a reliable thermometer rather than judging by touch.

Ask whether the breathing sound is coming from the nose or chest, how to use saline and suction without irritating the lining, and what feeding or nappy changes should trigger reassessment. Mention birth history, recent sick contacts, measured temperature and every medicine or remedy already used.