Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Stages

NewFolks may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Does you baby have a runny nose? Here’s when you should worry

Leslie Anderson
By

From seasonal allergies to the common cold or the flu, you have plenty of concerns when your baby has a runny nose. Some underlying factors that cause a runny nose turn out to be easily explained and treated. Others might signal something more concerning, especially if your child has a fever. In the meantime, you also wonder how to stop a baby’s runny nose. Should you try to find an over-the-counter medicine? Are there any alternative treatments for very young infants that don’t involve medication? Read on to find out more about this situation, how to give your child some relief, and when to call the doctor.

Why does your baby have a runny nose?

According to a study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, a baby’s runny nose sometimes correlates with teething, specifically once the tooth erupts. This is the body’s inflammatory response to the disruption of the gums. Therefore, if you notice that your baby is fussy, irritable, and drools more often than usual — along with a loss of appetite and a runny nose — more than likely, he or she has just cut a tooth. You might notice that your child has a low-grade fever that accompanies these symptoms. While you should closely monitor his or her temperature, you might not need to worry as long as the fever doesn’t increase. This is just a natural reaction (for some, not all babies) to the irritation in the mouth.

Related Videos

The other theory behind the runny nose involves seasonal allergies or a minor allergic reaction to something in your home or yard, like pets or dust. However, according to Dr. William Collins, a pediatric ear, nose, and throat specialist, if you notice a small amount of clear drainage, then this is a natural reaction to any particles that enter the nasal cavity. He emphasizes that this daily occurrence is quite normal.

On the other hand, if your baby wakes up with itchy eyes and a runny nose, then dust mites might be causing this issue. However, seasonal allergies to ragweed, grass, or pollen are extremely rare for babies, since they don’t spend a lot of time outdoors. These types of allergies often manifest at the age of two or whenever the child starts playing outside more often.

And of course, if your baby has a fever along with a continuous runny nose where the mucus is a bright yellow or green for 10 days or more and/or it’s accompanied by a cough, then you’re looking at the possibility of a cold or some other infection.

Person giving a baby nose drops

How do you stop a baby’s runny nose?

For very young infants, fortunately, you can try some alternatives to cold and allergy medication. For starters, you can use a bulb syringe to clear up your baby’s nose, but you’ll need to remember to release the bulb gently when sucking out the mucus. In addition to the bulb, you can also apply saline drops, which help to loosen the mucus and promote easy extraction.

You can also try a device like the Nose Frida, which allows you to keep the aspirator inside the baby’s nose while removing the mucus.

In addition to these measures, you can gently use a soft cloth or tissue to wipe your baby’s nose. If you see redness around the nasal area, try applying a thin layer of petroleum jelly around your baby’s nostrils to protect against chafing.

Doctor checking baby's throat

When should you worry about your baby’s runny nose?

As mentioned, you might keep an eye on the color and texture of the mucus. If your baby’s nose runs clear but gradually turns from white to yellow or green, this could be a sign of a viral infection. In this case, you can give medication to keep the fever down and use the home remedies that were previously mentioned. If your baby’s running nose coincides with a fever, cough and/or raspy breathing, and pulling on the ear, you’ll need to contact your doctor who can then prescribe an infant’s dosage of an antibiotic if necessary. Your pediatrician might need to swab your baby’s throat to check for a bacterial infection and check the ears for redness.

Luckily, your baby’s immune system will build up as he or she gets older. While a cold seems alarming and your child may be miserable, the runny nose should come to a stop after a few days. In the meantime, you’ve seen how to stop a baby’s runny nose safely and effectively. Soon enough, your child will be fuss-free and feeling much better. And of course, if any concerns arise, you should contact your pediatrician or visit an urgent care clinic.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
RSV, the flu, or COVID? What to know about the tripledemic to keep your kids safe
There are still weeks left of this winter, so know about the tripledemic in case your child gets one
Mother comforting a crying baby

Nicknamed the "tripledemic," the flu, RSV, and COVID all made a comeback among children in the last few months. What's more frustrating for parents -- other than having a sick child -- is the overlap between these three that makes it difficult to know which is which, so you know how to treat it.
Though numbers are starting to decline, there are still weeks of winter to go where your child could catch any of these viruses. Parents need to keep an eye on possible cases at home, and we're here to help by giving you all the information you need to know to keep your children healthy, with a little help from our expert, Board-Certified Pediatrician Dr. David Berger, founder of private practice Wholistic Pediatrics & Family Care.

What each virus is
The first step to dodging the tripledemic is to know what each virus is by itself.
RSV
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a pretty common virus that almost every single child will catch by the time they turn 2 years old.

Read more
5 things you should never say to a pregnant woman
She's already cranky, puffed, and exhausted. Please don't make it worse with these common questions for pregnant women
Pregnant married woman standing in a floral gown

These lists are sometimes hard to compile because of the beautiful complexity and differences between women. What may be offensive to one may be exactly what another needs to hear. Women, particularly pregnant women, are multidimensional, deeply thinking, individualistic human beings, and there is no "one-size-fits-all" list that applies to everyone.
However, there does seem to be an invisible boundary of privacy that drops when a woman is expecting a child. In a time when she is very likely uncertain, nervous, and potentially bombarded with any number of questions, swimming in a pool of nerves, people think this is the time to invade her space.
Most of these are well-intentioned questions, habitual, even. Rightfully so, people are excited and happy at the sight of a pregnant woman, and sometimes in that joy, manners can slip. It's important to keep in mind that many women -- particularly the more introverted ones -- are uncomfortable with all the new attention they're probably receiving. For the women who don't relish having these conversations with their family members, friends, hairstylists, and strangers in the produce section, these questions can be very awkward. Keep reading to find out the things you should never say to a pregnant woman.

'Are you going to breastfeed?'
This one is usually said with an air of haughtiness that also says, "It is the best choice, you know. Any mother who doesn’t breastfeed is just the absolute worst and shouldn’t be allowed to have children if only because of her shocking selfishness."
Ladies (and gentlemen), think about this one for a moment. While, as mentioned above, your intentions are undoubtedly lovely and kind, you may very well be deeply offending the already uncomfortable pregnant woman you’re talking to. Take into consideration that there are many reasons her answer to this question may be (gasp) "No."
Perhaps she has a medical issue that prevents her from breastfeeding. Perhaps she has a deeply rooted psychological reason she’s chosen not to. Perhaps she just feels icky about the whole thing, and despite her best efforts, just can’t move past it. Whatever the reason, she already knows breastfeeding is the healthiest and “best” option without you telling her so.
She doesn’t need to know that it’s what you did and that your babies were just healthy little horses. She doesn’t need to hear that feeding her precious, unborn baby formula is the equivalent of feeding it Tang instead of freshly squeezed orange juice. She’s thought about her choice more than you have; whatever that choice is, it's really none of your business.

Read more
How to help your toddler adjust to a new baby
Is a child's reaction to a new sibling abnormal toddler behavior? Maybe, but probably not. What to know
A toddler holding a new baby on a white bench

Your first baby completed you. You loved them so much that you decided to have another.

Parents may worry their kids won’t hit it off. These concerns may be amplified for parents having children close together. Toddlers don’t have the language or empathy to understand why a new loud, tiny human is commanding lots of attention — attention that used to be theirs.

Read more