How to prevent and treat congestion in a baby while traveling

A congested infant can make traveling challenging and uncomfortable for you both. As a respiratory therapist this was my area of expertise. Humidity and a bulb syringe can be your biggest tools to treat congestion. Staying in a hotel room can dry out the airway and cause the body to react by producing excess mucus. Since babies cannot take OTC decongestants a more natural and gentle approach is the safest. If you notice your baby's breathing through the nose has become more vocal or noticeable, he may be congested. During bath time is a good time to notice whether your baby is nasally congested. The humidity from the warm water causes the mucus to become more fluid or loose therefore you can hear it better. After a warm bath a good time to suction the nasal passages of your stuffy baby is opportune. Not all bulb syringes are creat equal. Look for a syringe that is smaller in size like the syringes they use at the hospital which is light blue in color and is very simple. The larger the bulb- the round part you squeeze the more suction you will receive when applied to the nostril in turn getting more mucus out. You can also create a more humid environment in the bathroom which can help loosen mucus and make it more comfortable for your baby to breathe through his nose by turning the shower on hot water and let it get humid in the bathroom just before you suction. I always give my baby a daily vitamin to help aid in infection prevention. Most infant juice, if your baby is old enough to consume juice had added vitamin C to protect your baby. I only use medication as my last resort but the recommended dose age of infant Tylenol for your babies age can help relieve any added symptoms of being congested. Number one way to prevent infection is to hand wash, yourself as parents no your baby. Hand sanitizer is cheap and you can take it anywhere and use it on babies hands which touch everything! If the congestion gets worse and is accompanied by a fever or rash call your pediatrician immediately, it's better to be safe than sorry. Lastly while you pat your baby on the back to burp them you can also gentle pat a babies back closer to the shoulder blades to keep the babies lungs free of extra mucus. Gentle tapping or vibration helps shake out any extra mucus that can accumulate in a babies chest which can become infected.