Colds and Blocked Noses: How to Clear a Baby's Nose and Help Them Sleep

The first term at nursery sends your child home with new friends, new songs and a runny nose that never quite ends. It's normal. Young children can catch eight to ten colds in their first two years, and more once they start nursery. You can't stop them all, but you can make each one easier.

The short version

Colds are part of nursery life, and most pass in a week to ten days. Clear your baby's nose with saline and then gentle suction before feeds and sleep, no more than four times a day. Run a cool-mist humidifier with plain water, keep your baby flat on their back, and skip cough medicines under six, honey under one, and vapour rubs under two. Call the doctor for fast or difficult breathing, ear pain, fewer wet nappies, or a cold that isn't better after ten days.

The Journal is written by mothers, for mothers. It is peer-to-peer knowledge, not medical advice. If your child seems unwell, call your doctor. You will never be wrong to.