Most parents, hearing that their baby is snoring in their sleep, begin to panic and rush to show their child to the doctor. Practice shows that in most cases, the anxiety of mothers and fathers turns out to be completely groundless. Nevertheless, it is necessary to understand the situation, and in the most urgent manner.
A baby may start snoring from the first day of life
Symptoms of newborn snoring
Many babies may wheeze, grunt, or snore. Because children's snoring is very different from that of an adult's, not everyone can identify with it. It is often confused with snoring. In the second case, we cannot talk about significant pathology. When the baby sniffles, it makes a soft sound, while when snoring, it makes a rattling sound, with light low-frequency vibrations.
Baby's snoring always worries parents a lot
A baby usually snores in the first months of life due to certain structural features of the nasopharynx: his nasal passages are still narrow, and the baby has to make significant efforts to draw in air. It is for this reason that even during feeding you can hear the newborn's glanders. When the child falls asleep, the snoring turns into snoring and begins to frighten the parents.
Causes of snoring in babies
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All the reasons why a baby sometimes snores can be divided into two large groups: physiological and pathological.
Physiological
Most often, a baby snores for physiological reasons. This occurs during sleep and is not accompanied by additional symptoms such as a runny nose or fever. Snoring occurs when inhaling while lying on your back. This is due to the fact that the baby’s palate is too soft, which is why it begins to vibrate when inhaling forcefully through the nose.
Older children, up to the age of two, snore due to the fact that the trachea and larynx are compressed by the thymus gland located in the area of the second to fourth ribs.
The reason why an infant may snore is sometimes due to insufficient oral hygiene. The mucus accumulates and then dries in the nasal passage, forming a crust and making it difficult for the child to breathe. An increased level of indoor air dryness also contributes to the formation of scabs on the nasal mucosa.
Pathological
It is worse when a baby snores during sleep due to existing pathologies. Most often, a child snores due to pathological changes in the adenoids or Hoan atresia (decreased nasal cavity patency).
A baby can snore for various reasons.
With adenoids or pathological changes in the pharyngeal tonsils, the passage of air is blocked and the respiratory process becomes difficult.
In some cases, a child snores if the mother suffered an infectious disease during pregnancy, had a difficult birth, or was carrying the baby in an unfavorable environmental environment.
Joan's atresia is an abnormality of intrauterine development of the fetus. In the initial months of gestation, the pharynx of the embryo is separated from the nasal cavity by a special membrane, which, under normal conditions, then dissolves, leaving the choanae (internal nostrils that connect the oral cavity to the pharynx). If the membrane persists, atresia occurs and the newborn baby snores.
Atresia can develop under the influence of one (or more) of the following prerequisites:
- bronchitis, pyelonephritis or diabetes mellitus in the mother;
- exposure to x-rays;
- genetic predisposition;
- infectious diseases in the mother during pregnancy.
Important ! In most cases, with atresia, the membrane degenerates into bone tissue, as a result of which snoring becomes chronic.
If you discover that your newborn regularly snores in his sleep, you should show him to the doctor. The specialist will examine the baby and be able to conclude whether the problem is pathological and prescribe adequate treatment.
Main reasons
An infant snores during sleep due to several factors:
- Due to the physiological characteristics of this age. Since young children have a very mobile and soft epiglottis, which vibrates through vibration.
- A baby may snore while in deep sleep in an awkward position. In this case, you need to turn the baby onto his stomach, and then observe for a while.
- Another cause of snoring may be an enlarged gland, which is the main component in the formation of immunity. The thymus develops in babies over the course of two years, and it is located next to the ribs. This problem can be solved by turning the baby over, only in this case on his side.
Do not confuse snoring with snoring, as snoring is evidence of narrow nasal passages. This is all because the nose at this age is disproportionately small, it grows and develops.
Snoring in infants is common and usually does not pose any serious threat. If he sleeps in an uncomfortable position, it is immediately obvious, so you need to turn the newborn baby over. Also, you should not put him to sleep in a dirty room, as this may cause snoring due to allergies.
The dangers of snoring in newborns
What to do if your baby is choking and suffocating
There cannot be a clear answer to the question of why a baby snores. Most often, his nose is clogged, snot is stuck inside, or the mucous membrane is dry. A little less often, the cause is excess weight or certain physiological features. Only in last place are hormonal imbalances and pathologies of the nasopharynx.
A child's snoring is often a serious cause for concern.
Having discovered that a newborn baby snores, you should not expect that in a month another problem will go away on its own. If you do not start treating your baby immediately, it may worsen due to oxygen starvation or apnea. This may mean that due to impaired nasal breathing, insufficient oxygen reaches the brain during sleep. If this state of affairs continues for a long time, the metabolism inside the brain cells is disrupted, and its functions are reduced. As a result, the child becomes very absent-minded, inattentive, apathetic and lethargic. Sometimes he may show signs of unexplained aggression. As a result, if you continue to do nothing, encephalopathy will develop - damage to brain cells that is irreversible.
As for apnea, it is dangerous because the baby’s breathing may not be restored at all during sleep, and he will die. If the otolaryngologist has not identified any pathology, but severe snoring continues, it is recommended to show the child to an orthodontist. In this case, you will have to examine not only the throat, but also the mouth - perhaps the problem is caused by an incorrect bite.
When a child cannot sleep peacefully and breathe freely, hypoxia develops. It not only provokes fatigue, decreased activity and moodiness, but also affects the development of vital systems and organs. This may mean that snoring (in a worst-case scenario) could result in consequences such as hearing problems, urinary incontinence, or developmental delays.
Advice. In addition to the basic treatment of snoring, it is necessary to increase the baby’s immunity and carefully ensure that his nose is clean.
What to do if your baby snores
You need to do the following:
- It is necessary to determine the cause of the snoring itself. In most cases, this is an uncomfortable child's position and deep sleep.
- To do this, you need to change the baby's position.
- And if you have nasal congestion, you should simply eliminate this problem.
It is also necessary to monitor the indoor air and temperature. Humidity should be at least 50%, and the temperature should be an average of 20 degrees. It is better not to turn on the air conditioner in the nursery, as it dries out the air too much.
Treatment should be prescribed by the treating pediatrician.
Possible diseases, the harbinger of which is snoring
A child may also snore because a serious illness is developing. These include: arterial hypertension, cardiac arrhythmia, heart failure, stroke.
In addition, this may indicate the development of apnea. Apnea is a periodic short-term holding of breath in a baby, due to which oxygen may stop flowing into the lungs and blood of the newborn.
However, do not panic in advance; snoring is not the only symptom of apnea. An indicator will also be the fact that during the waking period the baby breathes through his mouth, during sleep he has profuse sweating, drowsiness, retardation of movements, strange postures of the baby in his sleep, as well as urinary incontinence. These symptoms are significant indicators that your 1-year-old baby or toddler is developing sleep apnea.
So, most babies sniffle in their sleep due to dry air in the room and a stuffy nose, or because of an uncomfortable position. These reasons are considered the most harmless and common. However, in order to be calm about the health of your child and his sound sleep, you need to be monitored by a pediatrician. That is why you should not wonder for a long time why this is happening; it is better to go to the clinic right away.
What to do when your baby snores
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Despite the fact that snoring in a newborn is normal in most cases, it requires special attention. The first thing to do is to identify the cause. To do this, you should consult not only a pediatrician, but also a specialist such as an otolaryngologist. An effective solution to a breathing problem is to eliminate its immediate cause. Any therapy must be carried out as prescribed by a specialist and under his constant supervision. Self-medication in this case can have serious consequences.
If the cause of breathing problems is related to the age-related characteristics of a small child’s body, it is quite enough to simply change the position in which the baby falls asleep, turning him over on his stomach or side.
A dried crust in the nose that interferes with breathing will need to be lubricated with Vaseline or oil using a cotton swab or swab. This will help her move away, which will make breathing easier.
Prevention of snoring in infants
If the baby does not snore, this does not mean that parents should relax. In order for the child to develop normally and not experience difficulty breathing in the foreseeable future, he should be protected and some preventive measures should be taken. We are talking about the following procedures and actions:
- regular cleaning of the nasal cavities using cotton wool (you can, alternatively, use a wet aspirator);
- use drops that constrict blood vessels before going to bed (no more than once a day);
- from time to time moisturize the mucous membrane with saline solutions;
- monitor the baby's weight;
- provide the child with adequate rest and balanced nutrition;
- Carry out regular physical exercises with your child;
- often walk with your child in the fresh air;
- Put your baby to bed exclusively in pajamas made of high-quality natural fabric;
- Thoroughly ventilate your baby’s room every day.
Important! To further reduce the risk of snoring in newborns, they should be placed on their side in the crib.
The child’s sleeping place, as well as his correct position during sleep, are of great importance. In this regard, the baby should choose a not too soft mattress for the crib and a comfortable pillow. It is possible to use specialized positioners, with the help of which it will be much easier to provide the baby with the correct position during sleep.
Snoring is easier to prevent than to cure
Attention! Under no circumstances should split systems be installed in a child’s room. Cover heating radiators with a thick blanket and ventilate the room, avoiding drafts.
The famous pediatrician, Dr. Komarovsky, is sure that children's snoring is a dangerous and unusual phenomenon. Despite the fact that physiology may be the reason for its development, it is still better to play it safe and show the child to a doctor. Be sure to follow the recommended preventive measures.
Insufficient hygiene during care
Difficulty breathing and snoring can also be caused by mucus that accumulates in the baby's nose. This makes the already narrow nasal passage even narrower. This should be combated by cleaning your nose more thoroughly.
It is worth noting that in order to reduce your baby’s snoring, you need to:
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Methods for getting your child to fall asleep independently
- Rinse the baby's nasal mucosa regularly so that he can breathe while sleeping.
- Take daily walks.
- Regulate indoor air humidity.
- Go to bed in a clean room.
If your baby snores for this reason, it is advisable to purchase a humidifier.
A clogged nasal passage, according to the advice of pediatricians, must be cleared several times a day. You definitely need to do this in the morning and evening before bed, and if necessary, at lunch, but at least twice daily.
