Why does a baby have a bloody nose? Why do babies get nosebleeds? Going to the hospital if you have frequent bleeding

A nosebleed in a child, especially a small one, is a cause for great concern for parents. And although doctors say: as a rule, blood coming from the nose of a baby is not at all dangerous, it is better to know everything possible reasons this disease and be prepared to stop it in a timely manner.

Why there's blood coming out baby's nose?

In the nasal region there is a network of vessels and small capillaries, which, when ruptured, provoke bleeding. Dry and irritated vessels become very brittle and can bleed from any, even minor, damage.

The most common causes of nosebleeds in a child or newborn:

Dry mucous membrane. Provoked harmful effect heating devices, sudden temperature changes, abuse vasoconstrictor drops with a runny nose; Increased intracranial pressure; Infection (eg, sinusitis); Nose injury (often caused by nose picking or bruise); Entry of a foreign body (for example, toy parts) into the nose; Incorrect shape of the nose from birth (deviated nasal septum); Proliferation of polyps in the nose. Should I be concerned when I see blood coming from my baby's nose?

As a rule, the concern is unfounded. IN winter period When heating appliances are running at full capacity and the spread of infections reaches critical levels, nosebleeds are not uncommon.

According to doctors, this problem may bother the baby, but it completely disappears by adolescence. The whole point is that the newborn's blood vessels are still too weak and cannot withstand irritants.

How to prevent nose bleed baby?

If the air in the apartment is too dry, you should purchase a humidifier for the child’s room. He will help create comfortable microclimate and maintain the desired level of humidity.

Make sure that the child does not put anything into the nose, including his own fingers.

If bleeding due to a dry nose recurs regularly, you should talk to your doctor about using saline nasal instillation. It moisturizes the mucous membrane and strengthens blood vessels.

In what cases does nosebleeds in a child require consulting a doctor:

Bleeding occurs as a result of a fall, injury to the head or nose, or a blow; The baby has leaked too much blood and you suspect danger; The bleeding started after taking some medications; The baby has constant nasal congestion and bleeds more often than before. If, in addition to nosebleeds, the child easily bruises, the gums bleed. How to stop bleeding?

Calm the child and make him spit out blood. It should not get into the throat and cause nausea. Place the child on your lap so that his head is tilted slightly down. Press the napkin to the spout and secure it with your hand. You need to wait about 10 minutes without removing the napkin. If the child is quite old, you need to ask him to breathe through his mouth. In order for him not to be scared or bored, you can read a book or turn on a cartoon. After 10 minutes, check to see if the bleeding has stopped. If not, you need to put it on the bridge of your nose cold compress and again cover your nose with a napkin for 10 minutes. If the bleeding does not stop, you should definitely consult a doctor. What not to do!

Do not allow the child to take a horizontal position or tilt his head back. This will cause blood to leak into the throat.
Do not plug your nostrils with cotton swabs. They can stop the bleeding, but during removal they will again damage the mucous membrane and the problem will recur.

Hospital control methods

If the child’s bleeding cannot be stopped at home, he must be taken to the hospital, where the doctor will determine the cause of the pathology. This is done like this: the oral cavity is examined with a special flashlight and the source of bleeding is identified. After this, the damaged area is tamponed with a special hemostatic liquid, which should stop the flow of blood almost instantly. If this also does not help, a bandage is applied. Such a need arises very rarely.

In addition to all these procedures, the doctor looks to see if the nose or head is damaged, and whether bleeding is a sign of some other disease.

Children often tolerate nosebleeds very easily and are not even particularly frightened. However, the adult's task is to make every effort to prevent blood loss. Nosebleeds should not be allowed to become a habit in a child and be perceived as normal.

How did I become a doctor? Quite a difficult question... If you think about it, there was no choice. I was born into the family of a resuscitation doctor, and every day at dinner I heard my father’s story about how his day went. As a child, this all seemed fantastic, beyond reality.

More details

Nosebleeds in children occur quite often. There is nothing strange about this - the mucous membranes in a child’s nose are very thin and can be easily injured. And the children themselves are very active - any child loves to run, play outdoor games, and indulge. And the nose is often the first to suffer in such pranks, especially in boys. But it’s not just trauma that can cause bleeding. Let's figure out why a child may bleed from the nose and what needs to be done in such cases.

Blood in infants

Let's start with the smallest ones. They do not yet lead such an active lifestyle that they could fall and hit their nose. Babies up to 5-7 months spend most of their time in horizontal position and are rarely left without adult supervision. But, nevertheless, sometimes a baby’s nose may bleed.

In a newborn, the cause is most often trivial - he simply scratches in his sleep or while awake. Infants up to 2-3 months old cannot yet coordinate hand movements well and can accidentally catch their face and stick a finger in their nose. If the nails are cut incorrectly (or the mother is simply afraid to do it), then the thin skin and mucous membranes are easily injured, and the mother thinks that the baby is bleeding from the nose. It is enough to put special mittens on your hands and trim your nails in time, and the problem will disappear.

The second common reason why a baby's nose begins to bleed is improper cleansing. It will no longer be possible to find out who was the first to use cotton swabs to clean the nose, but this idea was very bad, although it spread among mothers simply rapidly. Not only is this the easiest way to injure the mucous membrane, but there is also a risk that the cotton wool will come off and remain in the nasal passage.

Remember: insert into the nasal passage infant solid objects can only be carried out by a doctor for the purpose of examination or necessary medical manipulations. You will not be able to control the depth of insertion cotton swab, nor the force of pressing on the walls of the nasal passages, which are literally penetrated by capillaries.

Damage to the capillaries leads to bleeding from the nose in children after this method of cleaning it. For these purposes, you can only use soft cotton or gauze flagella, moistened saline solution, “Aquamaris” or warm sterile oil (sunflower, sea buckthorn, olive).

In older children, especially from 2-3 years old, more serious causes can cause nosebleeds.

Non-infectious causes

If you turned away for a second, and the baby suddenly began to cry and his nose began to bleed, the most probable cause– injury. This is especially eloquently confirmed by broken knees or other abrasions and wounds. The first thing to do in this case is to calm the child and stop the bleeding. We will tell you how to quickly do this below.

Then you need to carefully examine your nose. If the blood was stopped quickly, touching the bridge of the nose does not cause strong pain, and its shape has not been changed, then nothing bad happened. The impact simply burst the capillaries. But if there is a large wound on the nose, severe swelling appears, and the bleeding cannot be stopped quickly, then a fracture is possible and then the baby needs urgent medical attention.

Others non-infectious causes, causing nosebleeds in children can be:

The air is too dry. If there is insufficient air humidity in the room in which the child is located long time, its delicate mucous membranes dry out, dense crusts form in the nose. When removing them from the baby’s nose, blood may bleed, so this must be done very carefully. Overvoltage. Sometimes when severe cough or sneezing, children's noses begin to bleed. This occurs due to severe overvoltage blood vessels, as a result of which they simply burst. There is no need to worry too much, but you need to pay attention to the reason for the fragility of the capillaries. Perhaps this is vitamin deficiency. Overheating. If your nose bleeds during a walk in the hot season, most likely the cause is simple overheating. The baby should be immediately taken to the shade, wiped his face, arms and legs with cool water, ensure air flow (you can simply fan him with a towel or newspaper). When bleeding is accompanied by vomiting, fainting, chills, or severe headache, it is better to call an ambulance; heat stroke is possible. Increased arterial pressure. In children, blood pressure rarely rises sharply and strongly. But if this happens, nosebleeds may be the first symptom. The child may also complain about headache, nausea and vomiting often occur. Before the doctor arrives, the bleeding must be stopped; it is better to put the baby to bed, rather than apply a cold compress to the forehead. Sharp drop temperatures or pressure. Leads to spasm or severe dilatation of blood vessels. If the walls of the capillaries are very thin, they burst and blood begins to flow from the nose. This often happens on an airplane or when returning from extreme cold in the warmth. This type of bleeding is not dangerous. Chemical or physical irritants: dusty and highly polluted air, strong odors, household chemicals. Especially with constant exposure, they cause inflammation of the mucous membranes and their loosening. Over time, polyps may form and strong allergic reactions and even bronchial asthma. Entry of a foreign body. Small foreign body It is very difficult to notice, but if it is a hard object that is stuck in the nasal passage and presses on the mucous membranes, it causes a child to bleed from the nose, often from only one nostril. Under no circumstances should you try to remove it yourself. The child should be taken to the doctor immediately. The use of vasoconstrictor drops. These drugs are generally not recommended for use in the treatment of young children - they severely dry out the mucous membranes. And if you exceed the recommended dosage, they crack and begin to bleed.

As soon as the above reasons are eliminated, nosebleeds stop and do not occur again. If a child’s nose bleeds regularly (at least two to three times a month), then most likely there is an internal reason for this.

Blood as a symptom

Sometimes nosebleeds in a child can be a symptom of a fairly serious illness. Therefore, when such a phenomenon occurs frequently, regardless of age, the baby must be examined. It is urgent to do this if there are other recurring symptoms. The reason why your baby regularly bleeds from the nose may be the following diseases:

Polyps and others benign formations. Polyps are growths of mucosal tissue that can be caused by external or internal factors. This tissue has a changed structure, is easily damaged, and often bleeds. Such bleeding may not be accompanied by other symptoms, but if the polyps grow strongly, the baby’s nose is constantly stuffy (on one or both sides), and he may complain of a feeling of pressure in the paranasal sinuses. Inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. Most often it is a complication after suffering respiratory diseases of a bacterial or viral nature. The infection, entering the sinuses, provokes purulent-inflammatory processes, severe runny nose and nosebleeds. Cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Often lead to sudden changes in blood pressure readings. This puts additional stress on the capillaries, which they cannot withstand and burst. Sometimes strong increase pressure can be caused by poor kidney function. This can only be determined by comprehensive examination. Oncological diseases. Cancer (and not only of the respiratory system) can cause regular bloody runny nose in the morning and frequent nosebleeds. Blood vessels become especially fragile during a course of chemotherapy, the drugs of which are very toxic. Hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. They become the reason that baby is coming blood from the nose with the slightest damage to its mucous membrane and it is very difficult to stop this bleeding; this often requires the use of special drugs. This effect can also be caused by long-term use blood thinning medications, such as Aspirin.

Treatment in any of the above ways is necessary, since nosebleeds are only a symptom, but they will not stop until the underlying cause is eliminated. Pick up medications Only a doctor should do so based on the results of the tests performed. Self-medication can aggravate the situation and lead to more frequent nosebleeds.

In some cases conservative treatment turns out to be not enough. So, if after several courses of therapy the polyps in the nose or sinuses do not decrease, it is better to remove them surgically. Otherwise, they can cause not only frequent bleeding, but also the development chronic diseases respiratory organs.

How to stop bleeding

If a child's nosebleeds are not severe, then with the right actions it is quite easy to stop. The main thing is not to panic, so that the anxiety is not transferred to the baby who is already frightened by what is happening. Here's what to do:

sit him on a chair, in your arms or just on the floor (so that he doesn’t fall if he gets dizzy); tilt his head down (and not lift it up, as many do!); lightly squeeze the bridge of the nose with your fingers on both sides; ask the baby to breathe calmly and slowly through the mouth; hold the nose like this for 5-7 minutes.

Usually after these actions the blood stops flowing. You can then apply a cold compress to the bridge of your nose. If it is ice, you should keep it for no more than 5 minutes, then remove it and, if necessary, apply it again after a while.

When a child's nose bleeds excessively, sterile gauze swabs can be very carefully inserted into the nasal passages. They will squeeze the capillaries and the bleeding will stop. You can keep them in your nose for no longer than 15 minutes.

But if, despite everything Taken measures, the blood continues to flow, consultation with a doctor and, possibly, emergency medical care is necessary.

Prevention measures

None preventive measures will not protect the child from nasal injuries. IN childhood they are inevitable. But if you explain basic personal safety measures to a grown-up child, then there is a high probability that you will still be able to do without serious injuries. And children under 2-3 years old simply cannot be left unattended for a long time.

Other preventive measures will help reduce the risk of nosebleeds:

strengthening the immune system, hardening procedures - will allow you to get sick less often respiratory diseases; compulsory treatment runny nose - will prevent the development of chronic diseases of the nose and sinuses; maintaining cleanliness and temperature conditions in the child’s room will eliminate as much as possible Negative influence external factors; regular preventative medical examinations will allow you to diagnose serious illnesses internal organs on early stage; a variety of nutritious and high-quality nutrition, rich in vitamins and microelements will prevent vitamin deficiency and capillary fragility; Proper and regular cleansing of the nasal passages will not injure the mucous membranes and will eliminate mucus stagnation.

As you can see, everything is important in caring for a baby: routine, nutrition, living conditions, appropriate care. But the most important thing is to trust pediatricians and do not self-medicate. Often wrong actions parents lead to the fact that such a small problem as a bloody nose becomes a big problem requiring long-term treatment.

A nosebleed in a child, especially a small one, is a cause for great concern for parents. And although doctors say: as a rule, blood coming from the nose of a baby is not at all dangerous, it is better to know all the possible causes of this disease and be prepared to stop it in a timely manner.

Why does a child's nose bleed?

In the nasal region there is a network of vessels and small capillaries, which, when ruptured, provoke bleeding. Dry and irritated vessels become very brittle and can bleed from any, even minor, damage.

The most common causes of nosebleeds in a child or newborn:

• Dry mucous membrane. It is provoked by the harmful effects of heating devices, sudden changes in temperature, abuse of vasoconstrictor drops during a runny nose;
• Increased intracranial pressure;
• Infection (eg, sinusitis);
• Nose injury (often caused by nose picking or bruise);
• Entry of a foreign body (for example, toy parts) into the nose;
• Incorrect shape of the nose from birth (deviated nasal septum);
• Proliferation of polyps in the nose.

Should I be concerned when I see blood coming from my baby's nose?

As a rule, the concern is unfounded. In winter, when heating appliances operate at full capacity and the spread of infections reaches critical levels, nosebleeds are not uncommon.

According to doctors, this problem can bother infants, but it completely disappears by adolescence. The whole point is that the newborn's blood vessels are still too weak and cannot withstand irritants.

How to prevent nosebleeds in infants?

If the air in the apartment is too dry, you should purchase a humidifier for the child’s room. It will help create a comfortable microclimate and maintain the desired level of humidity.

Make sure that the child does not put anything into the nose, including his own fingers.

If bleeding due to a dry nose recurs regularly, you should talk to your doctor about using saline nasal instillation. It moisturizes the mucous membrane and strengthens blood vessels.

In what cases does nosebleeds in a child require consulting a doctor:

• Bleeding occurs as a result of a fall, injury to the head or nose, or a blow;
• The baby has leaked too much blood and you suspect danger;
• The bleeding started after taking some medications;
• The baby has constant nasal congestion and bleeds more often than before.
• If, in addition to nosebleeds, the child easily bruises, the gums bleed.

How to stop bleeding?

1. Calm the child and make him spit out blood. It should not get into the throat and cause nausea.
2. Place the child on your lap so that his head is tilted slightly down. Press the napkin to the spout and secure it with your hand. You need to wait about 10 minutes without removing the napkin.
3. If the child is quite old, you need to ask him to breathe through his mouth. In order for him not to be scared or bored, you can read a book or turn on a cartoon.
4. After 10 minutes, check to see if the bleeding has stopped. If not, you need to put a cold compress on the bridge of your nose and cover your nose with a napkin again for 10 minutes.
5. If the bleeding does not stop, you should definitely consult a doctor.

What not to do!

Do not allow the child to take a horizontal position or tilt his head back. This will cause blood to leak into the throat.
Do not plug your nostrils with cotton swabs. They can stop the bleeding, but during removal they will again damage the mucous membrane and the problem will recur.

Hospital control methods

If the child’s bleeding cannot be stopped at home, he must be taken to the hospital, where the doctor will determine the cause of the pathology. This is done like this: the oral cavity is examined with a special flashlight and the source of bleeding is identified. After this, the damaged area is tamponed with a special hemostatic liquid, which should stop the flow of blood almost instantly. If this also does not help, a bandage is applied. Such a need arises very rarely.

In addition to all these procedures, the doctor looks to see if the nose or head is damaged, and whether bleeding is a sign of some other disease.

Bleeding from a child's nose always frightens parents. There are many reasons for this phenomenon, and, of course, in such a situation the baby needs help. In order for parents to be able to provide it to their child, they need to familiarize themselves with the relevant information about the types, features and methods of treating such pathologies.

Causes of nosebleeds in children

There are a lot of blood vessels in the nasal cavity. Nosebleeds (epistaxis) from one or both nostrils are much more common in children than in adults. It can occur at any age (both in one-year-olds and in preschool and younger children school age up to 10 years) and less often in adolescents. Thus, almost every child personal experience knows what nosebleeds are.

Why is this happening? Let's list the main reasons:

1. nasal injuries;
2. diseases of the ENT organs;
3. pathologies of internal organs and systems;
4. frequent nasal tamponade;
5. external factors.

Nose injury

Toddlers love to play with small objects. Parents cannot always keep track of them, and the child can easily stick some small toy (for example, a construction piece) up his nose. This is typical for children 3-4 years old. As a result, the baby injures the nasal mucosa and bleeding begins. A similar injury can be caused by simply picking your nose with your finger. If possible, it is necessary to wean the child from such habits.

ENT diseases

During the cool season, children often suffer from colds (we recommend reading:). This happens because the immune system is not yet formed. From frequent discharge liquid secretion from the nose, the vessels in it become inflamed. When a child sneezes or coughs, weak and inflamed blood vessels may begin to bleed from tension.

Diseases of other organs and systems

Bleeding is also explained by the presence of pathologies, which are characterized by impaired hemocoagulation (blood clotting). With such diseases, blood vessels become very vulnerable, and even mild bleeding is difficult to stop. TO similar diseases relate:

• hepatitis;
• anemia;
• leukemia, etc.

Teenagers often experience nosebleeds during hormonal changes. This is not a pathology, but simply age-related features.

Use of nasal medications

During colds Parents often instill vasoconstrictor drugs into their child’s nose. In some cases, their use is necessary, because they alleviate the course of the disease, but too long use makes the vessels vulnerable, the mucous membrane becomes thinner and vulnerable, which provokes the occurrence of bleeding.

Too long use of vasoconstrictor drops may be complicated by vasospasm and bloody discharge

Frequent nasal tamponade

If the baby has a frequent flow of blood from the nose, then cotton swabs are inserted into his nasal passages (they look like flagella about 3 cm long and no more than 1 cm thick). Such tampons block blood flow and, with frequent use, cause atrophy of the nasal mucosa. Because of this, the problem is not solved, but only worsened.

External factors

Sometimes nosebleeds are caused by external factors. For example, if the baby overheats in the sun and gets sunstroke or heatstroke (more details in the article:). Dry air impairs the elasticity of the blood vessels in the nose, making them fragile and brittle. This air can be used both outdoors in cold or hot weather, and indoors.

Types of nosebleeds

To make a diagnosis, it matters what time of day the bleeding from the nose occurs, whether it happens periodically or happened once. Most often, bleeding occurs at night, in the morning or with rhinitis.

At night

Nosebleeds at night cause the greatest fear and anxiety among parents. The most unexpected factors can provoke the phenomenon.

If the parents are sure that the baby did not have any injuries to the nose, then the bleeding may have been caused by:

• long-term or uncontrolled treatment with vasoconstrictor drops;
• severe drying of the baby’s nasal mucosa - this is especially true during the heating season, when the air in the apartment is dry;
• allergies to dust, household chemicals, pets, etc.;
• increased intracranial pressure.

In the morning

If your baby has bleeding in the morning, it may be due to the following factors:

• in a dream, the child lay on his side or stomach all night, which could put pressure on the blood vessels and cause bleeding;
• the presence of polyps in the nose also leads to blood loss in the morning;
• as in the case of nighttime phenomena, morning ones can be caused by too dry air in the room;
• increased emotional and physical stress (typical for school age from 8 to 11 years), lack of sleep for good rest and many more etc.

Bleeding from the nose may occur due to overexcitement and anxiety.

Rhinitis with blood

It happens that slight bleeding from the nose is accompanied by rhinitis. This is especially noticeable when blowing your nose. What could be the reason for this phenomenon:

• The child, due to inability, blows his nose too actively, therefore injuring the mucous membrane and promoting the appearance of blood (we recommend reading:);
• trying to pick off dried crusts, the baby scratches the delicate mucous membrane;
• affects frequent use vasoconstrictor drugs;
• complications after diseases of the ENT organs.

These are just some of the possible causes of blood in the nasal cavity. To accurately establish the nature of the pathology, consultation with a specialist is necessary. This is most relevant for regular bleeding.

How to stop nosebleeds?

You can stop nosebleeds with fairly simple steps. Of course, the cause of the pathology plays a significant role. If the flow of blood does not stop for more than 15-25 minutes, then it is necessary to urgently call ambulance. It is also necessary to intervene with specialists if there has been a head injury, vomiting is present, the child loses consciousness or suffers from poor blood clotting (hemophilia).

Providing first aid to a child

At home, it is important to provide timely first aid to the baby. It should be not only physical, but also psychological.

This way the injured part is compressed and the bleeding stops.

Children themselves are very frightened by sudden bleeding, so it is necessary to immediately reassure the child. Simple steps will help ease your baby’s condition:

1. Place your baby in a chair and tilt his head forward.
2. Pinch your nostrils and apply ice to the bridge of your nose. After 6-7 minutes, you can carefully insert cotton swabs soaked in vasoconstrictor drugs(Vibrocil, Naphthyzin).
3. After 5 minutes, carefully remove the flagella and lubricate the mucous membrane with Vaseline or Neomycin ointment, which accelerate healing and soothe inflammation.

The most common mistakes that are easy to avoid

Many parents, trying to help their child, unknowingly can harm him. Incorrect first aid measures can lead to increased bleeding and other unpleasant symptoms. In order to prevent mistakes and not aggravate the situation, you need to know what things you absolutely cannot do:

1. During bleeding, place the baby in bed and elevate his legs. This will increase blood loss.
2. Throw your head back, because this disrupts the outflow of blood through the neck veins and increases blood flow. In addition, it numbs the throat, causing spasms and vomiting.
3. Immediately after the bleeding stops, give the child drinks and food, especially hot ones. Heat causes vasodilation and resumption of bleeding.

Also, after stopping the flow of blood, the child should be protected from sports and heavy physical activity. This may trigger a relapse.

When is it necessary to contact a specialist?

You should contact an ENT doctor after the bleeding has stopped. Consultation with a specialist is needed to establish the cause and prevent recurrences. The doctor examines the sinuses using special mirrors (this method is called rhinoscopy). If necessary, damaged vessels are cauterized. Consultations with other specialists (endocrinologist, hematologist, etc.) may also be prescribed and tests may be performed.

Treatment of nosebleeds

With a single nosebleed, no specific treatment is not required because relapse is unlikely and parents have nothing to worry about. It will be enough to follow basic preventive measures. Systematic bleeding, as well as those caused by severe injuries, kidney disease, and impaired blood clotting, are subject to treatment. If relapses occur, the doctor prescribes appropriate treatment.

Medicines

Drug therapy is aimed primarily at reducing capillary fragility and permeability. Here are used:

• Ascorutin (more details in the article:);
• Rutin;
• Ascorbic acid.

Ascorbic acid reduces permeability vascular wall

Additionally, for the prevention and acceleration of bleeding control, the following is prescribed:

• Vikasol;
• Dicynone;
• intravenously: Calcium chloride, Aminocaproic acid (we recommend reading:).

For bleeding caused by injuries, your doctor may prescribe:

• Trasylol;
• Contrikal.

Traditional medicine

Among folk recipes there are quite a few effective means. Their additional advantages are accessibility, environmental friendliness and budget. Among these remedies there are both local and those taken orally:

• Teas with sea buckthorn, plantain, and chamomile improve blood clotting well;
• a piece of aloe leaf, eaten on an empty stomach, can help with frequent bleeding;
• To quickly stop bleeding, you can soak a cotton swab in the juice of fresh nettle or plantain and insert it into the sore nostril.

If a child has nosebleeds, it is recommended to drink chamomile teas

These recommendations can be useful, but parents should not get carried away with self-medication, especially if the cause of the bleeding is not clearly established. Before using the products traditional medicine You should also consult your doctor.

Preventive measures

To prevent nosebleeds, parents need to follow some rules. They consist in close attention to the health of your baby, preventing injuries, providing useful and balanced nutrition. The following measures will help strengthen the baby’s blood vessels:

1. Regular ventilation of the room and humidification of the air in the apartment during the heating season.
2. Taking vitamin and mineral complexes for children, especially in the off-season, when the child’s immunity is weakened.
3. Eating fresh vegetables, citrus fruits, fish, dairy products.

A nosebleed is not a dangerous phenomenon in itself, but it is better to prevent this pathology in order to maintain peace in the family and not expose the child to unnecessary stress. Following simple precautions will help the baby be healthy and cheerful and delight his parents with his successes and good mood.

A nosebleed in a child, especially a small one, is a cause for great concern for parents. And although doctors say: as a rule, blood coming from the nose of a baby is not at all dangerous, it is better to know all the possible causes of this disease and be prepared to stop it in a timely manner.

Why does a child's nose bleed?

In the nasal region there is a network of vessels and small capillaries, which, when ruptured, provoke bleeding. Dry and irritated vessels become very brittle and can bleed from any, even minor, damage.

The most common causes of nosebleeds in a child or newborn:

Dry mucous membrane. It is provoked by the harmful effects of heating devices, sudden changes in temperature, abuse of vasoconstrictor drops during a runny nose; Increased intracranial pressure; Infection (eg, sinusitis); Nose injury (often caused by nose picking or bruise); Entry of a foreign body (for example, toy parts) into the nose; Incorrect shape of the nose from birth (deviated nasal septum); Proliferation of polyps in the nose. Should I be concerned when I see blood coming from my baby's nose?

As a rule, the concern is unfounded. In winter, when heating appliances operate at full capacity and the spread of infections reaches critical levels, nosebleeds are not uncommon.

According to doctors, this problem can bother infants, but it completely disappears by adolescence. The whole point is that the newborn's blood vessels are still too weak and cannot withstand irritants.

How to prevent nosebleeds in infants?

If the air in the apartment is too dry, you should purchase a humidifier for the child’s room. It will help create a comfortable microclimate and maintain the desired level of humidity.

Make sure that the child does not put anything into the nose, including his own fingers.

If bleeding due to a dry nose recurs regularly, you should talk to your doctor about using saline nasal instillation. It moisturizes the mucous membrane and strengthens blood vessels.

In what cases does nosebleeds in a child require consulting a doctor:

Bleeding occurs as a result of a fall, injury to the head or nose, or a blow; The baby has leaked too much blood and you suspect danger; The bleeding started after taking some medications; The baby has constant nasal congestion and bleeds more often than before. If, in addition to nosebleeds, the child easily bruises, the gums bleed. How to stop bleeding?

Calm the child and make him spit out blood. It should not get into the throat and cause nausea. Place the child on your lap so that his head is tilted slightly down. Press the napkin to the spout and secure it with your hand. You need to wait about 10 minutes without removing the napkin. If the child is quite old, you need to ask him to breathe through his mouth. In order for him not to be scared or bored, you can read a book or turn on a cartoon. After 10 minutes, check to see if the bleeding has stopped. If not, you need to put a cold compress on the bridge of your nose and cover your nose with a napkin again for 10 minutes. If the bleeding does not stop, you should definitely consult a doctor. What not to do!

Do not allow the child to take a horizontal position or tilt his head back. This will cause blood to leak into the throat.
Do not plug your nostrils with cotton swabs. They can stop the bleeding, but during removal they will again damage the mucous membrane and the problem will recur.

Hospital control methods

If the child’s bleeding cannot be stopped at home, he must be taken to the hospital, where the doctor will determine the cause of the pathology. This is done like this: the oral cavity is examined with a special flashlight and the source of bleeding is identified. After this, the damaged area is tamponed with a special hemostatic liquid, which should stop the flow of blood almost instantly. If this also does not help, a bandage is applied. Such a need arises very rarely.

In addition to all these procedures, the doctor looks to see if the nose or head is damaged, and whether bleeding is a sign of some other disease.

Children often tolerate nosebleeds very easily and are not even particularly frightened. However, the adult's task is to make every effort to prevent blood loss. Nosebleeds should not be allowed to become a habit in a child and be perceived as normal.

How did I become a doctor? Quite a difficult question... If you think about it, there was no choice. I was born into the family of a resuscitation doctor, and every day at dinner I heard my father’s story about how his day went. As a child, this all seemed fantastic, beyond reality.

More details

Nosebleeds in children occur quite often. There is nothing strange about this - the mucous membranes in a child’s nose are very thin and can be easily injured. And the children themselves are very active - any child loves to run, play outdoor games, and indulge. And the nose is often the first to suffer in such pranks, especially in boys. But it’s not just trauma that can cause bleeding. Let's figure out why a child may bleed from the nose and what needs to be done in such cases.

Blood in infants

Let's start with the smallest ones. They do not yet lead such an active lifestyle that they could fall and hit their nose. Babies up to 5-7 months spend most of their time in a horizontal position and are rarely left without adult supervision. But, nevertheless, sometimes a baby’s nose may bleed.

In a newborn, the cause is most often trivial - he simply scratches in his sleep or while awake. Infants up to 2-3 months old cannot yet coordinate hand movements well and can accidentally catch their face and stick a finger in their nose. If the nails are cut incorrectly (or the mother is simply afraid to do it), then the thin skin and mucous membranes are easily injured, and the mother thinks that the baby is bleeding from the nose. It is enough to put special mittens on your hands and trim your nails in time, and the problem will disappear.

The second common reason why a baby's nose begins to bleed is improper cleansing. It will no longer be possible to find out who was the first to use cotton swabs to clean the nose, but this idea was very bad, although it spread among mothers simply rapidly. Not only is this the easiest way to injure the mucous membrane, but there is also a risk that the cotton wool will come off and remain in the nasal passage.

Remember: only a doctor can insert solid objects into the nasal passage of an infant for the purpose of examination or necessary medical procedures. You will not be able to control either the depth of insertion of the cotton swab or the force of pressing on the walls of the nasal passages, which are literally riddled with capillaries.

Damage to the capillaries leads to bleeding from the nose in children after this method of cleaning it. For these purposes, you can only use soft cotton or gauze flagella moistened with saline solution, Aquamaris or warm sterile oil (sunflower, sea buckthorn, olive).

In older children, especially from 2-3 years old, more serious causes can cause nosebleeds.

Non-infectious causes

If you turn away for a second and your baby suddenly starts crying and his nose bleeds, the most likely cause is injury. This is especially eloquently confirmed by broken knees or other abrasions and wounds. The first thing to do in this case is to calm the child and stop the bleeding. We will tell you how to quickly do this below.

Then you need to carefully examine your nose. If the blood was stopped quickly, touching the bridge of the nose does not cause severe pain, and its shape is not changed, then nothing terrible has happened. The impact simply burst the capillaries. But if there is a large wound on the nose, severe swelling appears, and the bleeding cannot be stopped quickly, then a fracture is possible and then the baby needs urgent medical attention.

Other non-infectious causes of nosebleeds in children may include:

The air is too dry. If there is insufficient air humidity in the room in which the child remains for a long time, his delicate mucous membranes dry out, and dense crusts form in the nose. When removing them from the baby’s nose, blood may bleed, so this must be done very carefully. Overvoltage. Sometimes children's noses begin to bleed when they cough or sneeze violently. This occurs due to severe overstrain of the blood vessels, as a result of which they simply burst. There is no need to worry too much, but you need to pay attention to the reason for the fragility of the capillaries. Perhaps this is vitamin deficiency. Overheating. If your nose bleeds during a walk in the hot season, most likely the cause is simple overheating. The baby should be immediately taken to the shade, wiped his face, arms and legs with cool water, ensure air flow (you can simply fan him with a towel or newspaper). When bleeding is accompanied by vomiting, fainting, chills, or severe headache, it is better to call an ambulance; heat stroke is possible. High blood pressure. In children, blood pressure rarely rises sharply and strongly. But if this happens, nosebleeds may be the first symptom. The child may also complain of a headache, and often nausea and vomiting. Before the doctor arrives, the bleeding must be stopped; it is better to put the baby to bed, rather than apply a cold compress to the forehead. Sudden changes in temperature or pressure. Leads to spasm or severe dilatation of blood vessels. If the walls of the capillaries are very thin, they burst and blood begins to flow from the nose. This often happens on an airplane or when returning from extreme cold to warmth. This type of bleeding is not dangerous. Chemical or physical irritants: dusty and highly polluted air, strong odors, household chemicals. Especially with constant exposure, they cause inflammation of the mucous membranes and their loosening. Over time, polyps may form, severe allergic reactions and even bronchial asthma may develop. Entry of a foreign body. A small foreign body is very difficult to notice, but if it is a hard object that is stuck in the nasal passage and presses on the mucous membranes, it causes a child to bleed from the nose, often from only one nostril. Under no circumstances should you try to remove it yourself. The child should be taken to the doctor immediately. The use of vasoconstrictor drops. These drugs are generally not recommended for use in the treatment of young children - they severely dry out the mucous membranes. And if you exceed the recommended dosage, they crack and begin to bleed.

As soon as the above reasons are eliminated, nosebleeds stop and do not occur again. If a child’s nose bleeds regularly (at least two to three times a month), then most likely there is an internal reason for this.

Blood as a symptom

Sometimes nosebleeds in a child can be a symptom of a fairly serious illness. Therefore, when such a phenomenon occurs frequently, regardless of age, the baby must be examined. It is urgent to do this if there are other recurring symptoms. The reason why your baby regularly bleeds from the nose may be the following diseases:

Polyps and other benign formations. Polyps are the growth of mucosal tissue, which can be provoked by external or internal factors. This tissue has a changed structure, is easily damaged, and often bleeds. Such bleeding may not be accompanied by other symptoms, but if the polyps grow strongly, the baby’s nose is constantly stuffy (on one or both sides), and he may complain of a feeling of pressure in the paranasal sinuses. Inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. Most often it is a complication after suffering respiratory diseases of a bacterial or viral nature. The infection, entering the sinuses, provokes purulent-inflammatory processes, severe runny nose and nosebleeds. Cardiovascular and kidney diseases. Often lead to sudden changes in blood pressure readings. This puts additional stress on the capillaries, which they cannot withstand and burst. Sometimes a strong increase in blood pressure can be caused by poor kidney function. This can only be clarified through a comprehensive examination. Oncological diseases. Cancer (and not only of the respiratory system) can cause regular bloody runny nose in the morning and frequent nosebleeds. Blood vessels become especially fragile during a course of chemotherapy, the drugs of which are very toxic. Hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. They cause a child to bleed from the nose with the slightest damage to its mucous membrane and it is very difficult to stop this bleeding; this often requires the use of special drugs. Long-term use of blood-thinning medications, for example, Aspirin, can also cause this effect.

Treatment in any of the above ways is necessary, since nosebleeds are only a symptom, but they will not stop until the underlying cause is eliminated. Only a doctor should select medications based on the results of the tests performed. Self-medication can aggravate the situation and lead to more frequent nosebleeds.

In some cases, conservative treatment is not enough. So, if after several courses of therapy the polyps in the nose or sinuses do not decrease, it is better to remove them surgically. Otherwise, they can cause not only frequent bleeding, but also the development of chronic respiratory diseases.

How to stop bleeding

If a child's nosebleeds are not severe, then with the right actions it is quite easy to stop. The main thing is not to panic, so that the anxiety is not transferred to the baby who is already frightened by what is happening. Here's what to do:

sit him on a chair, in your arms or just on the floor (so that he doesn’t fall if he gets dizzy); tilt his head down (and not lift it up, as many do!); lightly squeeze the bridge of the nose with your fingers on both sides; ask the baby to breathe calmly and slowly through the mouth; hold the nose like this for 5-7 minutes.

Usually after these actions the blood stops flowing. You can then apply a cold compress to the bridge of your nose. If it is ice, you should keep it for no more than 5 minutes, then remove it and, if necessary, apply it again after a while.

When a child's nose bleeds excessively, sterile gauze swabs can be very carefully inserted into the nasal passages. They will squeeze the capillaries and the bleeding will stop. You can keep them in your nose for no longer than 15 minutes.

But if, despite all the measures taken, bleeding continues to flow, a consultation with a doctor and, possibly, emergency medical care is necessary.

Prevention measures

No preventive measures will protect a child from nasal injuries. In childhood they are inevitable. But if you explain basic personal safety measures to a grown-up child, then there is a high probability that you will still be able to do without serious injuries. And children under 2-3 years old simply cannot be left unattended for a long time.

Other preventive measures will help reduce the risk of nosebleeds:

strengthening the immune system, hardening procedures - will allow you to suffer from respiratory diseases less often; mandatory treatment of a runny nose - will prevent the development of chronic diseases of the nose and sinuses; maintaining cleanliness and temperature conditions in the child’s room will eliminate the negative influence of external factors as much as possible; Regular preventive medical examinations will allow you to diagnose serious diseases of internal organs at an early stage; a varied, nutritious and high-quality diet rich in vitamins and microelements will prevent vitamin deficiency and capillary fragility; Proper and regular cleansing of the nasal passages will not injure the mucous membranes and will eliminate mucus stagnation.

As you can see, everything is important in caring for a baby: routine, nutrition, living conditions, appropriate care. But the most important thing is to trust pediatricians and do not self-medicate. Very often, the wrong actions of parents lead to the fact that such a small problem as a nosebleed becomes a big problem that requires long-term treatment.

A runny nose with blood in a baby is a clear reason to take the child to the pediatrician. Usually, this symptom observed in older children in response to strong nose blowing and finger picking. Since infants do not know how to do all this, blood in their snot can be a sign of serious illness.

The reasons for the appearance of blood in mucus during a runny nose are:

1. Rupture of one or more capillaries in the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx;
2. The appearance of wounds, ulcers and cracks in the mucous membrane.

But these reasons are already secondary. But what leads to the destruction of blood vessels or the appearance of wounds in the nose, the doctor should already find out.

What does a runny nose with blood mean in a baby?

The most dangerous diseases, in which the infant may constantly experience this symptom - various disorders blood clotting, including hemophilia. And although it is known that with this disease, hemorrhages most often occur inside the body, it is blood streaks in the mucus from the nose of an infant that can be one of the first signs of the disease.

In addition, this symptom may be caused by an increase intracranial pressure. If so, then what formerly a doctor establishes such a connection, the more effective further treatment will be in order to normalize this pressure.

A large amount of bloody discharge in the snot is a sign of serious damage to the mucous membrane.

Rhinitis provokes vascular damage. Blood in small quantities and infrequently (once a day) may be present in snot with severe rhinitis of a viral or bacterial nature. Treatment is required to eliminate symptoms infectious disease. Treatment is prescribed by a doctor.

Sometimes the cause of bloody discharge in the snot of a baby may be improper home treatment viral or bacterial runny nose. For example:

1. With frequent and long-term use of vasoconstrictor drops (even those specially adapted for infants), the nasal mucosa dries out, and drug-induced rhinitis will develop in parallel, which will lead to cracking of dry mucus and the appearance of bleeding wounds;
2. When onion, garlic, or some hormonal drops are instilled into a child's nose, extensive ulcers of the mucous membrane develop.

Vitamin deficiency, namely a lack of vitamin C in the diet, can also cause fragility of the capillaries in the nose and, as a result, bloody nasal discharge.

On a note

It is necessary to be able to distinguish a runny nose with blood from a nosebleed. In the first case, the symptom manifests itself only with the release of snot, and in the second case, there is no dependence on the production of mucus and sneezing.

Blood without snot is a sign mechanical damage nasal mucosa or capillary fragility.

Useful video: causes of nosebleeds

Blood in snot from the nose: when you don’t need to call a doctor

It is not always necessary to call a doctor in this situation. This is not required if:

1. Blood appeared in the snot one or several times in very small quantities - literally in the form of one or two veins. These are only accidental injuries that can be caused by crying or manipulating the aspirator. However, if these vascular damages occur constantly or they are large, then this is a reason to show the baby to a doctor;
2. The symptom appeared after the mucus in the child’s nose dried out. The initial blame for this lies with the parents, who did not ensure proper hydration of the baby’s nasal mucosa, as well as the air in the room. Dry crusts in the nose infant easily crack and form bleeding wounds. However, this does not last long - at most 15-20 minutes, until the wound heals. In this case, parents need to constantly drip saline into the child’s nose to moisturize the nasal mucosa, and lubricate the crusts in the nose at night simple oils- Vaseline, olive, peach.

If crusts form in a child’s nose and there is a risk of wounds and cracks, the mucous membrane must be constantly moisturized.

Let us note once again that you don’t need to see a doctor if bloody issues appears rarely in nasal mucus and there are few of them.

“This is a real scourge for us. Throughout the first year of life, no matter the runny nose, there was blood in the snot. They showed Sasha to the doctor, took tests, nothing suspicious. The ENT specialist suspects simply fragility of blood vessels, prescribed complexes with ascorbic acid. But by about a year and a half, all this had passed. Maybe the ascorbic acid worked, maybe my nose just got stronger.”

Olga, Essentuki

What to do if an infant has a runny nose with bloody discharge

If your baby has this symptom, you should consult a doctor. If a child does not have obvious ARVI or bacterial rhinitis, but symptoms appear constantly, especially every day or every time he blows his nose, the reason for this must be found out.

Modern medicine has a sufficient arsenal of tools that will help even a child with hematopoietic disorders feel normal.

After the examination, the doctor will prescribe medications to strengthen the nasal mucosa and systemic medications. It is impossible to independently try to give a child herbal decoctions that strengthen the walls of blood vessels, or even more so to smear his nose with ointments. Let us note once again that without knowing the reasons, treatment cannot be carried out, since there is a risk of complications.

Remember: infant- this is not an object for experiments and testing the advice of grandmothers and unknown authors on forums. Only a doctor can evaluate everything clinical picture, find out the cause and prescribe adequate treatment. Absentee treatment is unacceptable here!

Nosebleeds in a child