An infant has a nosebleed. Blood from the nose in a child: possible causes and treatment methods. When you need specialist help

Bloody snot in a child is a fairly common phenomenon that can frighten even the most fearless parent. In this article, we will look at why the nose bleeds when you have a runny nose and what to do if you find it.

Although it looks creepy at times, the reason is very simple. The nasal cavity is lined from the inside with mucous membrane, which, in turn, like any mucous membrane, is richly vascularized - covered with a network of capillaries. Since the capillary is the smallest vessel, it is very easily damaged because of this.

Since during normal operation protective systems If the nosebleed is not severe and will stop quickly, then the blood in the snot usually looks like streaks.

An important task facing the parent is to determine why the capillaries began to become damaged and correct the problem as soon as possible.

Causes of capillary bleeding in the nasal cavity

May appear for the following reasons:

The mucous membrane is not sufficiently hydrated. This situation is possible if you live in the southern regions, which are characterized by a dry and hot climate. also in winter time During the heating season, the air in the apartment is often dry and too hot, which can cause capillaries to become brittle.

If you were able to establish that the cause is dryness environment, then it is better to install a special device at home - an air humidifier. It will release water vapor into the air. If you don’t have it at hand, and you urgently need to reduce dryness, hang a wet towel or sheet in the room.

Fragile capillaries. This is a rather dangerous case, as it occurs against the background of a lack of vitamin C. Let us recall that ascorbic acid– a necessary coenzyme for the key reaction of collagen synthesis, which is part of the vascular wall, as well as almost all connective tissues. Having discovered such an outcome of events, you should immediately introduce it into the child’s diet. nutrients, rich in vitamin C, and consult a doctor. In this case, the snot most often has a very thick consistency.
Viral or. Some infectious agents can also damage the capillary wall, causing similar bleeding. In this case, other signs of a viral infection will be present, for example, fever, drowsiness, weakness. In this situation, the doctor’s advice will be decisive, but if everything happened suddenly, you can rinse the baby’s nose with a weak saline solution.

Often snot becomes green color. If long-term treatment If it doesn’t help, then you should submit the mucus for culture - perhaps your child’s nasal cavity is colonized by staphylococci or meningococci.

At bacterial infection The color of the snot itself will be yellow. You shouldn’t let a runny nose get to this point, because prolonged inflammation can spread to the ear cavity and even to the skull.

Intracranial pressure. If you have ruled out all the previous options, then perhaps your baby has too high intracranial pressure, which is causing the vessels in the nose to burst. Contact your doctor for advice and find out how to help your child.
Someone is too much picks his nose. When you are already knocked down, trying to find out the reason for the appearance of blood in the snot, just watch the child. Bad habit Picking your nose can cause blood to appear in the mucus even without the presence of a disease.

Having discovered any physical ailments in a child, a normal parent will immediately want to know how to help the baby. There are a few universal advice that will help you eliminate capillary bleeding from the nose and return with the children to the normal rhythm of life.

Often, blood in snot is a fleeting phenomenon, so parents forget about the problem. But there are cases in which you should be especially careful:

The child constantly feels sick and vomits in addition to bleeding from the nose;
The baby complains of headaches;
A rash appeared;
Blood from suits my nose often and for a long time.

You should not ignore your own child’s health problems, so as not to potentially “start” dangerous disease. Therefore, if any symptom seems suspicious to you, consult a pediatrician.

The first and simplest - mechanical damage. Until 2 months, the baby’s nose is not yet fully attuned to life in external environment, so it produces a lot of mucus. By wiping it, the mother can damage the baby's delicate mucous membrane.

But the reason may lie in increased intracranial pressure. In this case, bleeding will only appear when the pressure changes.

Conclusion

Bleeding from the nose is a minor problem, it disappears quickly and does not pose a danger. But if it is accompanied by any other symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.

When a child has bloody snot, both he and his parents get scared. However, such a symptom does not always indicate the development of a serious disease. The structure of the nasal mucosa helps to understand where the blood came from in the mucous secretions. Since it is enriched with the smallest blood vessels, when they are damaged, blood is released, which colors the snot. There is no pathology in this case - when the capillaries burst, doctors talk about their weakness.

Mucous discharge streaked with blood and nose bleed- different phenomena. If in the first case blood is released in small quantities, then in the second it flows out along with snot and signals damage large vessel. If a child has a nosebleed, he or she needs medical attention.

Why does a child have bloody snot?

Whether treatment for bloody snot in a baby is required depends on the cause that caused it.

The most common phenomenon, as mentioned above, is mechanical damage. Children often pick their nose, to which the delicate mucous membrane reacts by secreting blood. When you carefully blow your nose, blood also comes out.
If blood is visible in a child's snot in the morning, doctors associate it with increased dryness of the nasal mucosa. Parents are advised to maintain optimal humidity in the room where the baby is. It is very important to follow this rule during the cold season.
In infants, inclusions of blood in the mucous contents of the nose are explained by frequent use vasoconstrictor drugs and vitamin C deficiency. Capillaries weaken, their walls become thinner and rupture under the slightest load. Before the age of 1 year, bloody snot can be a sign of rhinitis, an inflammatory disease of the internal nasal tissues.
At an older age, blood in the snot appears against the background of changes inherent in puberty.
Bloody streaks in nasal secretions in children may be due to increased intracranial pressure. This deviation is observed in many pediatric otolaryngologist patients. Additionally, they complain of nausea, weakness, and headaches.

Snot with blood: variations in children

When the blood clots come out along with the green ones thick snot, this indicates damage to the nasopharynx by a viral-bacterial infection.

As long as the discharge remains faded, the problem can be solved by frequent walks. fresh air and rinsing the nose with saline solution.

If the snot has a rich grassy color and is replete with bloody clots, the child must be urgently shown to an ENT doctor. After complex diagnostics the specialist will prescribe home drug treatment or will send the child to the hospital if he is convinced of an acute infection of the body.

Thick snot with pus is whitish in color. They are a consequence of the influence of some substance that irritates children's body. The predominance of pus over mucus is one of the main signs of acute sinusitis.

Copious discharge of yellow or orange snot with bloody inclusions is a symptom acute inflammation upper section respiratory system. Against the background of pathology, the vessels burst and release blood. The accumulation of inflammatory exudate in the sinuses slows down the healing of capillaries. A prolonged runny nose with blood of this nature requires urgent hospitalization of the child.

Other reasons for mandatory consultation with a doctor are:

early age of the child (infants and children up to 3 years old);
the appearance of bloody nasal discharge after a head injury;
bleeding after blowing your nose that cannot be stopped within half an hour;
combination of blood snot with high temperature, rashes on the body, unbearable skin itching.

In the treatment of bloody snot, otolaryngologists place the main emphasis on strengthening vascular walls. For this purpose, young patients are prescribed:

Ascorbic acid at a dosage of 75–100 mg/day (if there is no allergy to the drug). A source of vitamin C will improve the health of the body as a whole and improve the condition of the nasal mucosa.
Aminocaproic acid is prescribed to increase blood clotting, minimize the risk of bleeding and strengthen the capillaries lying in the sinuses. The medicine relieves swelling and gives an antihistamine effect.
Oil tea tree, olives or rose hips. A cotton swab is soaked in one of the oils and placed in the baby’s nasal passages for 5 minutes. The procedure is performed daily for a week.

If a child comes out with blood along with snot, it is recommended to give him infusions of natural raw materials. For this purpose, plantain leaves, willow bark, rose hips, black elderberries and blackberries, chamomile, linden, and calendula flowers are suitable. From phytomaterial you can prepare decoctions for inhalation and nasal rinsing.

Children are usually treated with this prescription. Take 1 bag each of raspberry and linden tea (a store-bought product will do) and pour boiling water (450 ml). The dishes are covered and baked for 15 minutes. After the time has passed, remove the bags and add a pinch of grated ginger to the infusion. The drink is cooled and 15 g of honey is dissolved in it. Healthy tea The baby is given 1 glass twice a day.

Children's health is the most important thing for parents important issue. It is the resistance to various external influences inherent in childhood that can adult life become a pillar of normal life. However, there are situations when the first signs of problems may go unnoticed; an example is the situation of a child’s nosebleeds. Its occurrence can be triggered by various factors. Sometimes it may turn out that the problem is not worth much concern. Although there are serious cases. To be sure, it is important to understand the issue in the most careful manner.

Why is my baby bleeding?

Enough. Bleeding may be caused by:

problems located directly in the nasal cavity and nasal passages;
problems and diseases associated with other organs;
negative external influence.

Each of the factors can cause nosebleeds in a child. Since children under eighteen years of age are developing cordially- vascular system, and the density of the capillary walls and their proximity to the surface, especially in the nose, can cause trouble. In order to be sure to exclude Negative influence factors, each needs to be carefully studied separately. We will talk about possible causes of bleeding later in the article.

Provocateurs inside

When baby is coming bleeding from the nose for reasons that are local in nature, the following list of possible negative factors is distinguished:

any traumatic external impact, including blows, bruises and fractures;
transferred surgical intervention;
getting into the nasal passages foreign objects. Every mother knows how children, especially small ones, love to pick their noses with their fingers;
allergies and inflammatory diseases, namely acute respiratory infections, ARVI, influenza;
formations in the nose: tumors and cysts.

In fact, such ailments should not cause difficulties in treatment, with the exception of malignant tumors. And the problem can be completely eliminated with the selection of adequate treatment.

Nosebleeds as a consequence of other diseases

More worrying is the situation when a child has a nosebleed for no apparent reason. In this case, timely identification of the reason that caused such a reaction on the part of the vascular system will prevent the development of more serious problems with health.

Thus, there are a number of pathologies and changes that can lead to a child bleeding from the nose will do. Let's take a look at them:

A lack of minerals and vitamins involved in the formation of the walls of blood vessels, essentially vitamin deficiency, is not the worst thing that can happen.
Increased blood pressure, which is chronic. Once in a lying position, the vessels simply cannot withstand the load and burst, resulting in bleeding from the nose.
Problems with intracranial pressure, which are dangerous because they can cause bleeding in the brain, despite the child’s young age.
Quite often, nosebleeds in a child can be observed in adolescence. This is due to the change hormonal levels body.
Nose bleeds may occur due to incoagulability, low level hemoglobin, blood cancer and other problems.
Vascular inflammation and problems with immune system can also lead to similar situation.
Heart defects, kidney disease, liver disease and internal bleeding can cause nosebleeds in a child for no reason.

The conclusion suggests itself. Having discovered that a child often there's blood coming out from the nose, you shouldn’t expect the problem to go away. Action needs to be taken. After all, any of the listed reasons in a neglected state can become an impetus for the development of pathologies like an avalanche. In addition, only an adequate examination can reveal other causes of the disease associated with external environmental influences. If there are problems with internal organs If confirmed, then prescribing the correct treatment can eliminate problems with both nosebleeds and the disease itself.

Environmental exposure

Why does my child have a nosebleed? Sometimes doctors answer this question that this is how the negative influence of the environment manifests itself. Although it is not entirely clear what exactly is meant.

So, what can trigger what comes out of the nose? there will be blood?

Using medications for the common cold without appropriate recommendations.
Dry air, which happens in hot weather or when the air conditioner is running indoors.
Changes atmospheric pressure and temperatures.
Physical activity associated with body stress.
Prolonged exposure to a stressful situation for the child.

In fact, these are the most harmless reasons that provoke nosebleeds in a child. However, every parent should know how to recognize bleeding that is dangerous to health and that which cannot cause harm. We'll talk about this later.

Signs of a nosebleed that indicate you need to see a doctor

Note that nosebleeds can manifest themselves in different ways. For example, similar phenomena may occur frequently or, conversely, occur once. Also, blood from the nose can be released either abundantly or in small quantities.

It should be noted that the color of the blood, depending on the cause, may be different. For example, a rupture of a large vessel or formation is characterized by a stream-like flow of blood from the nose. If such a problem bothers you mainly at night, then it is important to pay attention to pressure. But blood diseases are accompanied not only by nasal bleeding, but also by bleeding from other mucous membranes.

If there was a fall

If the blood from the nose is the result of a fall, then the scarlet color and foamy structure indicate damage to the lung. If it is dark and even brown, then it is necessary to examine the stomach and esophagus.

Heavy bleeding can cause weakness and fainting, and in some cases nausea and vomiting. In order to avoid such serious consequences, timely provision of first aid is very important.

Bleeding from the nose. What to do with a child in such a situation?

It is possible to stop a nosebleed on your own by following a certain procedure:

It is necessary to arrange the child in such a way that his body is slightly tilted forward, ensuring peace.
Place a cotton swab soaked in hydrogen peroxide into the bleeding nostrils.

Methods of relief in the hospital

If the bleeding is not caused by severe diseases and pathologies, it should stop within ten minutes. If this does not happen, then you need to seek help from doctors.

The most common ways to stop nosebleeds are:

insertion into the nasal passages of tampons soaked acetic acid, or a special sponge that contains substances that promote blood clotting;
application laser cauterization vessels that will be docked forever;
in case of significant blood loss, resort to intravenous injections anticoagulants and transfusions.

Prohibited methods that should not be used

If nosebleeds occur, there are rules that are strictly prohibited:

throwing the head back;
Adoption horizontal position bodies;
push the inserted tampons deep into the nasal passages;
blow your nose, as this may prevent the bleeding from stopping.

Compliance with these rules is mandatory not only for children, but also for adults. Because it might make it easier possible consequences nosebleeds.

In situations where nosebleeds are a consequence of diseases, adequate treatment is necessary. An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a doctor with the appropriate specialization.

Identifying the disease that causes nosebleeds

Sometimes the reasons for a child’s nosebleeds are quite obvious. Since they are a consequence of external trauma. To diagnose a problem with such an impact, a traumatologist can help, who will conduct an external examination and, as necessary, prescribe an X-ray or MRI to confirm or refute possible fractures.

In a situation where nosebleeds start unexpectedly, you need to contact pediatrician, who can direct to to the right specialist based on analysis data and existing complaints.

When and what kind of specialist is needed?

Note that if the reason is high blood pressure, then they give up general tests, to identify the organ that provokes such a reaction. After which it is necessary to select a drug for treatment. If allergies or problems with the immune system are suspected, the child is referred to specialists such as an allergist and immunologist. If you have a bleeding disorder, help can only be expected from a hematologist. If bleeding is associated with impaired activity thyroid gland, then you need to contact an endocrinologist.

Pediatricians can identify common problems with internal organs that cause nosebleeds during medical examinations, regardless of whether it is the liver or kidneys. And for diseases of the cardiovascular system, consultation with a cardiologist is necessary.

If it is determined that the child has a nosebleed due to cancer blood, then necessary A complex approach. But first of all, in this case, the help of a primary specialist is required - an oncologist. Only he will tell you what tests you need to undergo and what to do next, what medications to use.

Only a correct diagnosis can guarantee correct and effective treatment. If you fail to implement it on time, the consequences can be very disastrous, because precious time will simply be lost. This is especially important if there is a suspicion of hormonal disorders, blood diseases and leukemia. For these ailments, it is early diagnosis is the key to full recovery.

In conditions when visible reasons There is no concern, the child is cheerful, calm, active, grows and develops well, but blood from the nose still bothers him, it is necessary to maintain hygiene in the house. It is very important to maintain the required level of humidity. And study general strengthening body and blood vessels. The main recommendations can be identified:

if there is insufficient humidity in the house, use special devices to create comfortable conditions - air humidifiers;
Do not get carried away with using nasal drops;
being in cold air long time, protect your nasal passages from supercooled air;
stick to healthy image life;
hardening;
walks in the open air;
feasible for a child physical exercise;
diet;
eating enough foods rich in vitamins and minerals.

Parents also need to know that most often the appearance of blood from a child’s nose occurs between the ages of 3 and 10 years. In order to exclude the presence of serious problems, you should not neglect medical examination. Quite often it happens that it is during such examinations that the causes are clarified. various ailments, including frequent nosebleeds.

What should I do?

When faced with the need for treatment, do not panic. It is important to interact with your doctor and follow all his recommendations. They concern not only the list of medications and lifestyle, but also necessary tests, which must be submitted at certain intervals.

After all, most serious problems can only be identified when special research is carried out. If bleeding from a child’s nose is accompanied by fever, pallor, nausea and weakness, then, of course, you should not self-medicate, and, conversely, a single appearance of blood from the nose should not throw you into panic.

Conclusion

Now you know, we named a similar phenomenon in our article. We also talked about first aid and further treatment. As with any illness or health problem, parents are first required to monitor the behavior and mood of the baby. It is the attentive attitude of mom and dad to the child that will protect his health and prevent irreparable consequences.

Ekaterina Rakitina

Dr. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Klinikum, Germany

Reading time: 4 minutes

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Last update articles: 02/13/2019

The main task of the nasal mucosa of infants and adults is the most reliable protection against the penetration of viruses, bacteria and even foreign particles, as well as the preparation and purification of the air that enters the lungs. But this often happens, especially in childhood that the nasal mucosa “fails” and temporarily does not perform its functions. A runny nose sets in, mucus and discharge interfere with breathing, and multiplying bacteria turn them yellow and green.

And suddenly the parents of the baby notice that, along with snot, bleeding. Of course, such an unpleasant situation is not normal, but you shouldn’t be too scared and panic. The reasons for the appearance of bloody snot in a child can be very different and do not necessarily indicate the development of a serious nasal disease.

You should immediately distinguish between nosebleeds and the presence of small bloody streaks and inclusions in the mucus secreted during a runny nose.

The first situation is an unusual condition and requires mandatory consultation with a doctor, especially after a child’s head injury.

The second is a fairly common phenomenon and in most cases harmless. It is necessary to clearly understand the situation and carefully monitor everything possible reasons to clearly find out why bloody discharge appeared from the baby’s nose.

Causes of blood appearing during a runny nose

In young children, the capillary walls of the nasal mucosa are still very weak and are in the stage of formation and strengthening. There are a huge number of tiny blood vessels and capillaries running through the nose. Impact of many external factors(most often of a mechanical nature) can damage them, causing small bloody fragments to come out with nasal discharge.

Small children often put their fingers in their nose, especially when they have a runny nose or irritated nose. The nasal mucosa is easily damaged if the newborn has overgrown nails.
Damage to blood vessels and capillaries also often occurs due to drying out of the walls of the mucous membrane of the newborn’s nose. Dry and fairly hot air in the room where the child is located has a negative effect on the nasal mucosa. Most pediatricians advise keeping a child's room humidified and not overheating, especially in winter when electric heaters are used.

Nasal discharge with a certain amount of blood is not a disease, but simply a symptom of some problem, which can be identified and appropriate measures can be taken.

Fragile and weak vessels in the nose of a newborn can burst and bleed due to a lack of vitamins and microelements (most often vitamin C). Taking appointments prescribed by the pediatrician vitamin complexes is guaranteed to correct the fragility and fragility of blood vessels, and also increase the baby’s immunity.
A viral infection is also often the cause of the appearance of blood when a baby has a runny nose. Diseases of the upper respiratory tract the nasal capillaries become thinner, and blood appears on its own along with nasal mucus. In such cases, instilling moisturizing preparations with sea salt into the nose helps eliminate thinning and cure a runny nose.
Usually, attentive pediatricians, due to bleeding, consider the possibility of increased intracranial pressure and spasms of cerebral vessels in the baby. In children under one year of age, this option is quite rare, but it should be excluded in any case.
If the color of your child's nasal discharge is green or yellow with small streaks of blood, while the child is crying and has a fever, you should immediately consult a doctor. These discharges and symptoms may be signs of sinus inflammation.

How to treat bloody discharge from a newborn's nose

If the bleeding is not associated with cerebral vascular spasms or inflammatory processes ENT nature, the rest of the above situations do not require special treatment. Pediatric specialists usually recommend general events of a preventive nature.

The room should be moistened more often. To do this, you can install an ionizer or humidifier. Simpler and affordable way- usage wet towel on a hot battery. You can quickly humidify the air by spraying a small amount of water from a spray bottle.

Fresh air at least 3 times a day in winter and much more often in summer should be supplied to the room in which the newborn is predominantly located.

You should take your baby for walks in the fresh air more often, preferably in a forest or park. Unless the doctor recommends otherwise, a child’s bloody snot can be dealt with by instilling a saline solution in the nose with the addition of small quantity sea salt. Pharmacies also sell special moisturizing preparations for the nasal mucosa of children.

Under no circumstances should you self-medicate! The baby needs to be shown to an ENT specialist who can accurately determine the reasons why the child has snot with blood and will give necessary recommendations or prescribe appropriate treatment.

Traditional medicine in the fight against nasal discharge in infants

If the reasons are physiological in nature, a good healing result is obtained by moisturizing the nasal passages with natural oils plant origin. You can instill 2 drops of oil 2 times a day into each baby’s nostril. Or (if possible) insert small cotton swabs soaked in oil into the baby's nose. This can be olive oil, tea tree sea buckthorn or rosehip oil.

Many parents have experienced nosebleeds in their children, but not everyone knows why the nose often bleeds in childhood, as well as how to properly deal with such a problem. Let's find out the opinion of Dr. Komarovsky and his advice for parents with nosebleeds in children.

Causes

A well-known pediatrician calls the main reason frequent bleeding in children anatomical features structure of the nasal mucosa. It is they who cause frequent bleeding in some children and the absence of such a problem in other children. Among the most common provoking factors, Komarovsky names dry air in the room in which the child is staying.

According to a popular doctor, due to dry air, the mucus in the child’s nose dries out and forms crusts, and when the child picks them off, bleeding begins.

In this case, Komarovsky emphasizes, we are talking about bleeding that is not caused by injury (fall, blow), when the reason for the bleeding from the baby’s nose is obvious. Excessively dry air causes bleeding that appears suddenly, for no apparent reason.

Increased mucus production in a child's nose is caused by viral infection, exposure to an allergen or bacteria, and drying out of mucus can be caused not only by dry air in the room, but also by taking certain medications (vasoconstrictors, anti-inflammatory, antihistamines and others), long-term increase body temperature, inhalation of polluted air.

The bleeding itself can begin not only when picking the nose, but also when sneezing, while walking, inhaling or during sleep - in all cases when the pressure on nasal septum rises.

However, the cause of nosebleeds in a child can be much more serious, however, as Komarovsky notes, problems with blood clotting, liver, blood pressure and other serious illnesses will never manifest themselves only as nosebleeds. If your baby has any similar disease, he will also have other symptoms, for example, a skin rash, frequent bruises, headaches or dizziness.

Urgent Care

When a child has a nosebleed, Komarovsky recommends doing the following:

Have your baby sit with his body tilted forward. The baby's head should be straight or slightly tilted forward.
The child's nostrils should be squeezed with your fingers and held for about 10 minutes. The mother or the child himself can squeeze his nose. While waiting, the child should breathe through his mouth.

According to a popular doctor, the speed at which blood flow stops is primarily affected by the diameter of the damaged vessel. Also, the duration of bleeding will be determined by the state of the blood coagulation system and the use of certain medications. In most cases, ten minutes will be enough for normal nosebleeds to stop.

To speed up the stop of bleeding, a popular doctor recommends cold, but only if the child can pinch his nose on his own (while the mother runs to the kitchen for something cold). Komarovsky advises using ice by applying it to the bridge of the nose. You can also give your child ice cream or a cold drink through a straw, since the cold in oral cavity also helps to stop bleeding in the nose more quickly.

In addition, so that 10 minutes of waiting until the blood stops flowing does not become too long for the child, parents can do something to entertain the child, for example, turn on a cartoon for the child, read to the child, or tell him a story.

A well-known pediatrician calls the main mistakes parents make when helping a child with a nosebleed:

Throwing the child's head back. With this action, the blood will drain into the pharynx, so it will be difficult to understand how severe the vascular damage is, when the bleeding has stopped, and whether it has stopped at all. In addition, dripping blood can provoke a gag reflex.
Insertion of cotton swabs into the nasal passages. After removing the cotton wool from the nose, the crust formed at the site of damage to the blood vessels is removed, which causes re-bleeding.
Putting the child to bed. Komarovsky focuses the attention of parents on the fact that a child with nosebleeds should not be in a horizontal position.
Release the baby's nostrils early, checking to see if blood is still flowing. This will only prevent the bleeding from stopping.

Also, during bleeding, a child should not:

Blow your nose.
Cough.
Talk.
Swallow blood.
Move actively.

If 10 minutes have passed, the mother has released her nostrils, and the bleeding still continues, all steps should be repeated for another 10 minutes. If after twenty minutes from the start of the nosebleed it has not stopped, the child should be shown to a doctor.

Komarovsky also advises not to delay in applying for medical care, If:

The child discharges blood from both nostrils at once.
The child also developed bleeding from another part of the body, for example, from the ear.
Nosebleeds recur very often.

In the video below, the doctor gives detailed recommendations for helping with nosebleeds in a child, and also talks about common mistakes parents in such situations.