Child sleeps with open mouth: reasons. Should I be worried?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The birth of a child is a long-awaited event. For nine months, future parents are looking forward to the birth of their baby. Of course, even from the moment of conception, worries about the he alth of the crumbs begin. Is everything okay with him? Is he comfortable?

And finally, when the long-awaited miracle happened and the baby was born, parents with even greater trepidation begin to relate to the slightest change in his behavior, and even small deviations from the norm frighten loving mom and dad.

Maternal instincts are so strong that mom is always on guard and even at night continues to listen to the baby breathe and move. Breathing is perhaps the main indicator of the he alth of the crumbs, except for crying, of course.

The moment parents notice their baby is sleeping with their mouth open, real panic sets in. A lot of bad thoughts immediately arise: I caught a cold, something got into my nose, allergies and much more.

When a newborn baby sleeps with his mouth open, don't immediately panic. This behavior of the crumbs in a dream does not always mean that he is sick.

Checkingtheir fears

As a rule, in most cases, if a child sleeps with his mouth open, but breathes through his nose, this is not a problem. In newborn babies, the muscles are not yet accustomed to being in constant tension. During deep sleep, they completely relax, and the mouth can remain open. Especially if the baby fell asleep right while sucking on his mother's breast. So, by the way, most often it happens. Like everything else in relation to a newborn, the excitement about this should not be ignored. Of course, maybe there's nothing wrong with that, but it's better to find out the reason and not worry.

Step One

First you need to check: breathing occurs through the mouth or nose. To do this is quite simple. You just need to gently bring the back of your hand to the baby's face. The skin on this part of the hand is very sensitive, so it will not be difficult to feel the slightest movement of air, and it will immediately become clear how the baby breathes, mouth or nose.

If the breath goes through the nose, do not worry - the baby is just fast asleep and forgot to close his mouth. But if he breathes through his mouth, you need to take a closer look at his he alth.

In general, it is believed that newborn babies simply do not know how to breathe through their mouths. Their body is so tuned that during sucking they inhale and exhale with their nose, and only swallow milk with their mouths.

Step two

To find out the reason why the child sleeps with his mouth open, you need to measure his body temperature. Most experienced moms are used to relying on the accuracy of theirtactile sensations. That is, after touching the baby's forehead with her hand, the mother makes her verdict on whether he has a temperature. Unfortunately, sometimes, when the temperature is not so high, for example, 37 degrees, mother's hand may simply not feel it. Therefore, it is better to use a thermometer.

About thermometers

In recent years, inventions have gone far enough that measuring body temperature has become a matter of just a couple of seconds. So, for a long time there have been pacifier thermometers designed specifically for measuring the temperature in infants. Measurement with such a pacifier takes only 10-20 seconds.

For older children, starting from half a year, you can use conventional electronic thermometers. Most of them are multifunctional, that is, they can be placed as usual - under the arm, such a measurement takes 20 seconds.

For a faster measurement, you can put the tip of the thermometer crumbs under the tongue. Such thermometers have a soft case and are protected from moisture. This measurement takes only 10 seconds.

Many new mothers have already encountered non-contact thermometers in the maternity hospital. To measure body temperature with such a device, it is enough to point the beam at the baby’s forehead for a couple of seconds, and the data will already be received. Such a thermometer costs several times more than conventional electronic counterparts, but with frequent use it pays for itself with interest.

If the temperature is above normal, then the baby has a cold, you need to call a doctor at home. If the temperature is above 38 degrees, you need to call an ambulance or take responsibility and give the baby an antipyretic. It could be paracetamol syrup or Nurofen.

If the temperature is normal, but the next night the child sleeps with his mouth open again, you should think about the reason.

Allergy

When an allergic reaction, the child breathes through the mouth all the time, and not just during sleep. In addition, in addition to such breathing, there are usually other symptoms. So, for example, the eyes may turn red or watery, certain parts of the body may itch. To exclude allergies, you need to carefully observe the behavior of the baby in the daytime.

Indoor air

Another reason why a baby sleeps with its mouth open may be the dry air in the house. This is especially common during the heating season. If the room is stuffy, the natural reaction of the body in a dream will be a state when the child has a stuffy nose and he has to breathe through his mouth.

If the house does not have special devices for measuring temperature and humidity in the room, you can simply watch how the baby breathes during a walk, through the nose or mouth.

Another reason for a stuffy nose can be a sudden change in room temperature while the baby is sleeping. So, for example, in the summer, when windows remain open at night, in the morning the air temperature outside can drop significantly. And when the baby begins to inhale cold air in a dream, the vessels in the nose narrow, there is a feeling of difficulty breathing through the nose, the baby reflexively begins to do this through the mouth. There is nothing wrong with that. When the air in the room is uniformcool, breathing will return to normal.

Home climate control

In order for the baby, and his parents, to breathe easily at home, you need to monitor the temperature and humidity in the room. Ideal in the children's room is the air temperature from 20 to 25 degrees. As for humidity, it should be between 40 and 60%.

Special home thermometers are used to measure indoor temperature, and hygrometers are used to measure humidity. You can use both separate devices and combined in one device.

To improve the climate in the house, you need to ventilate all rooms at least 3 times a day. And to increase humidity, use special devices - humidifiers or air purifiers.