DIY - Homemade Saline Nasal Drops

As the winters are setting in, cold and congestion come in hand with this season. When we adults are not getting spared to get under the weather, these tiny little beings are more prone to catch cold as their immune system is still not completely developed.

The first and the most easy thing which can be done instantly at home, before the use of any medication is"Saline Nasal Drops"

Saline Nasal drops are an alternative which even your child's pediatrician will recommend. They are easily available in the market or can be made at home too.

The Saline Nasal drops & a bulb syringe can be used to remove mucus and reduce inflammation in your infant's nasal passages.



Easy Steps to make & use HOMEMADE SALINE NASAL DROPS are as follows:

STEP 1: Take 1 cup of distilled water or boil 1 cup of water for minimum 7-10 minutes to eliminate                  any possibilities of bacterial impurities.

STEP 2: Mix 1 teaspoon of salt in the boiled water

STEP 3: Stir continuously till the salt is completely dissolved & water comes down to room temperature

STEP 4: Store the water in a clean & sterilized vessel. This water can be stored up to 24 hours.

STEP 5: Use a sterilized bulb syringe to put a 2-3 drops of saline water into each nostril of the child

STEP 6: Wait for a few minutes before using the bulb syringe to remove the mucus from baby's nose.

                     As this is not a medicine so there are no side effects of using the same.

Precautions:

• The vessel for storage and the bulb syringe should be properly sterilized
• The water should not be warm or hot as it may cause irritation in the baby's nose
• The bulb syringe is not forced too much into the baby's nostril while putting drops or suction; it should ideally be used from the edge of the nose
• Please sanitize your hands before and after dealing with the baby

Hope this is a hands on DIY remedy you can use for your child suffering from cold or for clearing his/her nasal passages.

Image Courtesy: Corbis

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a GREAT FALL........'Your babies First Fall'

Well my Humpty Dumpty had his first BIG fall on his 11 month birthday and it shook me completely. I was standing 50 meters away from him, talking to my maid...I am sure I had an eye upon him as he was playfully standing on the sides of his cot and he just toppled over upside down.....

I remember myself shouting his name loudly & then I went all numb....I didn't even go & pick him up. My maid picked him & I took my wailing baby in my arms just for my husband to come out of the restroom & pull him away from me. I was so shocked that
when he asked me what part of his body hit the floor first I couldn't reply, as all I had in my head was I looking at him toppling off the cot bar.

It took 20 mins for my child to come back to normal & begin his toy story again but two hours for me to stop crying & figure out what happened. Finally I realized he basically walked over his big car soft-toy which was kept in the corner of the cot, gained some height & slipped over on his left arm & not his head. But it was scary.....

Well I am not a doctor but I as a first time mom made my notes upon "Babies Fall's" so sharing my pointers with you guys:

1. Do Not Panic - there isn't much I say can about it but as my mom says, "Now you are a mother so you have to manage everything, Keep calm & Raise your child."

2. Resist any temptation of banging your head on the wall or floor - its okay, if the baby fell & especially when you were around.... you did not commit any crime, breathe easy as you too are a human, you never intentionally wanted anything bad for your child.

3. Call for help - There might be a few falls & especially the first ones (like mine!!!) when you might not be able to get a hang of what has happened and what to do. Just call for help from another family member & someone who is more calm & composed (usually husbands are the best bet at this time!) who will handle the initial situation.

4. Check for any injuries - Usually babies and toddlers do not get any broken bones so easily as that's how they are into making of an adult.... But check the baby for any bruises or bumps and its severity. Also check for any other 'serious injury' like a broken bone, head/ back injury, unconsciousness, bleeding which is not getting stopped by pressure, seizure, persistent vomiting, excessive sleeping, change in eye ball size, eye movement, etc

5. Use cold compression -  As and when your kiddo starts exploring and standing with support, 'Bump Eggs' - as I call them; are the most common things that's gonna happen. Usually they are not of a big concern but cold compression is the best form to bring them down. Just wrap a few ice cubes in a cloth and press it on the bump off & on till the bump subsides a little.

6. Visit the doctor in case - Visit or call your doctor immediately in case there are signs of any 'serious injury' (as mentioned above in point no 3) or if there are symptoms you cannot handle. 'Follow Your Instinct' as no read or another individual can tell you about what is the best for your child.

7. For the next time - Whenever Nevan has his usual falls during the day (for which now I have lost the count of falls/day) I prefer not to look at him or react for the fall with a sudden sound or jerk. This does not further surprise the kid and maximum no of times he gets up again and starts playing. In case if he does start crying and ask me to pick him up, I distract him immediately with his toys, light or whatever random thing is in front of us so that he forgets about the fall. These two are my rules for the regular falls.

Take care of your kiddo's.....Do let me know what are the others important pointers in case I have missed any.