Prophylaxis
To prevent nosebleeds in babies caused by dry room air, it is important to ensure that the air in the rooms is moist enough so that the nasal mucous membrane does not dry out. Dry air caused by heating in the winter months can be counteracted by airing the rooms in a bumpy way, especially shortly before going to bed.In the case of generally dry nasal mucous membranes and frequent nosebleeds, ointments or nasal oils can help to keep the nasal mucous membrane moist. Since a common cause of nosebleeds is drilling into the nose, it is advisable to cut the baby’s fingernails short and make sure that they are cut round, as sharp or angular nails can easily scratch the nasal mucosa.
Nosebleed after a fall
Particularly during the first attempts to crawl, sit up or even walk on both legs, a fall can easily occur, causing the baby to fall on its nose and nosebleed. This can hardly be avoided, but here too, parents should take the above-mentioned measures. In any case, it is not unusual for the nose to bleed after a fall.
Parents should again make sure that the bleeding is stopped after 15 minutes at the latest. A broken nose must be excluded. Parents should also observe their baby closely after the fall to make sure that the child has not suffered a concussion.
In this case, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting or increased fatigue would only appear with a time delay. A concussion is relatively rare in babies, however, as the skull is not yet completely ossified. As a result, the skull remains more displaceable and falls can be better cushioned than in adults.
Nosebleed at night
Of course, it is very worrying for parents if the baby is found with a bleeding nose or bloodstain in the morning. But even here the cause is usually harmless. Especially in the winter months, when dry heating air dries out the nasal mucous membrane, the baby’s nose bleeds more often.
Even if the baby has an infection, the nose can bleed overnight. Babies also like to drill their noses while sleeping, so that sharp or long fingernails are another possible reason. If nosebleeds occur very often at night and larger amounts of blood are also found, a doctor must be consulted. A blood count should be taken, for example to rule out a rare blood clotting disorder.