What To Do If Your Child Sticks Something Up Their Nose

By: Phoebe Ackland, ellaslist

Whether it’s beads, green peas or pieces of crayon, chances are, your toddler is going to try to stick it right up their nose. 

Check out this amazing technique (that you can even try at home!) called the ‘mother’s kiss’, which could help successfully free any strange bits and bobs that find a new home in your child’s nostril.

Source: Nurture

A Mother’s Kiss

According to the Cleveland Clinic, this method usually dislodges stuck items 60% of the time, and works best when the items are hard (a doctor is often required when softer objects get stuck like foam or tissue). It can be safely tried at home using the following simple three steps:

• Place your mouth over your child’s mouth.
• Hold the nostril that isn’t blocked closed with a finger.
• Blow gently into your child’s mouth.

Thanks to the Cleveland Clinic for the easy how-to.

Other Methods

If the ‘mother’s kiss’ isn’t for you, and you can SEE the object inside your toddler’s nose, then remove it with a pair of flat (not sharp!) tweezers, according to What To Expect.

Alternatively, you can ask your little one to blow their nose if you think they will be able to, or just pray that they sneeze as this could have the same effect as blowing. What To Expect reminds parents to never stick their finger or a cotton bud up there as you risk pushing the object further up the nasal passage.

In Over Your Head? Here’s When To Call A Doctor

According to What To Expect, here are the signs you should call a doctor:

• If the lodged item is a small battery or is chemical-containing, then go to the ER as this could burn the tissue in their nasal passage.
• If you can’t see the item, then see a doctor as you don’t know how far it has travelled.
• If you think you’ve only successfully removed part of the lodged item, but there's a chance there could still be more bats in the cave.
• If your little one’s nose discharges blood or gunk even once the item has been removed, or if their nose bleeds for longer than 15-20 minutes whilst the item remains.

May all the bats exit your little one's cave swiftly!

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