As much as I love holding down a screaming child and nebulizing them, I wonder if it makes a difference. My pediatrician swears by it, along with every single other Brazilian, even the childless ones. I swear, people in Brazil are raised with that thing stuck to their face.
Now, I'm a humidifier girl. I was raised with the hot steam humidifier every time I had one of those horrible colds. Ordinarily, this would be equivalent to Brazilian Chinese water torture but the normally humid Rio de Janeiro is strangely lacking it's every day moistness. I almost want to call up into the clouds and say 'You know, there's a cream for that'.
And I've tried to use a humidifier here. I bought an overpriced cold water one at Lojas Americanas and all it did was make the room rank and sticky. Back to the nebulizer.
So all you experts out there, what does it do? I hear it breaks up the snot, opens the lungs and sinus, and shortens the life of the cold. I always thought nebulizers were a way to get medicine into the lungs and that without the medicine, it's basically a steam room for the lips.
Of course, I'm still using it on my little one. He's a miserable snot factory, coughing and choking the night away. Hell, I would bust out African dance - tribal circle, fire, and all - if I thought it'd make the cold go away.
So what's your verdict? To Nebulize or not to Nebulize?
I am childless so I have nothing for you on the nebulizer BUT I have a question I must ask because your incredibly well chosen post pictures are cracking me up---do you have a good site where you are getting them or just Google-ing?
ReplyDeleteI only nebulize when she's short of breath, which is not often. If you must do it, wait till he's asleep. I bought an humidifier for my house (here in this side of Parana it's really dry) and it was hot alright, Isabela had 2nd degree burnts all over her little hand. When she's got a bad cold like that I give her Profenid Pediatrico and Decongex or Claritin D. Rubbing VicVapoRub might help, and always some Sorine Pediatrico to help her sleep. She's had a bad cough a couple of months ago, that lasted like a month and a half. The ped said she had renitis, hence the cough (due to dripping), and she's on Nasonex now for 90 days. The cough is gone and I'm happy.
ReplyDeleteEveryone around me (hubby, several pediatricians, inlaws with toddlers) swears by nebulizing, but personally I don't see any benefit. We do it every time our 2 year old gets a cold, stuffy nose, sinus infection, etc. but I have never seen her discharge anything close to the picture posted on your post.
ReplyDeleteWe use a room temperature invisible mist humidifier whenever little one gets sick but again not sure if it helps either.
My Dutch mommy friend swears by hot mist humidifiers with Vicks, but my pediatrician votes again hot mist humidfiers due to risk of burns.
In sum what seems to have worked for us has been antibiotics and none of the other stuff.
Lastly, it was a magnificent moment when our little one finally learned to blow her nose. The fact that she can now blow her nose has helped clear out her passages without needing the nebulizer. I think nebulizing is recommended especially because up until a certain age, little ones can't blow their noses so their passages get clogged.
TLC, I google super random words that relate to my subject. The randomer the better. After that, it´s just leg work
ReplyDeleteLove that Luka can blow his nose! Waiting on Rafa!
ReplyDeleteAmazing that we mommies can get so excited when our little ones learn to blow their nose, isn't it? ;-)
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