5 Tips to do Nebulizer Treatments on Infants

Dealing with a sick baby can be hard. It can be even harder when you have to give nebulizer treatments. I’ve had to do these twice already with Sebastian and he is not a fan. Since we’re in the middle of cold/flu season and everyone seems to be getting sick lately, I thought I would share a few things I’ve learned while giving the baby these treatments.  Of course, if you’re concerned about anything, contact your doctor and make sure it’s ok.

1. Do treatments while in his highchair.  It’s so much easier to do these treatments when they’re strapped down.  If I could do them in the car in his carseat, I probably would because that wouldn’t let him move around at all!  I know that sounds torturous, but it is really hard to get him to breathe in his treatment when he’s flailing like a fish out of water.  If you have a 5 point harness for your highchair, that’s the next best thing.
2. Entertain the baby. I usually turn the T.V. onto Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and that usually helps to keep him semi-calm. He loves that show and it’s fun for him.  Also, we play with the facemask beforehand and let him play touch and play with it, so he knows it’s not a torture device.
3. Give treatments when he is very tired or even asleep. It’s hard for me to do this while he’s sleeping because it’s really hard for the baby to fall asleep with anyone in the room.  He likes to be on his own when he goes down fully and reaching him in the crib is not an easy feat.  Not to mention, any noise will wake him, so I opt to give him his treatments when he’s really, really tired.  He will still fight some, but at a certain point he will get tired of fighting and will let me finish giving him his treatment without chasing his face.
4. Prep medicines out of his view. I used to prep the medicines in front of him, but then I realized that this would make him anxious.  He knew what was coming and the moment he saw the medicine container, he would start whining.
5. If the mask freaks him out, just use the pointed in his airway. Sometimes playing with the mask would work, other times it  wouldn’t.  Sometimes nothing would calm him down, so I would just take the tub, point the “smoke” towards his chin, that way he could breathe it in via his noise or mouth.  As long as he got some of the treatment in him, we were ok.

Afterwards, give him lots of love after. Just snuggle with him. Tell him it’ll all be ok, and make him feel secure again.  I hate to have to do something to him that scares him, but I know it’s for his betterment.  A little snuggle time afterwards can help you both bond and can reassure him that mommy still loves him.