SNEEZING AND CONGESTION Sneezing is common in the newborn.  Mucus from birth and lint from blankets may get caught in your infant’s nose. Sneezing is a natural reflex to clear out this passageway.  Your infant uses his nasal passages almost exclusively to breathe until she is about 2-3 months old and a small amount of normal mucus will cause her to sound very congested. Be assured that your child will not choke on this small amount of mucus. Unless there is significant difficulty in feeding or sleeping it is not necessary to suction the nose of your infant. The process is sometimes more trouble than it is worth. To help clear out an infant’s stuffy nose, a bulb syringe (ear syringe) may be used to remove mucus. Be aware that overly vigorous suctioning can also traumatize the nasal lining and make congestion worse. Salt water nose drops (1/4 tsp. of salt in one cup of water) may be used to clear secretions that are deeper and cannot be removed with the syringe. Place 1-2 drops of salt water in one nostril, allow to sit a few seconds, then suction the nostril or gently compress and “milk” the nose. Repeat with the other nostril.