•  Bleeding, Severe

First, have your child sit or stand up to reduce the blood pressure in the veins of the nose so that bleeding slows. Have him lean forward and spit out any blood, then blow his nose to remove any clots that may have formed. For a young child, gently pinch the nose shut near the tip with a tissue or clean washcloth, using your thumb and index finger to hold it closed. (Older children can do this themselves.) Remind your child to breathe through his mouth and continue to lean forward spitting out any blood that has accumulated in his mouth or throat. Apply gentle but constant pressure for a full ten minutes. If your child seems scared or worried, reassure him that there's no danger.

Two things to avoid: Don't tilt your child's head back; that allows blood to flow down the throat and may cause vomiting. And don't pack the nose with cotton after a nosebleed; it can stick and cause bleeding to resume when it's later removed and any clots that have formed are disrupted.

If the bleeding continues longer than 15 minutes despite following these steps, call your child's doctor immediately.

No. Nosebleeds are common in children. Sinus infections, colds, allergies, or dryness of the nasal lining makes them more likely to occur. Young children often make matters worse by rubbing or picking their noses. If your child gets a nosebleed at night, you may find dried blood on the pillowcase in the morning. Again, there's no reason to worry.

However, you should call the doctor immediately if your child gets a nosebleed from a blow to the head or a fall. Also call the doctor if your child has just started taking a new medicine and begins to get a lot of nosebleeds. If nosebleeds become a frequent problem or are occurring more often than usual -- especially if they're accompanied by other symptoms, such as bruising -- check with the doctor.

If the air in your home is dry, use a humidifier in your child's room at night. You may also want to apply a small amount of petroleum jelly to the center wall inside his nose to relieve dryness. If your child has a habit of picking his nose, keep his fingernails trimmed so he's less likely to injure the lining of his nose.

-- Peter Jaret is a medical writer and book author whose work has appeared in Health, National Geographic, and many other publications. He is the recipient of the 1992 American Medical Association award for medical reporting and the 1998 James Beard Award for journalism.

Further Resources

National Institute of Child Health &Human Development

http://www.nichd.nih.gov/default.htm

References

First published August 17, 1999
Last updated June 12, 2008
Copyright © 1999 Consumer Health Interactive

Or Find More On:

Back to top of page