To nasal rinse your baby or not? Sainte-Justine Hospital is revising its guidelines

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Montreal's Sainte-Justine Hospital is revising its famous guidelines regarding nasal hygiene for babies and children, including frequency and method.

"Upon consultation among experts, we now recommend cleaning children's noses as needed, using less water and applying lighter pressure," said the hospital's communications officer, Geneviève Martel.

The recommendation to nasal rinse babies and children stems from the concern that a congested nose could impede a child from breathing properly and hinder their ability to sleep and eat.

"Children produce on average one litre (four cups) of nasal secretions every day and even more when they suffer from colds or respiratory allergies," the hospital notes in its current document. "It is not easy for children to take care of these secretions when they cannot efficiently blow their nose."

The hospital adds that in Canada, children catch between six and eight colds a year, most commonly from October to May.

Sainte-Justine was previously encouraging parents to regularly clean their children's noses with a saline solution starting from birth but says this is one of the recommendations currently being reviewed.

The new Sainte-Justine Hospital guidelines regarding nasal rinses are expected to be published in the upcoming weeks.