Toddler Nosebleeds - Vaseline in the Nose??

I would do it when he's asleep. My son has really chapped hands (lots of hand-washing - very dry, cold air), and I've been putting Aquafor on them. It works great! As long as he doesn't rub it all off. So I started waiting until he was sound asleep. I just tip toe into his room, rub in on his hands and tip toe out again.

Give it a try!

let him do it himself
or you can bribe him

My daughter hated allowing us to put Vaseline in her nose but she also got crazy nosebleeds almost daily. We finally began using a Q-tip, cut in half, and let her apply it inside her nostril herself. The idea with the shortened Q-tip was it would be easier to handle and less likely to get accidentally jammed. Since she was able to control the pressure and application, she was satisfied and would often remind us that she needed to do it before bed.

I think sometimes they need to feel in control of what is happening to their bodies. It would freak me out to have someone trying to put it into my nose.

Can you convince him to do it himself? Not sure if he is just turned 3 or almost 4, but if he is a good communicator, talk to him and tell him that his nose needs medicine so that it wont bleed so much. Then show him on your own body what you want him to do. Then ask him if he wants you to do it for him, or if he wants to do it for himself. I have a very strong willed 4 year old and this approach has worked well for me. He almost always will choose to do it himself, and then I pile on praise for being a big boy, and he gets very proud that he can take care of himself in so many ways.

Good luck!

I had the same problem when my older son was little. He gets nosebleeds easily. The doc also suggested the vaseline just in case it is from dryness. One thing to watch for though is a very thin coating. So--you have to go against what you may normally tell your son and that is keep your finger out of your nose ;o} First tell him when he will do but do not put a lot of emphasis on putting somehting in his nose. Put a thin coating on his finger and tell him to put his finger in his nose and turn it. Turning it will rub the vaseline off. It did take a bit of time, and his looking at me like I was from outer space, but he did eventually do it. Then I had to hide the vaseline because he wanted to do it all the time.

I am going to run with the bribe too, not sure about him doing it himself though - I see potential for disaster there. M&M's are great for this kind of a bribe, good luck, my son is a nose bleeder too - mostly because he can not keep his fingers OUT!

my mom used vitamin k ointment instead of vaseline as it helps strengthen the blood vessel walls. could you put some on a q-tip and do it at night while he's asleep?

The vaseline in the nostrils every night stopped my son from getting daily nosebleeds(all year long!) I'm lucky though, he was cooperative.
How bout an M&M bribe??

I used to put it on qtips when I did it to my son. He has out grown them but used to have them at lease 3 times a week if not more!! A nasal spray I like is a gel made by neilmed. I think i got it at Walmart........

Any who, if the nose bleed is bad, use a spray of Afrin in the side that is bleeding. It will help stop it and keep the blood vessels constricted to keep it from bleeding again too.

S.

Yup Q-tip, great idea to let him do it! Also you may want to try saline nasal spray they make one for kids called "little noses". I use this with both my kids to keep their nasal passages moist and help prevent sinus infections and nose bleeds. There is no medication in it so it's perfectly safe.

My DD had that a couple weeks ago (she's 2 3/4 yrs old). Same as you, we have whole house humidifer, and I was run a humidifer in her room, which I found helped a lot--so keep that up and full force).

Dad used a q-tip to apply the vaseline (of course mom can't do it--Dad always makes things like that go better for some reason. I might've had to help "hold her" down the first time. She didn't like it the first time, but the nights after it was easy. Best of luck!

I use Vaseline in my nose for the same reason! I use a q tip. I was thinking could you do it while he is sleeping? That seems like the easiest way to me. Not sure if he could do it himself at three. It depends on the child. If you think he could, give it a try! It really isn't hard. Just put a little on the q tip, and tell him to make circles inside his nose! Hope that it works!

use a Q-tip.

just the thought of that gives me the willies.