If your baby is congested, elevate the head of the mattress with an old towel or two. Sleeping at an incline may help relieve your baby's postnasal drip. Because babies are too young to blow their noses, the best way to help them breathe more easily is to wipe their noses. You can also apply petroleum jelly to the outside of your baby's nostrils to reduce irritation. If your child is having trouble breastfeeding with a stuffy nose, you may like to ask your GP to prescribe saline drops to apply to each nostril 15 minutes before a feed.
Some parents then use a suction bulb to clear the nose of salt water and mucus.
Try a cool mist vaporiser to moisten the air. Or take your baby into the bathroom with you, turn on the hot water or shower, close the door, and sit in the steamy room for about 15 minutes. Remember to change your baby into dry clothes after the steam bath. If your child has a stuffy nose without any other symptoms, check his nostrils for foreign objects. Colds are a fact of life.