2-Year Old Nose Bleed?

This happened to my daughter last year, just once, on a cold dry night. I found her in the morning with blood on her sheets and dried blood all around her mouth (she was on her back so it went down her throat and out her mouth, yuck!). It really freaked me out too! But she was fine. The pediatrician said it was a nose bleed and there was no harm done--my daughter didn't have any ill effects at all, and it's never happened again. I did place a humidifier in her room at night for a few nights afterwards. So, basically, it's frightening, but really not a cause for concern!

I don't really have any advice, but wanted to tell you, I have three boys. The youngest is 2.5, and he is the only one who has at least three times in his life woken up with nose bleeds. Well, we don't even know about it till the next morning, which is very scary to walk into his room in the morning and see his face and pillow covered with blood. My husband say's he got nose bleeds while he slept as a kid too. I personally have never had a nose bleed, so it's weird, but I guess normal. My husband is okay, so I bet the kids will be too. :-)

W. Sanders

Minor nose bleeds are nothing to be concerned about and are quite common even at such a young age. It is probably due to the dry air. Since you are travelling a humidifier would be difficult. The saline spray is a good idea. My daughter's doc also recommended putting a little vaseline on a q-tip and coating the inside of her nose before bed and then again in the morning. It worked really well.

Unless a nose bleed lasts longer than 15 mins it is nothing to worry about. :o)

Hi H.,
Don't worry. Just put some vaseline on your finger and rub it on the inside of her nose (both sides) and get a humidifier at the drug store. Run that at night and possibly during the day if it is really dry.

T.

First off, thank you for being honest in your "little about me" areaa about the "I'd be lying if I said I love EVERY minute of it." Thank you. It is the most rewarding job ever but boy oh boy is it the hardest. : ) :) :)
Okay, I had bloody noses growing up. They eventually went away about the age of 13. I mostly got them when it was hot out or I was running. I had one nostril catarized. OMG, I ran out before the doctor could do the other side. I wouldn't recommend that. Phew. Ouchy. Not necessary. I eventually outgrew them. If you have hard, crusty boogers you can use a saline you use like a nasal spray to soften the boogers. You can get them at a drugstore. The change in weather may help you. Good luck and happy holidays!

We took a visit to Idaho and two of our kids noses bled. Altitude and dry air were the culprits. But heated furnace air generally drys it out too.

What about a humidifier, or boiling water on the stove to increase humidity in the house? I personally don't like a humidifier running in the bedroom a lot because it can increase the liklyhood of mold to get a foothold, but it couldn't hurt to circulate some humidity in the house a bit.

Yep, nosebleeds are pretty common in kids. Do a dab of vaseline on a q-tip to moisturize the inside of her nose.
But, as with anything scary and unusual, if it continues on a real regular basis, have the doc check it too.

My son gets nosebleeds each time the seasons change. Humidifiers are helpful, but you probably don't want to deal with that while away from home. Try squirting Ocean Nasal spray (or any brand of saline spray) up her nose before bed each night and once or twice during the day. That's been a huge help for us.

My friend also suggested putting a dab of vaseline in the nose every night for a week or so to heal up the blood vessels. His daughter had suffered alarming nosebleeds until he began putting vaseline inside her nose, and it had helped to stop them.

My son is one year older, and went through the nose bleed phase. (which I think is over, but ????) Yah, it lasted a while. It seemed the slightest bump from his brother made his nose bleed and it happened without provocation at night too.
When the weather changes a lot (which seems to be his big nose bleed time) we use a product called Ayr in his nose. It's a kind of a lubricant goo that comes in a small tube. You just put in there with a cotton swab. Someone suggested Petroleum Jelly would do the same thing for less money. But the little tube is hardly pricey and goes a long way and has a higher quality ingredient.
The annoying thing is the sheets! Pour hydrogen peroxide all over the bloodied areas and wash in cold water with an extra scoop of OxyClean.
The little one is probably fine, tho'.... Just keep checking in with the pediatrician when you go in on the status. Or keep a mental record of how long the "phase" continues. I have a friend with an older child (11) who was still prone and they cauterized it! He's fine. We have years and years for that, thank goodness. ;-)

Good luck!
B

Make it a habit to keep a cool mist vaporizer going in the room when she's sleeping. That will moisturize the air and help prevent the nosebleeds. Don't panic, I know it looks awful when you see it in the morning, but it's a normal thing with dry winter weather... or even dry summer weather.

I actually just picked my daughter up from daycare yesterday and she had a little bit of dried blood in her nose. She is constantly picking her nose especially when she's been laying down or going to sleep. If it was just a little blood I wouldn't worry too much but as a pediatrician so they can look into her nose and see if there are any scratches from her finger. Also just try and keep her finger nails filed down smooth so if she is picking it won't irritate her inside of her nose so much.
Best wishes and blood is always a scary thing, even a little. I used to have a stepson that would literally stand over the sink when he had a nose bleed. The doctors said it was a phase and his membranes in the nose were just weak and thin. He's now grown out of it though.

Hi H.-
you may need to invest in a travel humidifier for your babies- and yourself for that matter. Also, try rubbing some (ask your doc what to use) petroleumn based product like vaseline or neosporin on the insides of your nose before bed. That may help some.
Good luck!
-E. M

I went to college in New Hampshire, where it is extremely cold and dry during the winter, and I had nosebleeds during the winter there. I noticed lots of other people did too. I don't think human noses were meant for that kind of weather! =)

As the other mom said, a humidifier may help, as will drinking lots of water (not something we usually think about when it's freezing outside).

I also had nose bleeds growing up. Something about real sensitivity to dry air. What I do for me and my family is real simple. Add a humidifier to her bedroom which wil balance out the dry air from the heater and also do a nasal rinse or mist to lubricate the nasal passages. They have these for toddlers as well. Good luck!

Merry Christmas and Happy NewYear H.,
I hope that you have talked to a Pedi doctor by now and feel more confident.
I know that my daughter would have horrible nose bleeds and the doctor told me that it was becasue in the winter the skin thins and the blood vessals are closer to the surface. When a child moves their head at night it is the bumping thatmakes it bleed. He used Silver Nitrate i the nose and she was fine for several months. I learned with my 5 children and the many foster children we raised, that parenthood has many more twists and turns and moments of excitement than any theme park ride you can go on at the park. With every up and great time there are as many downs and looking for the exit signs. I alwasy figured it took a coward to run from a good fight so I made it through the tough moments by the nail marks on the wall and the grooves I wore in the hardwood floors from praying!
I wish you peace and your child comfort. Nana Glenda

Hi H.,

The first time, or two, our babies have a nose bleed, it can be very scary. But really, your daughter will be just fine.

My son had them quite often during his sleep, and mostly when we traveled. At 13, he just had one the other day....out of the blue.....I think it's the waether.

Don't worry, she'll be ok, her nasal cavities are just trying to adjust to traveling :O) Have her drink LOTS AND LOTS of water......and the saline drops can help, although it will be difficult to get them in a 27month old :o)

I hope that eases your mind during this holiday season!

Merry Christmas!

~N. :o)

Welcome to the world of bloody noses! My son got his very first one the week of his second birthday. And it also scared us when he woke up with dried blood on his face and in his bed! Bloody noses run on my husband's side of the famiy. We use a humidifier in his bedroom when it's hot or when the air gets really dry. We also both have a small bag of Kleenex, Vaseline and Q-tips in our diaper bags. Just last week he got 3 in one day. I hate them, but we're now used to them. When he gets them we make a b-line to the bath tub and let him stand in there while pinching his nose. (That way we don't get blood all over the furniture or the rugs.) When it has stopped, he take a Q-tip with Vaseline and rub the inside of his nose. He now knows the routine. You can also rub the Q-tip and Vaseline in his nose when it's hot or when the air is dry. It helps. We talked to his doctor about it, but there isn't anything that they can do. Unfortunately, my husband's sister didn't 'outgrow' bloody noses until she was in college! Good luck.

Dear H.,
It's pretty normal for little kids to get nose bleeds but the first time or two it can be really scary.
My daughter maybe had two bloody noses in her life, while my son gets them frequently and 99% of the time, it's while he's sleeping. In fact, he just had one night before last.
It can be caused by drier air or by picking or scratching the inside of their nose...or bumping it.
I wouldn't worry too much about it since so far it's just been a one time thing. Try to keep the inside of her nose moistened.

Best wishes and enjoy your trip.

Hi H. - my son (now 2 years and 8 months) used to have nose bleed all the time. Espeically at night. I got a cold mist humidifier and things are MUCH better (he rarely has bloody nose now). I must say that I do notice bloody nose more frequently in the winter but he did get it all year round. I did mention this to the pediatrician and he is not alarmed - suggested the humidifier as well.
good luck!