Suggestions to Make Nebulizer Treatments for a 9 Month Old Easier

We just got the penguin nebulizer and it had a pacifier attatchment with it. My son was to old to use that part of it. We always gave my son cheerios to snack on while he was nebbing and popped in his favorite movie.

Looks like you've already received lots of advice, but when my son needed these treatments, he received a nebulizer that looked like a penguin and the little bag it came with to hold it and all of the accessories was a little backback shaped like an igloo. It was adorable and he loved it! I would sing little penguin songs that I made up and we made it a special treat. I got this nebulizer from the Buffalo, MN emergency room...so if nothing else works...maybe this will. Good luck!

I have given many nebulizer treatments. The best and easiest way to give them is when they have just fallen asleep, either for a nap or bedtime. When they first fall asleep they don't even know they are receiving the treatment. They are the most relaxed then. Please try this, it works.

So...my suggestion will not encourage deep breathing during the nebs...but can you give them to him when he's sleeping by holding the end of the neb in front of his face??

Good luck!

Both my kiddos are on a nebulizer periodically. They have different attachements like a mask, a tube, even my baby has a pacifier one. Try a different attachement. I didn't use a mask until my daughter was like 5 probaly. With the tubes you can just blow it in their face.

I know yesterday I had to neb my 6mo.old and she got all weird on me so I finally just let her hold it. She chewed on the pacifier and played with it. But the mist was still going in her face.

I know it is hard, really hard, but really the best thing for him is to cry to get that medicine all the way into his lungs.
You can also ask the dr/nurse for the straight attachment for the neb instead of the mask. Then just hold the tube up to his mouth/nose. We found that this was easier for our young daughter.

When my 2 year old was in the hospital, she hated the nebulizer, too. We didn't use the mask, she wouldn't keep it on. I found that the tube worked better. She still didn't like it, but she eventually stopped fighting it. The easiest way to do it for us was when she was sleeping. I used the tube and aimed it at her mouth and nose. I only had to do it for a week, so I'm not sure how the medicine affected her sleeping, but she seemed to sleep as much as she always does when she is sick. Even if you don't have the tube, just holding the "jar" under his face may be easier than the mask. Good luck, I hope you find a way that makes mom and child feel better.

I'm an RT student and what we learned recently was that 9 months is way too young to be diagnosed with asthma. I hope that it is a misdiagnosis. I know that there are pediatric masks in animal shapes that you can purchase for the nebulizer. Have you tried turning on his favorite TV show during the treatments? That always worked for my children when we had to do the nebulizer treatments. There may be a newer nebulizer that does the treatments in much less time than the normal 15 minutes. Good Luck!!

We have been giving my son nebulizer treatments since when he was 1 year old and he is now 3. We use the mask. I hate to say this since your little one is a bit young for video but that's what we did with my son. We would put on baby einstein while he got his neb. I know you aren't supposed to watch video before the age of 3 but it's only 15-20 minutes and it hasn't damaged my son.

After a while he got used to it and eventually looked forward to it because it meant he got to watch video. He also holds the mask by himself and was doing that since last year. It should get easier over time.

Like the other post said too, we have on occasion had to give him a treatment while he sleeps. The nebulizer is a bit loud but he is a sound sleeper and we would just hold the mask up to his face.

How about trying to put a program on for him- something from Baby Einstein? My son always enjoyed those.

These are all great advice I had to do this with my son too almost from the time he came home I would put on a show that had lots of music and use the tube when he got older he would hold it we would do it until he thought he was done and than we would put on this movie that he liked at the time was cars now we waatch thomas and friends.... It will get better as he got older he knew that he needed it and will sit and watch TV or let me read to him as we do it and a good time to do it is also when they are sleeping. Good luck and God Bless

Hi R.
I have 3 kids, 2 of them have asthma. They also had to start very young with there nebs. We use to let them play the face mask while the neb was off. It can be scary when this smoking loud mask comes at your face. It seemed to help a little that they can play with it and see what it is all about. We have also put water in the cup part while they were playing with it so that we didn't waste meds. Have they found out what triggers his asthma yet? I noticed you had a cat and dog. They told us for the longest time that the dog wasn't setting the kids off. We had to put our dog to sleep do to an illness. After that the kids got so much better. Just keep an eye out for triggers. You will be surprised what will trigger it. My daughter is set off by real Christmas trees/wreaths. My son by lilacs. I seen a lot of great suggestions in the other post, many we have tired ourselves. I hope it gets better.

I know that alot of parents suggest using the tube, but as a Respiratory Therapist there is no better benefit for them than to just hold them down for the short time that it takes to do the treatment. I have had to give my kids nebs also so I know how heartbreaking it can be to see them get so upset but really they get the most benefit out of just crying and taking deep breaths in. The mask works the best for the young ones, and hold it on their face, whether you have to bear hug them and hold it to their face or not.
We get alot of patients in the ER with problems esp. during cold and allergy season, that the family just does not do the nebs properly and then the kids run into trouble.
I know it sounds like I'm just being mean, but it is really the best way to get a good treatment for your child.
Good Luck

Hi R.,

I can empathize! My now 2 1/2 year old started on the nebulizer at about 9 mos too and he hated it! It continued to be rough for about a year, but now he sits quietly for it. We found that giving him a pacifier and sitting in front of a baby einstein cartoon helped. I also sang to him and played this little piggy. We took frequent breaks. It will slowly get better and better as he gets used to it. Its awful to go through- both the fears about breathing difficulties and then the struggle with the neb. But both have gotten better for us, it just took time. So hang in there!

H.

This is a common problem. I don't know if it's available any more, but there used to be a video called "Baby Breaths." I purchased mine (years ago) online from an organization called Mothers of Asthmatics (or a very similar name). It was essentially a 15 minute video, same length of time as an average treatment, and it showed babies getting nebulizer treatments in various ways and various settings. It had baby-friendly, calming music. My son found it mesmerizing and would sit for his nebs every time with the video. Our son was a little older than yours when he started the nebs, but we did eventually rely on Thomas the Tank engine videos too. I know they recommend no TV for kids under 2, but if you are desperate that might help. We also resorted sometimes to doing nebs while he was sleeping. We had a pediatric mask, but a Dixie cup with a small hole for the tubing works well too. There is also a book called "The Lion has Asthma" which our boys enjoyed and we read while doing nebs. It is about a boy who doesn't like to get his neb treatments so he pretends he's a lion while he's getting nebs and I think he flies or roars louder or something after the treatments. Good luck--I know it can be a struggle because I've been there. The good news is that after you get into a routine and he gets used to the treatments it should just become a normal part of his day, at least that's what ultimately happened with us.

Hi R.,
My youngest grandson had a bout of RSV and we had to use the nebulizer either twice or 3 times a day - can't remember now. Anyway, what we did was did it while he was playing in his jumper - you know that chair they sit in and play with the things on the tray? We also had it going when he was in the tub - since he LOVES baths!

The doc told us that as long as the bathroom door was closed and the machine was blowing in his face area that the baby would still get the benefits of the medicine coming out of it. He said the same thing for him siting in his jumper chair thing.

Both of these worked fine for us. The other thing that his mother did was wait till he was asleep taking a nap - and then set the mask about a foot from his face and do it that way. He never woke up and he breathed the medicine in with no problems.

Hope these suggestions work and good luck!
D.
(grandma of 6 gorgeous children!)

My children were always scared of the mask. I just hold one end of the tube shut and the open end I point toward their face. When they move their head, I follow them with the tube. As long as the "smoke" is shooting at their face and relatively close, they are getting the benefit of the medication. They do eventually get used to the neb treatments and start holding it on their own without crying.

when i had to give them to my son i would let him have a bottle then use the tube to blow it in his face while he drank. We also let him chew on the tube and use a pacifier while doing it. He still screamed part of every treatment but it was at least less that before!

That would be really hard to put a 9 month old through. They don't really understand why. Have you checked out other options? I know quite a few parents who chose to use Reliv and were able to stop nebulizer treatments, medications, etc. I can give you additional information or connect you with one of my friends that had results doing this if you want to learn more.
L. O ###-###-####

We also have 2 boys who need nebulizer treatments occasionally. We've found a couple things that work. One is to give it while you're giving a bottle. The baby is so happy to be eating that they forget that he is also getting neb'ed. It takes awhile to get used to, but it works like a charm! Secondly, there's actually an attachment for a nebulizer that's like a pacifier. If you 9-month old will take a pacifier then he won't even notice. Otherwise, since we can't handle the screaming either, we wait until they are asleep then administer the neb.

Good luck!

My son hated his nebulizer treatments as well. He was about 1 1/2 years old when we started, so we were able to communcate a little more with him at that age and figured out that he was reacting to the albuterol. It was making his heart race and I don't think he liked the way it made him feel. Our pediatrician switched him to Xopenex instead. It does the same thing, but is configured a different way. He was fine after that. I don't know about the other drug you're using. We used the Xopenex with Pulmicort and haven't had any problems. Hang in there.

Does your son have a favorite tv show that he watches? My son was recently on abuterol nebulizer treatments too for resiperatory congestion. At first he wiggled and cried and it was a two person job. My husband had to hold him while I held the mask. Finally we just brought him over to the couch, he sat on my husband's lap, we did put the mask on over his head and turned on Yo Gabba Gabba which he loves. Eventually he did calm down enough that I could do the treatments during the day by myself. My son is 16 1/2 months old, so I don't know if the age makes a difference or not. I understand your frustration-those 15 minutes feel like a lifetime when your little one is so upset! Hang in there!
A.

I agree with using just the tube part of the nebulizer, not the mask. We also put in a video so that he had something else to focus on. Is there any "treats" he likes such as reading a particular story or dancing or eating something, you can try bribing him with that.

R.--We had to do the same treatments on both of our children, and they fought it too, but it gets better. We would sit in a comfortable chair with arms,with the baby seated in our lap facing out torwards the TV, and we would turn on a colorful cartoon and put him in a bear hug during the treatment and sing softly to him in the ear, as long as he couldn't see us get upset he seem fine, he still fought it and cried some but it became a routine after a couple of weeks. Today both of them will take the treatments just fine as long as the get to watch a cartoon during the process as a reward.

Hang in there...it will get better. Our 5 yr out grew the Asthma, and our 2yr old hardly requires it anymore.

I would sit with my boy in the rocker and sing his favorite lulliby over and over (I know, not fun after the first 17 times....) I would take the attachments off and hold it down by his chest and let it waft up to him.

We had to neb our son when he was about 5 months old and he hated it. we still do it once in a while if he gets a cold and has a bad cough. he also hated it. what helped us was singing. he loves music so i would sing loud and sing fun songs to him and he like that. mabye you could even try a fun entertaing cartoon or movie that he may like while doing it to keep his mind off of it. Other wise im sure he will get used to it as he get older. My son is now 20 months and the rare times we use it he is very amused by it. Good luck and i hope you find something that works for you and your son.

See if you can get a tube instead of the mask. The tube he can put into his mouth and suck on it and not so restricting. They also said if we held it close to the face where my granddaughter can breath in the steam, it works almost as well as a mask. Now that she is 2, she is willing to keep a mask on for a short time, but at a young age she wouldn't have without a fight.