redtwig
02-20-2010, 05:29 PM
I used to have a horrible time when my asthmatic baby got a cold as he used to get totally bunged up with mucus and I really believed that he would finally choke.
So I thought that the following post on the really great Allergy and Asthma Network - Mothers of Asthmatics (http://www.aanma.org/) website was so useful - I wish I had known about it years ago....
'Babies have the hardest time because their cough muscles aren’t as effective at clearing mucus from the airways. Try using this time-honored percussion therapy technique to help dislodge mucus plugs. Position your baby on your lap or shoulder as you would if you were going to burp the baby. Instead of using a flat hand to burp the baby, form a shallow cup with your hand and pat the baby’s back a little harder than you would to bring up a bubble.
You’ll hear a difference in the sound between a flat and a cupped hand when patting the baby’s back. Try practicing on your thigh. It should sound a little more hollow as opposed to the thud of a flat hand. Use enough force to help knock mucus plugs out but not hard enough to hurt the baby. Done correctly, the baby will not resist this therapy.
But be ready! When the mucus plug does come up, it’s not pretty. Might want to place a towel on the floor…'
So I thought that the following post on the really great Allergy and Asthma Network - Mothers of Asthmatics (http://www.aanma.org/) website was so useful - I wish I had known about it years ago....
'Babies have the hardest time because their cough muscles aren’t as effective at clearing mucus from the airways. Try using this time-honored percussion therapy technique to help dislodge mucus plugs. Position your baby on your lap or shoulder as you would if you were going to burp the baby. Instead of using a flat hand to burp the baby, form a shallow cup with your hand and pat the baby’s back a little harder than you would to bring up a bubble.
You’ll hear a difference in the sound between a flat and a cupped hand when patting the baby’s back. Try practicing on your thigh. It should sound a little more hollow as opposed to the thud of a flat hand. Use enough force to help knock mucus plugs out but not hard enough to hurt the baby. Done correctly, the baby will not resist this therapy.
But be ready! When the mucus plug does come up, it’s not pretty. Might want to place a towel on the floor…'