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Why is my newborn sneezing so much?

Why is my newborn sneezing so much?

And why is it more common if your baby was born via C-section?

Tara Breathnach

Published: March 27, 2019 at 11:29 AM

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Newborns are curious creatures, and have lots of things going on that we had no idea about before we had them: bow legs, cross eyes and hairy bodies to name but 3

And here's another one you might not have known about: it's actually pretty common for new babies to sneeze a lot.

Assuming it's not a cold, what's going on? GP Dr Philippa Kaye reveals all:

"Your baby’s lungs were filled with fluid when they were in your womb.

"As your baby travelled through the birth canal, this fluid tends to be squeezed out but a little may remain causing them to sneeze!

"This is more common in babies born by Caesarean section as they have not had the time in the birth canal to get rid of the fluid.

"Sneezing is also the way that your baby learns to clear any particles or dust from their nose and to open a closed nostril - so it doesn’t always mean that they have a cold.

"However any newborn with a temperature needs to be seen by a doctor."

Dr Philippa Kaye is a London GP who has written several books on pregnancy and childcare including The First Five Years. See www.drphilippakaye.com and follow her on twitter @drphilippakaye

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Authors

Tara BreathnachContent Editor and Social Media Producer

Tara is mum to 1 daughter and worked as a Content Editor at MadeForMums from 2015 to 2021.