How to Use a Bulb Syringe in Children

A bulb syringe is used to clear your baby’s nose and mouth. You may use it when your baby spits up, has a stuffy nose, or sneezes. Using a bulb syringe helps your baby suck on a bottle or nurse and still be able to breathe. A bulb syringe has:

• A round part (bulb).
• A tip.

How to use a bulb syringe

1. Before you put the tip into your baby’s nose:
   1. Squeeze air out of the round part with your thumb and fingers. Make the round part as flat as you can.
2. Place the tip into a nostril.
3. Slowly let go of the round part. This causes nose fluid (mucus) to come out of the nose.
4. Place the tip into a tissue.
5. Squeeze the round part. This causes the nose fluid in the bulb syringe to go into the tissue.
6. Repeat steps 1–5 on the other nostril.

How to use a bulb syringe with salt-water nose drops

1. Use a clean medicine dropper to put 1 or 2 salt-water nose drops in each nostril. The nose drops are called saline.
2. Let the drops loosen the nose fluid.
3. Before you put the tip of the bulb syringe into your baby’s nose, squeeze air out of the round part with your thumb and fingers. Make the round part as flat as you can.
4. Place the tip into a nostril.
5. Slowly let go of the round part. This causes nose fluid (mucus) to come out of the nose.
6. Place the tip into a tissue.
7. Squeeze the round part. This causes the nose fluid in the bulb syringe to go into the tissue.
8. Repeat steps 3–7 on the other nostril.

How to clean a bulb syringe

Clean the bulb syringe after each time that you use it.

1. Put the bulb syringe in hot, soapy water.
2. Keep the tip in the water while you squeeze the round part of the bulb syringe.
3. Slowly let go of the round part so it fills with soapy water.
4. Shake the water around inside the bulb syringe.
5. Squeeze the round part to rinse it out.
6. Next, put the bulb syringe in clean, hot water.
7. Keep the tip in the water while you squeeze the round part and slowly let go to rinse it out.
8. Repeat step 7.
9. Store the bulb syringe on a paper towel with the tip pointing down.