Allergies and blocked noses can start soon after birth. They are a
response to tiny particles of dust in the air, and are becoming increasingly
common in industrial countries. The most common allergy is to house dust.
You can see how much there is when a shaft of sunlight crosses a bedroom.
If a newly born infant is exposed to high levels of dust their immature immune
system may over react and they can become permanently sensitised, not only to
the original agent but to other concurrent foreign proteins such as cows milk
For instance children born at times of the year when the pollen count is high
tend to have more hay fever. The consequences can be - blocked noses - mouth
breathing - ear infections - crooked teeth - enlarged tonsils - enlarged adenoids
- sinusitis - and later on unattractive faces.
Can allergies be avoided? NEVER LEAVE A NEW BORN IN A DUSTY
ATMOUSPHERE. Attempting to remove dust by dusting or hoovering
can be counter productive as it tends to stir it up. An electrical
gadget called an 'ionizer' which generates an electric field, can
help to lay bedroom dust and these can be coupled with a filter.
Or one can adopt our grandparents habit of leaving a baby in fresh
air for some hours each day. Alternatively you could go and live
in the mountains or by the sea, where there is less dust/pollution
and allergies are less frequent. The important thing is to realise
in good time that blocked noses lead to open mouth postures and
that these destroy faces.
Thumb sucking, together with other finger, dummy and blanket
sucking habits will, if severe enough distort the growth of the
face and teeth. It is very important that babies and young children
are discouraged at every opportunity as it can cause severe damage
to both the face and teeth (see below). Don't accept it as a passing
phase, be gentle but firm.
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Aged 6 before she started sucking her thumb and aged 8 afterwards. |
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Tonsils and adenoids can make it difficult for a child to breath
through their nose. However we are not sure if they are the cause or the
result of the mouth breathing. Either way, their removal will occasionally
result in a dramatic spontaneous improvement in nose breathing, facial appearance,
and self confidence.
Counselling. Every effort should be taken to encourage nose
breathing. Place a paper clip or cocktail stick between the lips
for long periods when doing home work or watching TV. Some dentists
can provide an 'Oral Screen' which prevents a child mouth breathing
during the night. Encourage them to eat hard food.
Treatment. Occasionally a simple appliance to widen the
upper jaw will have the same effect as removing tonsils. This is
because the nose is attached to the top jaw and widens with it,
making it easier to breath. In more severe cases treatment should
begin by the age of six. In mild cases an excellent result can
be achieved in the teens or later. Unfortunately unless the child
learns to keep their mouth closed, treatment will last a long time,
and the problem will tend to return afterwards. If correct growth
and oral posture can be achieved there can be a dramatic improvement
in the appearance of the face and no extractions should be necessary.
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