Nosebleeds in Children

I was in the MRT today with my boys, on the way to the library. It was basically quite quiet except for the rumbling noise from the train itself... A loud "Aiyo!" broke the silence.

A little boy around 5-years old was bleeding from his noise. It seems that it was a rare case for him, 'cos the mother was very disturbed and seems to be at a lost. She reached into her big bag for a tissue paper, rolled it up and squeeze it into the boy's nostrils; that was what my grandparents do to me too, when I was a kid, 'cos I love to nose-pick. *eek*

They believe that the tissue paper will suck away all the blood and then the blood would stop. I still remember my chinese physician uncle who plucked few straw of grasses from the ground and stuffed them up my nostrils when I had nose bleed. And incredibily, that really works, no wonder he is a chinese physician. *wink*

But ever since KeatKeat's horrible experience, I learnt from the doctors that when my child's nose bleeds, I should get him to sit up, lean forward and pinch the lower soft portion of the nostrils together for 5 to 10 minutes, while breathing through the mouth.

Or I can choose to put an ice pack across the bridge and the forehead or on the cheek to allow for reflex constriction of the tiny blood vessels.

Most of the time, the bleeding do stop. And when it restarts again, I would apply compression again for another few minutes.

The doctor told me that the idea is to keep the heart lower than the nose so blood flows back to the heart and not to the bleeding area. So it was important NOT to let the child lie down.

At this time, the passenger who was sitting next to the child, stood up and tried to position the child in a lying position, I knew I had to do something. I wouldn't want to see the child vomit blood like Keatkeat did.

So I stopped the passenger, explained quickly to the desperate mother in a few short sentences that I had such experience with my son, so I know what to do. Immediately, I just did what I am already so familiar with. (Keatkeat still have nose bleed often after his very first. Doctor said that he had hurt the thin, superficial blood vessels in his nose and nosebleed may be often from that injury and may last until puberty.)

Yes, the bleeding stopped. You can see the relieve on the face of the boy and the mother. When I release my fingers from the boy's nose, I was so embarassed to see that my long fingernails have made deep impressions on the skin....ahhhh...I said sorry as I rubbed on the marks... You can see the mother's face changed from gratitude to disgust.

Anyhow, the timing was perfect for me to leave the uncomfortable scene as we arrived at our Queenstown station. 'phew'