Choanal Atresia Health Tips

Health Tips

• At times, unilateral choanal atresia in infants may go undiagnosed on delivery, especially if the blockage is very mild. If certain symptoms arouse your suspicion later however you can test your suspicions before you even get a chance to consult your pediatrician.

• Hold your baby up against a mirror or glass pane, with his/her nose just a couple of centimeters away. As your child exhales, a layer of mist will form on the surface of the glass and observing the pattern formed should give you some clue about the presence of choanal atresia.
• An infant under 8 months will invariably breathe through the nose and should leave a very distinctive pattern that will be symmetrical, as breathing occurs through both nasal passages. If you notice that there is a marked difference in the pattern or rather in the size of the pattern produced from both nostrils, it could be indicative of a problem and should tell you whether your baby has right or left choanal atresia.
• If you notice your baby breathing through the mouth it could be indicative of respiratory problems, although this is not always necessarily because of choanal atresia.