My 2-year-old gets frequent nosebleeds. Any idea what's causing this or how to make them stop for good?
– Kelly

A nosebleed once in a while is common, and can occur in kids for many reasons (including having a dry nose or nosepicking). To help prevent nosebleeds, keep your child's nails short to prevent injuries from nosepicking, keep the inside of the nose moist with saline nasal spray or dab petroleum jelly gently around the opening of the nostrils, and humidify your child's room using a cool mist humidifier (which must be cleaned frequently).

However, if your child gets frequent, heavy, or hard to stop nosebleeds, contact your doctor. Frequent nosebleeds in some cases can be the sign of a more significant problem, such as a bleeding disorder.

For more information, check out these articles:
Nosebleeds
Nosebleeds Instruction Sheet

Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD
Date reviewed: May 2008

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