How do you get a nasal cannula to stay on 8 mo old baby

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Long story short,

I'm a foster mom of a baby who has some medical issues. She was just put on oxygen. We are having trouble getting the nasal cannula to stay on her. She is 8mo old and can just pull it off. She hates it. I tried putting flexible tape on it and taping it to her face, which worked, but she can still slip the prongs out of her nose, which makes her dsat at night and when I take the tape off her face it is really painful for her and she has marks from it all day. So I can't use that again. Any suggestions? I would call the Dr's office but they are closed.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

In my experience, wide pink tape is the best option for taping. It is hard on the cheeks and needs to be applied over a skin barrier, such as the wafers used to portect the skin under an ostomy bag. I'm sorry, I'm having a brain fart and can't remember the name of the product. It's like Duoderm, but meant solely for skin protection, not healing. In a pinch, Op-site or Tegaderm may work for a day or two.

Secondly, I'm not sure if this is accepted practice any more, but we would sometime slice open the portion of the cannula under the infant's nose, removing the prongs and leaving a narrow open area under the nares for the flow of O2 to the baby. I'm sure this diminishes the flow to the baby, but it was also less irritating and some babies would tolerate this better than having prongs in their little noses.

Do you have an O2 saturation monitor to assess the baby's oxygenation?

Also, I'm sure you've been coached about this, but be certain to run the tubing behind her ears and fasten it under her chin. Never around her neck, which can slip and cause her to strangle.

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I am not a nurse but i woud Try medipore tape it is a soft cloth tape it's made be 3m ref # 2962 call your drug store . And I would just tape it on starting from her nose and just leave it in place tell you can the doctor . To they have an on call number ? I know a lot of doctors do not now for some reason .

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We can't give medical advice :o

Is there a home health agency connected to your physician's practice/group??? Might be good to have them on speed dial for situations w/a baby :)

When I worked pediatrics we used tegaderm .... and mittens on the baby's hands....but you really should call (even off hours- that's why they have someone on call - it's OK !!).

You don't want to have the baby remove the O2 in the middle of the night, and not know- is the baby on a monitor for oxygen saturations?

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I am not a nurse but i woud Try medipore tape it is a soft cloth tape it's made be 3m ref # 2962 call your drug store . And I would just tape it on starting from her nose and just leave it in place tell you can the doctor . To they have an on call number ? I know a lot of doctors do not now for some reason .

Yes the Tegaderm would be better then medipore you can get it at cvs . That pink tape is Called Hy-tape I think I just ordered some

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I appologize, I'm not actually a nurse, and you lost me on some of that. But I thank you for your response. Actually I was not coached at all! Thank God I have some (a tiny bit) medical training. However the way I'm doing it, it never goes under her chin. It goes straight from her nose and loops over her ears and tightens at the back of her neck. Is this wrong?

We have a pulse ox monitor which alarms when her oxygen level drops below 94% which attaches to her foot. Which she also hates, and we have to tape to her foot and her leg. And then we have this huge blue machine that takes normal air and turns it into pure oxygen, which is attached to the nasal cannula around her head. We also have the portable oxygen bottles to take with us while traveling if we need it.

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I appologize, I'm not actually a nurse, and you lost me on some of that. But I thank you for your response. Actually I was not coached at all! Thank God I have some (a tiny bit) medical training. However the way I'm doing it, it never goes under her chin. It goes straight from her nose and loops over her ears and tightens at the back of her neck. Is this wrong?

We have a pulse ox monitor which alarms when her oxygen level drops below 94% which attaches to her foot. Which she also hates, and we have to tape to her foot and her leg. And then we have this huge blue machine that takes normal air and turns it into pure oxygen, which is attached to the nasal cannula around her head. We also have the portable oxygen bottles to take with us while traveling if we need it.

WOW. You really were left in the dark with this. The description sounds right- but you really need to have some education from someone like pediatric home health nurses that can come to your home and assess what's going on.

I'm glad you have the pulse ox :) The oxygen concentrator is a great thing.... if you have some home health- they might be able to see about getting a small portable O2 concentrator - it's not much bigger than a purse- and less weighty.

But- call your doc- it's really ok to call after hours :) They may even be able to get someone from home health to come out this weekend and help with this. It's pretty lousy they left you high and dry with this- and bring some supplies that may help better than what you've had to use so far. IMO...... best of luck :)

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Thank you so much! I'm on my way to call the medical equipment company right now and see what they say.

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Make sure to change where the oxygen sensor is placed frequently so it doesn't burn the baby. And putting the oxygen tubing the way you have it could pose a strangulation risk if it slips down beneath her ears.

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Specializes in LTC, Nursing Management, WCC.

Call your MD and ask for a referral.

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Thank you, I had no idea the sensor could burn her.

So how should I put the tubing? I can't figure out any safer way?

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