Mouth breather - 4 weeks old

[Thaleia]

Hi,

We have noticed that our 4 weeks old boy is only breathing through his mouth whilst asleep. Has anyone experience with this and what can be done at this young age? It's not that I can tell him to keep his mouth shut :((.

Thanks, Thali

mine did up to and past their toddler years

Actually babies have no sinuses and nearly always breathe through their mouths except when feeding. (I have no idea what they do then but I have been told the not-breathing-through-nose thing by one paramedic, two doctors and a midwife because I was so incredulous.)

Octavia how strange as the web is full of advise how bad breathing through the mouth is ...

Why is breathing through the mouth bad?

Is it because the nose doesn't get the chance to filter out the stuff that goes into your lungs if you take breath straight through your mouth. Seem to remember that ideally we all should breath in through our noses (to filter out all the crap), then breath out through our mouths as it's the quickest way to let the air out.

Try telling a 4 week old that though and I'll be they won't take any notice at all....