Obligate nasal breathing is a term that describes the tendency of newborns and infants to breathe through their noses. Understanding exactly why infants are classified as obligate nose breathers requires basic knowledge of their physical development and needs. Being familiar with this nasal breathing preference can help you provide better care for your infant--as well as give you a new appreciation for your own ability to breathe orally.
Infant Anatomy
Your infant's need to breathe primarily through her nose arises from the physical structure of her mouth. In an infant's mouth, oral breathing is potentially difficult because the soft palate --a muscular fold that extends from the back of the roof of the mouth--is so close to the epiglottis--a flap of cartilage that covers and protects the windpipe during the act of swallowing. According to Annie Bagnall, contributing author for "Feeding and Nutrition in the Preterm Infant," physical growth occurring at approximately 6 months of age moves the soft palate and epiglottis further apart, thus leading to an opening up of the oral area and a marked increase in your infant's ability to breathe orally.
Feeding
Your baby can't feed or nurse correctly until she knows how to suck, swallow and breathe, all reflexes that she's been practicing individually in the womb. After birth, your infant coordinates these three separate skills into a single activity--feeding. According to Catherin Watson Genna, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and author of the book "Supporting Sucking Skills in Breastfeeding Infants," a feeding infant sucks, halts nasal breathing to swallow, then breathes again; the more efficient your baby gets at this process, the more quickly she can nurse. Anatomical features that contribute to speedier feeding--namely, a smaller mouth, larger tongue and elevated larynx--also make infant nasal breathing easier and oral breathing more difficult.
Misconceptions
When applied to human infants, the term obligate can be misleading, since infants can technically still breathe through their mouths. According to Medline Plus, newborns are capable of breathing through their mouths when crying but generally demonstrate a preference for nasal breathing. Bagnall points out that the term preferential nasal breather provides a more accurate description of an infant's breathing habits; given the choice, your infant will breathe through her nose, but she is still capable of breathing through her mouth in certain instances.
Implications
Since young infants typically opt to breathe through their noses, physical abnormalities involving the nose could contribute to potentially serious breathing problems, including a dangerous lack of oxygen. Choanal atresia is a nasal abnormality that is present at birth and occurs in approximately 1 out of every 7,000 births, according to Medline Plus. This congenital abnormality occurs when a membrane or tissue covers one or both of an infant's nasal openings, thus preventing nasal breathing. When this happens to both nasal openings--a condition called bilateral choanal atresia--the infant can only breathe when she cries.
Considerations
As obligate nasal breathers, young infants could experience significant breathing trouble with simple illnesses, such as the common cold, which often cause nasal congestion and a runny nose. These nasal conditions can block your infant's nostrils, making nasal breathing and the feeding process difficult. You can help minimize these problems with basic home care; according to MayoClinic.com, options include thinning nasal secretions with saline nose drops and removing excess mucus with a nasal aspirator.
References
- "Feeding and Nutrition in the Preterm Infant"; Annie Bagnall et al; 2005
- "Supporting Sucking Skills in Breastfeeding Infants"; Catherine Watson Genna; 2008
- "Oski's Pediatrics"; Dr. Julia A. McMillan et al; 2006
- Medline Plus: Choanal atresia
- MayoClinic.com: Common cold in babies: Lifestyle and home remedies
