Why does my daughter have a persistent nasal blockage?

Q: My 25 weeks old daughter has nasal blockage even after taking Nasivion-S and Nasivion baby care drops, as a result I am facing difficulties in breastfeeding her. Can I use menthol?

A:You have written that your six month old baby had a nasal block which is always present and does not get better even with Nasivion nasal drops (saline drops) and that such a block even causes difficulty in breast feeding. We have to think of an already narrow nasal cavity, which might get blocked with even minor changes in the environment. An ENT surgeon can exclude such a possibility. He would achieve this by various simple procedures like passing a catheter through the nose, nasal endoscopy and by taking x-rays after installing contrast dyes into the nose. Sometimes, the problem could be as simple as a faulty positioning while feeding the baby.You must discuss this specific problem with your paediatrician and on his guidance, consult an ENT surgeon. Rest assured that for all the causes of nasal block, treatment is available.