My 4 month old baby is congested can i use vicks vapor rub i use the vicks vaporizer it helps sometimes

Vick's : Vick's vapor rub is not recommended for babies under 2 years old. The ingredients in it can act as an airway irritant causing swelling and respiratory distress in babies and young children. Scientists looked at vick's to see how it worked and found that the cold sensation caused by the menthol tricked the brain into thinking it was breathing better, but in reality, it did not help with the actually nasal congestion. It may make you feel better, but it doesn't actually help breathing. The best methods for treating congestion in an infant are saline nasal drops, nasal suctioning with a bulb syringe and a cool or warm mist humidifier. There are no safe cough or cold medications for children under 4 years of age. If your child seems to be having difficulty breathing, call their doctor right away. Legal disclaimer: I am providing this general and basic information as a public service and my response to this question does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship. For any additional information, advice, or specific concerns, please speak with your own physician. The information provided is current as of the date of the answer entry.

Probably.: My mother was a huge Vicks fan; anytime my nose was close to running, i would get dipped in a huge vat of vicks, and then she would slide me into bed like a salami. And i'm still here, so i suppose it's okay. Whether or not it actually helped, or just made my mom feel better, is another question. I think the menthol probably does help, at least a little.

Avoid it: Vicks may give you a great comfort in doing something, but I find it actually can make things worse.Any small infant depends on narrow nasal passages for breathing and fragrances/dust/smoke/all irritate the nasal membranes and can make them swell and drain.This makes them work harder to breathe.I avoid Vicks until school age.