When your child has a nose bleed for the first time it can be very distressing for both you and your child. The important thing is to keep calm, and therefore calm your child as they will probably be very upset at the sight of the blood.

Below is some tips on how to manage a nose bleed, but please remember that we are not the experts on this and the advice is for guidance and reassurance.

When James had his first nose bleed, he was only about 18 months old, and I was surprised at my own reaction. I kept reminding myself that despite it looking worse than it was, he was more frightened than me, so my protective instinct kicked in and I dealt with it quite calmly at the time, but felt a bit shakey once he was ok and the bleeding had stopped.

Guidance on how to deal with a Nose Bleed

• Sit the child down and tilt the head forward
• Pinch the fleshy part of the nostrils together for 10 minutes
• Tell the child to breathe through the mouth
• Tell the child to spit out any blood in the mouth into a bowl or tissue
• If the bleeding has not stopped after 10 minutes, release the pressure and then pinch for a further 10 minutes
• Continue this procedure for up to 30 minutes
• If the bleeding hasn't stopped after 30 minutes, take the child to hospital, keep the head forward and the nose pinched
• If the bleeding stops within 30 minutes, clean the area with dampened cotton wool
• Encourage the child to rest and tell them not to blow or pick the nose for a few hours

Take the child to hospital immediately if the blood is thin and watery and follows a head injury.

We are not experts in first aid, this is just a guide from us to assist you, if you want to learn more about First Aid for Children you should contact your local health service and find out what courses are available in your area.