Nose Hits From Baby. Could These Cause Damage?

Hi,

I warn my post-rhinoplasty moms with small children to beware of the dreaded "reverse back of the head to the new nose" move that many babies have perfected.  It occurs when the child is sitting on the mother's lap, and for no apparent reason the baby decides to send the back of their sweet baby head directly into the usually unsuspecting, sleep deprived, and distracted mom's nose.  You have been warned!

Minor bumps to the nose following rhinoplasty are quite common.  Fortunately, the nasal bones are fairly well healed approximately 3 weeks after surgery.  These minor hits will not make your nose weak.  As for your husband, a solid male elbow to your schnoz could cause damage.  Either get a new sleeping partner who is less restless, or ask your rhinoplasty surgeon for a protective cast.  We usually ask our patients to tape their splint on their nose at bedtime for the first two to three weeks post rhinoplasty.

At 12 weeks after your surgery it would take a significant blow to your nose to cause damage, a blow that would likely cause injury whether or not you had surgery.  Enjoy your new nose and new baby!

Good luck and be well.

Dr. P

Hi,

It is not possible to provide with a scale depicting the threshold intensity of a nasal trauma that will cause a damage to patients after a rhinoplasty.

With that perspective and based on your description, it seems that the nasal incidents were not vulgar and they did not insult the results of your surgery.

However, without physical examination it is hard to confirm and/or provide you with a solid diagnosis.

I recommend that you consult with your surgeon who will be able to assess if there were to be any damage caused by the nudges you have been subjected to.

Meanwhile, I encourage you to be more careful protecting your nose.

I hope this helps.

Thank you for our inquiry.

The best of wishes to you.

Dr. Sajjadian

Hi babygirl.  I agree with the other surgeons that at this stage it would take a substantial blow to cause significant damage and you would experience bleeding, bruising etc. with obvious changes to the shape of your nose.  If you have any concerns, please contact your surgeon.

Sincerely, Mario J. Imola, MD, DDS, FRCSC.