Check Out This Mom’s Hack for Dislodging Items Stuck Up Kids’ Noses

Young children have a knack for putting things where they don’t belong—in their mouth, their ears and, of course, up their nose. Most parents can attest that at some point or another their curious tot has accidentally gotten something lodged in their nose. Now, one mom and paramedic is sharing her trick for how to dislodge those small objects—and it’s going viral.

Nikki Jurcutz is the co-founder of Tiny Hearts Foundation a company that teaches parents infant CPR and first aid. She posted a short video to her Instagram showing parents how to get items out of a young child’s nose.

“We used to refer to this as the mother’s kiss but I’ve decided to start referring to it as the Big Kiss as any trusted adult can do this one,” she wrote in the caption. “This one is used to dislodge something stuck up the nose of a little one!”

In the video, we see Jurcutz show us how she dislodges a small pea from her son’s nose. As he squirms, she finds a way to block the unaffected nostril and blows into his mouth. This puff of air “travels through the nasopharynx and hopefully pushes the cheeky object out,” she explains.

Jurcutz also flags that the hack only works 60 percent of the time. “Although there have been no reported cases, the main danger is aspiration, particularly in a little one who is not cooperative,” she adds. “So if you can, it’s suggested to do it under medical supervision.”

So far the video has over 8000 likes and close to 300 comments, many of which detail parents’ own experiences with having their tot shove things up their nose. “My 2 year old did this just the other day. Because I had seen this video I knew exactly what to do and we saved a trip to the hospital,” one mom commented, while another wrote, “Took a 3 hour emergency trip to learn this with a piece of diced bacon shoved right up in there!” A third parent shared, “I watched this then the next day had to use it to get a piece of styrofoam out of my little guy’s nose.”

However, as Jurcutz notes, the hack isn’t 100 percent effective. One parent wrote, “I can say it doesn’t work with a fluffy Pom Pom! Now that was an ordeal.”

While the hack can be a quick and easy way to dislodge a foreign object from your child’s nose, remember to always reach out to your healthcare provider with questions and in case of emergencies.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.