Help a child with a nosebleed

Grab first

• A clock or phone timer
• A cloth to catch blood outside the nose
• Your pediatrician's contact number

Before you start

• Call 911 for an unresponsive child or serious breathing trouble.
• Call the pediatrician right away after a head injury, heavy blood loss, blood from the mouth or vomit, or if the child is pale or sweaty.

The steps

1. Sit forward

   Keep the child sitting or standing and leaning slightly forward. Stay calm. Do not have them lie down or tip their head back.

2. Pinch the soft part

   Squeeze the soft part of the nose, below the bony bridge. Start a ten-minute timer and keep steady pressure.

3. Keep holding

   Do not release the pinch to check early. Do not pack tissues or other material into the nose.

4. Recheck and get help

   After ten minutes, check. Repeat the pressure once if bleeding continues. If it persists after the second try, call the pediatrician or go to the nearest emergency department.

Common mistakes

• Tilting the head back, which lets blood run down the throat.
• Pinching the hard bridge rather than the soft nose.
• Checking before the timer finishes.

Practice together

Rehearse the job split without squeezing a healthy nose: the adult points to the soft part, the kid finds the timer, and both point to the medical contact number. Do not cause bleeding for practice.

Sources

• AAP, how to stop a nosebleed. Supports positioning, continuous pressure, repeat timing and medical warning signs. Checked Oct 26, 2026.
• AAP, when to call EMS. Identifies emergency warning signs and 911 as the US emergency number. Checked Oct 26, 2026.

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