What it means
The nostrils open wider with each breath to let in more air. It shows that breathing is taking more effort than normal and is an important sign in babies and young children, who cannot describe how they feel. It is often seen with other signs of hard breathing, such as fast breathing, grunting and the skin pulling in between the ribs (retractions).
For the nurse
Report nasal flaring at once, along with the respiratory rate, oxygen saturation and any retractions, grunting or color change.
At a glance
| Also written | flaring of the nares |
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