Effective Home Remedies for Baby Cough & Cold Relief

Ever since the world pandemic hit, even harmless sniffles or a stuffy nose for your baby can be alarming for you. Babies and toddlers are still building their immunity; thus, they often catch a cold and cough. Every time you might not need to start medication for them.

Suppressing colds and cough medicines can lower the immunity of kids; thus, it is advised that unless the cold and cough are infectious, treating them with mild home remedies for baby coughs and home remedies for colds in babies is a great idea. This article will discuss those safe and mild home remedies for baby cough and cold that you can easily administer using your kitchen and other readily available ingredients.

What Causes Cough and Cold In Toddlers

Before we list the home remedies for baby cough and cold, let us understand what causes them in the first place.

1 • Infection
– Babies and toddlers have very low immunity. Thus, if any caregiver or visitors have a cough or cold, the chances that your baby who comes in contact with the infected person catches the infection is high. If your baby has a viral infection or flu, it needs to be treated with antibiotics.

2 • Acid Reflux
– If your baby has an acid reflux issue, coughing and throwing up / vomiting would be frequent. This can easily be treated with changes in feeding schedules and harmless medicine for infants and babies.

3 • Allergies
– If your baby has an allergy to dust, pollen, smoke, perfumes, or anything that triggers sneezes or cough, that might be a reason for their frequent cough and cold bouts.

4 • Sinusitis
– This needs to be diagnosed and treated by your child's pediatrician.

Top Home Remedies For Baby Cough and Cold Treatment

1 • Steam
– Ever since the pandemic, we all have realized the importance of steam. This works like magic in the case of young babies too. Avoid direct steam on the baby's body, as their skin is sensitive and delicate. A humidifier or vaporizer is the best way to give the baby steam. If you do not want to spend money on this equipment, you can place boiling water a little away from your baby, switch the fans off and let the room fill with steam. You can do this in a small bathroom for a faster effect. If you use a humidifier, clean it regularly to avoid any mold inside it.

2 • Saline Drops
– You can easily get any over-the-counter safe saline drops that will help remove the mucus from your baby's nose and help them breathe and thus sleep well. This is one of the most popular home remedies for baby cough and cold that helps relieve a stuffy nose's most irritating symptom.

3 • Fluids
– Warm fluids such as chicken or vegetable soups and broths help in soothing the throat and chest of your baby. This home remedy would work only for kids who are already on solids.

4 • Honey
– Honey is known for its medicinal properties and to help with cough and sore throat. But please remember, it is not safe to offer honey to your newborn baby before the age of 1 year. Thus, please choose this home remedy for coughing only if your child has already celebrated their first birthday.

5 • Elevate The Head While Sleeping
– Being unable to breathe while sleeping can annoy your infant and cause healing to be delayed. Elevating the head allows mucus and fluids to migrate lower into the chest, allowing your infant to breathe and sleep easier. Cover their legs with leg warmers if necessary so that the outside cold does not reach them.

6 • Apply Child Safe Vapour Rub
- Numerous kid-safe vapor rubs on the market can help relieve cold and cough symptoms and make your child feel more comfortable while recovering from a cold. If you are unsure about the ingredients, consult with your pediatrician. Cover your kid with a cozy baby blanket to keep him warm in the cold Indian winter.

7 • Essential Oils
– A few drops of lavender oil or eucalyptus oil on their pillow or the blanket can help with congestion and better sleep. Please ensure that you do not use the oil directly on their skin or at a place where they can put it in their mouth.

8 • Salt Water Gargle
– If your child is grown up and can do gargles, this is one of the easiest ways of helping them with the pain and irritation that coughing might cause them.

When To See A Doctor for Cough in Infants

In most cases, your child would feel better and be able to breathe and sleep after a few of these home remedies for baby cough and cold. But in the following scenario, make sure you see a doctor:

1 • If you have cleaned the nose and your baby still cannot breathe properly.
2 • If your baby is making wheezing sounds while breathing.
3 • If the cold or cough is accompanied by a more than 100.4 fever.
4 • I have a fever, even if it is less than 100.4 degrees for more than three days.
5 • The face or body turns red, blue, or purple while coughing.
6 • Is vomiting or coughing up blood.
7 • Has still not had the vaccine and is catching frequent colds and coughs.

Tips To Avoid Cough and Cold In Kids

The best way to help your kids stay away from any infections, not just cough and cold, is to maintain proper hygiene while handling them. Here are some tips to help you avoid coughs and colds for your little one.

1 • Wash or sanitize your hands properly before you pick the baby up. Apply the same for all visitors who visit you to meet the baby and want to touch or pick them up in their arms. There is no awkwardness or shame in asking people to have clean hands as babies quickly catch infections.
2 • If anyone in the family or friends is sick or has an existing cough or cold infection, make sure they stay away from your baby till the infection is completely gone.
3 • If your baby uses a pacifier, make sure you thoroughly clean it several times a day.
4 • Kids have a habit of putting things that they can hold in their mouths. The above thus also applies to their toys, teethers, rattles, etc. Clean them properly to avoid infections that might have contacted the toys or pacifiers from someone else's hands.
5 • Teach everyone in the house to practice safe hygiene during flu season.
6 • If your child goes to daycare or stays with a nanny, be extra vigilant about the health of the staff or nanny and the hygiene they maintain.

The saying that prevention is always better than cure perfectly applies when it comes to protecting your child from infections. Home remedies for baby cough and newborn baby cold home remedies work better for young kids as they are safe. But if the cold is infectious or needs medical attention, talk to your baby's doctor and avoid any over-the-counter medicine for your baby.

Suggested Reading - Also check out Home Remedies For Baby Rashes to keep your baby away from rashes with all safe, readily available, and home ingredients and methods.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Home Remedies: Suppressing colds and coughs with medicines can lower the immunity of kids; thus, it is advised to treat them with mild home remedies before.
2. Avoid Direct Steam: Avoid using direct steam on the baby's skin because it is sensitive and delicate.
3. Warm Fluids: Warm fluids, such as chicken or vegetable soups and broths, can help soothe your baby's throat and chest.

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