Simple, home remedies for baby cough from our team of experts.
Looking for simple home remedies for baby cough? First, it’s important to know a A cough may mean a quick over-the-counter remedy for adults, but they can be dangerous, even fatal, for children under three years of age. Babies and toddlers have a whole different world of rules when it comes to healthcare. What works for you will not work for your baby.
Coughing is part of the body’s defense system. It is a protective reflex to clear throats and airways [1]. However, there are times the pipes need a little bit of help getting clear.
Coughing and sniffling may coincide. In these situations, the following treatments will help your little one.
Table Of Contents
Home Remedies For Baby Cough • How To Clear Congestion • Baby Fake Cough
Home Remedies For Baby Tip #4 – Saline Drops
Help to clear congestion with the following steps:
- Use a few drops of saline solution in each of your baby’s nostrils.
- Squeeze a bulb pump and then gently insert it inside the nose.
- Release the bulb and pump out mucus.
- Repeat the process for the other nostril.
Decongesting mucus will help mitigate your baby’s coughing.
Table Of Contents
Home Remedies For Baby Cough • How To Clear Congestion • Baby Fake Cough
Home Remedies For Baby Tip #3 – Hydration
Pump up the fluids. Encourage your baby to nurse or feed more.
For infants under six months, breast milk or formula will be enough.
For older children, have them take sips of water.
If your baby is already ingesting other foods, warm liquids such as soup and broth help soothe coughs and colds.
Related Infant Cough – Warning Signs, Symptoms And Treatments
Home Remedies For Baby Tip #2 – Soft Foods
If your child is already eating solid food, prepare easy to swallow food.
Babies prefer smooth, soft food such as gelatin, pudding and yogurt.
Avoid foods too high in sugar and focus on vitamin C rich foods.
Home Remedies For Baby Tip #1 – Humidifier
Get a humidifier; you will be using it for a long after your child is no longer a baby.
It is a useful health appliance that is helpful in a number of circumstances.
You can also run hot water in the shower for a few minutes, sit in the bathroom and let the steam decongest your baby’s mucus.
How To Help Infant Cough When It’s More Than Just a Cough
There are instances when a cough is more than a run-of-the-mill symptom.
If your baby has a sudden coughing fit, check the airways. Make sure they did not swallow anything that could be blocking their airway. If a child is choking, they will exhibit signs of stress such as turning blue and gasping for breath.
It may also be pneumonia. Pneumonia is caused by a viral or bacterial infection affecting the lungs and will cause a phlegmy and wet cough. Your child will exhibit fatigue and will be coughing up all the colors of phlegm. Fever will accompany the coughing fits.
Table Of Contents
Home Remedies For Baby Cough • How To Clear Congestion • Baby Fake Cough
When To Call A Medical Professional
When should you call your pediatrician?
- The child is less than four months old.
- Coughing has persisted for more than two weeks even if unaccompanied by other symptoms.
- Asthma, acid reflux, or allergic rhinitis can be causes of a chronic cough [2].
- Mild, slight wheezing that can be heard during coughing.
- Coughs that are accompanied by fever of 100 ℉ or over.
Table Of Contents
Home Remedies For Baby Cough • How To Clear Congestion • Baby Fake Cough
Emergency Room Visit
Immediately go to the emergency room if your baby’s cough is accompanied by any of the following symptoms:
- Turning blue or any discoloration of the face
- Bulging eyes
- Sticking out tongue
- The stomach is rapidly expanding and retracting
- Urgently gasping for breath
- Call 911. Go to the emergency room.
It might be a whooping cough which is making a comeback after decades of near-extinction.
It is sometimes a hard line to judge especially when we remember that coughs protect the body, removing irritants and infections from the respiratory tract. When in doubt, contact your pediatrician, and put your mind at ease.
Table Of Contents
Home Remedies For Baby Cough • How To Clear Congestion • Baby Fake Cough
Baby Fake Cough
Around six months, when the fake coughing first begins, babies are really starting to get how the world works,” says Vishton. “Your child has noticed that when someone coughs, you’re very solicitous, so she’s doing it to get some attention.” Give her the interaction she’s craving—smile and even fake-cough back.
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Newborn Cough Normal Reference:
[1] US National Library of Medicine; Cough, April 25, 2018.
[2] American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology; Cough in Children, Dr. Thanai Pongdee.
