Cough Remedies for babies and toddlers
Cough is a natural reflex, body's response to clear the air way. Most coughs are usually caused by seasonal flu or viral infections that need to run their course before your child starts to feel better. Many don't need any medical treatment unless they don't start to get better or get worse after a week, don't let your child sleep or feed well. In rare cases cough that won't resolve could be a sign of something serious. Talk to your doctor if worried.
There are a few home remedies you can try to help your child feel better and recover faster.
Some of the things that you can do to help ease the cough:
Keep your baby hydrated - Ensure your baby is hydrated, exclusively breast / formula fed in babies below 6 months of age. You can start offering water and other unsweetened fluids once baby is over 6 months of age. The fluids help loosen the mucus by moistening the airway making it easier to cough up and prevents the mucus from drying up.
Prop up - Propping up the baby helps ease the cough as lying down increases the post nasal drip and irritates the throat hence we notice an increase in cough in babies at night. If the baby is small try to incline the head of the mattress or the head of the crib and for older children above 2 years of age using pillow may help.
Treat the mucus - Use saline drops or isotonic solution made for babies to moisten the nasal passage. Wait for a couple of minutes and you could use a bulb syringe to get the mucus out or let is come out on its own.
Fix the environment - There could be multiple causes like dust, pet dander, dry weather, smoke, old mattresses, new clothes, etc. that could also be causing the allergies or aggravating the cough. Therefore thoroughly dust, vacuum, and disinfect the room and furniture (Vinegar is a safe and effective option), also try to keep the baby's sleeping area clean. Using a humidifier is a good idea to keep the nasal passage moist in dry weathers.
Honey - If your baby is over 12 month of age you can try offering a small quantity of honey at bedtime as its believed to help ease cough by coating the throat and also relieves soreness but strictly avoid if your baby is younger than 12 months of age.
Pat the back - Cup your hand and gently but firmly pat your baby's back to loosen the mucus and help bring it out while coughing.
Love & Patience - Above all give your baby lots of love, pampering, kisses and remember to be patient when they are troubled and cranky as cough takes time to heal completely (1-3 weeks usually and some even longer) so a little patience and lots of love goes a long way.
Related: How to treat common cold in babies and young children?
When to see the doctor ?
As there could be multiple reasons for cough in babies from common colds to serious health issues it is always a good idea to talk to your doctor to rule out anything serious. Call your doctor immediately if your baby is having any of the below symptoms.
Fever in babies below 3 months of age
Fever higher that 102F in babies above 3 months of age
Troubled breathing or shortness of breath
Difficulty in feeding or refusing to feed
Coughing up blood
Cough that worsens after 3 weeks or lasts longer than 8 weeks
Experiencing night sweats, chills, dehydration, weight loss or wheezing
Any cough in the first few weeks of newborn's life needs to be checked