[toc]Treating a baby for cold and cough with home remedies is the best option as medical research has already stated that over-the-counter medications are not safe for children below 2 years. Thus, providing the child with ample rest and some natural remedies like steam, vapor rubs, honey are not only safe but effective for the baby as well.
However, the course for a normal cough and cold takes around ten days to cure. Thus, these home remedies to cure baby cold can surely provide relief to a huge extent.
5 Best Home Remedies For Baby Cold
Vapor Rubs
This home remedy for cold can be applied to babies of 3 months and above. This helps the babies to have a good night sleep despite cough and cold. Studies say that these rubs do not lead to nasal congestion.
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Rather the warmth in the chest area and the cooling effect in the nose during night help the child breathe better and have a good sleep. Just massage the vapor rub gently on the baby’s chest, back and neck area. The ingredients are petrolatum, essential oils, and eucalyptus.
Gargling With Saline Water
This is a good remedy for the babies of 4 years and above. This is a time-honored remedy to treat sore throat for people of all ages. Gargling also enables the child to bring up and clear out the mucus from the throat, thereby reducing the amount of cough to a huge extent.
Take a glass of warm water and add half teaspoon of salt to it. Stir well and ask the baby to gargle. It is even more effective if a few drops of fresh lemon juice can be added to it.
Plenty Of Fluids
Babies find it difficult to swallow solid food during cough and cold. Thus, they should drink plenty of fluids that are not only hunger satisfying but also provide relief from the associated troubles like congestion, sore throat, aches, fever and fatigue.
Often babies vomit excessively during cough and cold, thus there is a possibility of suffering from dehydration. Abundant fluid intake counters the water loss. You can give soups, herbal shakes and tea with herbs like holy basil, garlic and so on. Please note; ample breast milk is ideal for babies below 6 months.
Honey
Apt for children above 1 year, honey soothes and coats the throat and also reduces the bouts of cough. It’s said that one teaspoon of honey with holy basil leaves can cure cough within a week. Children from 1 to 5 years old should have a half teaspoon of honey.
A mixture can be made with honey, a glass of hot water and few drops of lemon juice to enjoy the added benefit of vitamin C. Adding a few drops of ginger juice and a pinch of powdered black pepper is further helpful.
Inhaling Steam
The humid and moist air from the steam loosens up the mucus of the nose and relieves the child from congestion and headache. You can add few drops of pine oil, menthol, and eucalyptus to the water for obtaining better results. You can also use humidifiers in the child’s room and keep the air humid so that it soothes the child while breathing. Getting the child breathe some steamy air built in the bathroom is also a quick fix to the congested nose during cold.
Curing cold in the natural homemade ways are the methods that are correct and are repeated for a number of times. Cold and cough are whatsoever a natural phenomenon to get cured over time. In extreme cases, antibiotics might help.