Top Home Remedies for Cough in Kids That Actually Work – Parents’ Favorite Hacks!
Over-the-counter cough and cold medications should never be given to young children. These crusty coughs can be naturally quieted with these home cough remedies for kids.
When your child has a nasty cough, it’s normal to feel concerned. In most cases, a child’s cough is nothing to worry about, and is usually due to a common cold or allergies.
Because over-the-counter cough and cold medicines aren’t recommended for children under 6, it can be difficult to know how to comfort your child – particularly if a cough is keeping them up at night. Nazima Zakhidova, M.D., a pediatrician with Children’s Health℠, shares nine cough home remedies for babies and young children.
9 home remedies for the cough of children
Drink lots of fluids
Make sure your child drinks lots of fluids. Older children should also stay well-hydrated so they can fight off colds. Warm liquids, including caffeine-free tea, broth or hot water with lemon, can help relieve a cough by loosening mucus and soothing a sore throat.
Consider using a humidifier
Dry air can only irritate a child’s cough. You might try a cool-mist humidifier in a child’s room where they sleep. This can soothe and reduce throat irritation, so it helps your child feel more comfortable if they have a cough because it moisturizes their throat.”
Breathe in warm water vapors
Have your child inhale steam from a warm bath or shower. This can help break up mucus and, as a bonus, soothe your child before bed.
Try icy treats
Offer your child hard foods like popsicles or ice cream to soothe a sore throat. Electrolyte- replenishing freezer pops (like Pedialyte popsicles) are excellent options for keeping your child hydrated if he or she isn’t eating or drinking well.
Saline and suction
Your child may have a cough due to nasal congestion. Kids with a stuffy nose may breathe with their mouths, which can irritate the back of the throat and cause coughing. Children also may have postnasal drip, when mucus runs down the back of the throat and can trigger coughing.
Relieving your child’s nasal congestion could help relieve their cough. Encouraging your child to frequently blow his or her nose, or using a saline solution, such as a nose spray or mist, can help loosen mucus in the nose. If your child isn’t old enough to blow their own nose, use a suction bulb to remove mucus from their nose. Read more about nasal congestion in babies and toddlers.
Administer honey by the spoonful (17mo+)
Honey: Cough and throat conditioner — A teaspoon of honey can help kill off coughs and soothe your child’s throat. This cough remedy is advised only for children over the age of 1.
Gargle with warm salt water
Gargling with salt water can soothe a sore throat and reduce mucus and congestion. Dissolve half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, then let your child gargle the solution. This treatment is usually ideal for children ages 6 or 7 and older, who are able to gargle the salt water and not swallow it.
For sleeping, elevate your child’s torso (over age 2)
If they have a cough, propping up their head with an extra pillow or two at night can help reduce their cough. Raising their head can help congestion drain and soothe a cough related to postnasal drip (when mucus accumulates and drips down the back of the throat). This is only recommended for children over 2 years of age.
Get some zzz’s
Encourage your child to rest and sleep to facilitate healing. So, although coughing when it does happen may be worse at night, the advice above may help your child to stop coughing at all, and get some decent sleep.
When to contact your child’s doctor
A cold can linger for two weeks or more in a child. But if your child’s cough doesn’t go away, or if it’s accompanied by worrying symptoms like a high fever or trouble breathing, or if you are worried that the cough is a sign of something more serious (see other common cough causes in kids), call your child’s pediatrician as soon as you can.
