- Home remedies for baby cough
- How to relieve baby's cough at night
- Main causes of cough in the baby
- When to take the baby to the pediatrician
To relieve the baby's cough, you can hold the baby in your arms to keep your head higher, as this helps the baby to breathe better. When the cough is more controlled, you can offer a little water, at room temperature, to hydrate the vocal cords and fluidize the secretions, calming the cough. The baby should drink plenty of water during the day, about 100 ml for each kg of weight.
Other options to help relieve your baby's cough may be:
- Inhaling with saline, using a nebulizer that you buy at the pharmacy, this helps to clear the airways being very efficient. If you are unable to buy a nebulizer you can give the baby a warm bath with the bathroom door closed so that the water vapor facilitates the exit of the phlegm, improving breathing. See how to unclog the baby's nose; Mix a spoon (of coffee) of honey with a little water, if the baby is over 1 year old; Putting 1 drop of cherry essential oil in a basin of hot water can be helpful in relieving a child's cough. Check out 4 ways to use Aromatherapy to fight coughs.
Medicines such as anti-allergic syrups, antitussives, decongestants or expectorants should only be used when prescribed by a pediatrician because not all medicines can be used on children, and any cough that lasts more than 5 days should be investigated by the doctor. Usually in babies under 2 years of age, the pediatrician does not recommend the use of medication, if there is no fever or difficulty breathing.
Home remedies for baby cough
Home remedies can be indicated in case of cough caused by a cold, and good options are carrot syrup and onion peel tea. To prepare:
- Carrot syrup: grate a carrot and add 1 teaspoon of sugar on top. Then offer the baby the natural juice that comes from the carrot, which is rich in vitamin C; Onion peel tea: in 500 ml of water add the brown peels of 1 large onion and bring to a boil. Strain and offer the baby in small spoons when it is warm.
Another good strategy is to put some droplets of saline in the baby's nose before feedings or meals and clean the baby's nose with a cotton swab with thick tips (suitable for babies). There are also, on sale in pharmacies and drugstores, nasal aspirators, which are very efficient in eliminating phlegm, clearing the nose, which also fights cough. Learn how to fight cough with phlegm.
How to relieve baby's cough at night
A good way to avoid night cough is to place a pillow or folded towels under the baby's mattress, as shown in the image below, to raise the head of the cradle a little bit because the airways are freer and the reflux decreases, reducing the baby's cough, ensuring a more peaceful sleep.
Main causes of cough in the baby
A baby's cough is usually caused by simpler breathing problems like the flu or a cold. The main suspicion that the cough is caused by breathing problems is the presence of phlegm, stuffy nose and difficulties in breathing.
Other less common causes of coughing in infants are laryngitis, reflux, asthma, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, whooping cough or aspiration of an object and so if even after starting treatment with home measures or according to the pediatrician's guidance, the cough remains for more than 5 days or if it is very strong, frequent and uncomfortable, you should take the baby to the pediatrician so that he can indicate what is happening and what is the best treatment. Here's how to identify pneumonia symptoms in babies.
When to take the baby to the pediatrician
Parents should be concerned and take the baby to the pediatrician whenever the baby has a cough and:
- You are less than 3 months old; If you have a cough for more than 5 days; If your cough is very strong and prolonged, such as a dog's cough; The baby has a fever of 38ºC; The baby's breathing seems faster than normal; The baby is having difficulty breathing; The baby is making a noise or wheezing when breathing; If he has a lot of phlegm, or phlegm with strands of blood; The baby has any heart or lung disease.
In consultation with the pediatrician, the guardian must indicate all the symptoms presented by the baby, when they started and everything that was done to try to relieve the baby's cough.
