How do you treat an infant's cough?
17 Answers
What are some home remedies for a cough?
Children frequently catch colds and may develop a minor cough. What are some natural home remedies that you can use to help relieve your child's cough?
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40 Answers
27 Votes
I have a few that have worked well. The first is vicks/tiger balm on the bottoms of their feet. This usually helps stop a cough in 5-10 minutes. It can also help on their chest/neck. I also used essential oils this last winter. A mix of Eucalyptus, Melaleuca and On Guard essential oils from doTERRA and spread that on chest and back. It really worked quickly and helped my boys to sleep during the night.
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Peg - commented on Jul 25, 2011
I have used the vicks/Unkers on the bottom of the feet for years and its worked like a charm. I put a nice amount and cover with heavier socks and its given the kids relief (and myself/hubby).
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Angela - commented on Apr 18, 2012
You can find doTERRA oils @ www.doterradirect.com. I've loved learning how to take care of our kids with a natural alternative to otc medication, so much so that I'm sharing it now.
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Anna - commented on Apr 20, 2012
Be careful of using pure essential oils on small children as they are quite highly concentrated & you can easily overdose a child. Essential oils work like conventional medicines on the body & therefore you should use a much more diluted mixture on a child than you would use on an adult. Also, do your research as certain oils should never be used on children, pregnant women and people with heart conditions.
21 Votes
We put Vick's Vapor Rub on the kids' feet at night and then cover them with socks. They sleep much better with fewer bouts of coughing fits. The additional rest really helps them recover much faster.
12 Votes
Very surprisingly i was advised only last week when my one and a half year old was suffering with a chesty cough to rub pure vaseline on her back, chest and throat area and then just simply keep sufficent layers on her to keep her warm. My friend told me that when she was raised in Kenya this is what the mother's did and would combat chesty coughs in one or two days! I was desperate for my baby to be eased from the coughing so instantly tried it though I added a few drops of Olbas oil to her chest and back and put her down for some rest as the coughing had exhausted her. I have to say less than a day later the violent, chesty cough she had for a week was gone. She told me the vaseline acts as a layer of skin and warms up the child inside and then softens the phlegm off the lungs??? I don't know for sure but maybe give it a try? Also i never give them cold drinks, always warm and a small teaspoon of honey to lubricate their throat. Hope this helps.
12 Votes
Have done this with all of my kids and for myself over the years. Slice or dice an onion and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with some sugar or drizzle with honey(if over a yr old) and tilt bowl with a dishtowel under one end so that the juices run to one side. Teaspoon or so every hour to 3 hours. If laying child down to sleep have them lie over a pillow with head slightly lower than chest.
I have no idea why this works, but it breaks up the congestion like you wouldn't believe! It will sound worse before it sounds better but the cough becomes productive and starts clearing up.
I first used this on my son when he was 2 and had constant respiratory infections. An older cousin who was a nurse mind you, made this at a family get together for my baby who was suffering because of his horrible cough. It worked! He was over it within a day or two and the congestion was broken up that same night.
Tastes like onion juice but if you get it sweet enough it is easier to handle. Try it. You will be shocked at what it does.
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Michelle - commented on Aug 11, 2011
I had heard of using honey but never this concoction...I may have to try this the next time mine has a cough. That is if I can get her to take it!
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Karen - commented on Apr 18, 2012
the reason it works its because onion works as an antibiotic/anti-inflamtion agent, it also works if inhaled
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Norma Maureen - commented on May 5, 2012
This does work! At our office when we get sick one of our colleagues makes this for us - so it has been tried, tested and approved.
7 Votes
My nan was a well-known healer in Pakistan and when my boys had bronchitis and re-curring chest infections she told me: some ginger, 4 cloves, cinnamon stick 2(inch), less than a pinch of black pepper. Put lots of water in pan slow boil until you have a quarter left. bottle it up an put in the fridge. Give the child one teaspoon of this mixed with honey and a drop of lemon three times a day. All the ingredients have the effect of natural antibiotics and aid in clearing the chest up. We keep this concoction bottled and it doesn't go off for about a month.
6 Votes
We like to use a teaspoonful of honey and a cup of your favorite warm tea. This is especially helpful in the evening, when it seems your cough is most persistent. Our daughter, who will be 8, loves this. Her favorite warm tea is apple cinnamon, ours too, as there is no sweeting needed. Hope this helps.
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Gayle - commented on May 16, 2012
This is what I used for my children, also!
5 Votes
My Mom always put Vicks on our chest and followed by a warm towel which helped sinuses also
4 Votes
Try boiling peppermint leaves (with rock sugar for better taste) to make a cup of drink (about 8 oz)and drink it until the cough clears (roughly a week's time). My boy and mine clears after three days. Boil 7 leaves for girl or 8 leaves for boy. It helps even the adults. Adult can drink a cup but you can give your children maybe about 2 oz.
3 Votes
Propping them up with a couple pillows, warm mist humidifier and Vicks on the bottoms of feet and chest. Works well!
3 Votes
Try making a combination of honey, lemon and a little cinnamon, heated slightly. A few spoons of this will sooth the throat and take away that nagging cough... Use it in conjunction with the already mentioned vicks rub on the feet, chest and back.
3 Votes
Put vicks on soles of feet when child goes to bed. Add socks as well :)
2 Votes
I went to bed one night and couldn't stop coughing. My thought wasn't really irritated, I just had a tickle. I don't like taking medicine if I can at all help it so I tried drinking warm water and tea. These worked okay while I was drinking them but as soon as I laid down the cough would come back. I remembered that some one told me to try vinegar and honey. So I mixed a tsp of each an gulped it down. It took my breath away at first! I coughed a couple times immediately afterwards, probably more as a gag reflex! Then it was gone. I went to bed and slept soundly the rest of the night. Desperate times calls for desperate measures! For less drastic coughs try gargling salt water, mix your honey with lemon juice, or have cinnamon tea with honey. Make sure you get the cinnamon from health food store as it is stronger and much more effective. Honey too should be harvested from a local producer as they contain the cure for your local allergies. The honey with the most potency is raw and local grown.
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Cheryl - commented on May 17, 2012
Oops! My throat not my thought!
2 Votes
Depending on the age of the child, it would depend. My son had a lot of problems with bronchitis when he was little and we must have gone through every possible cough medicine on the market. The best thing I have found to get rid of a lingering cough is Elderberry Extract. You can find it in your local health food store or GNC. Get the liquid form, and if it's for your child, mix it in with some Kool-Aid or juice because otherwise it's a little bitter. It got rid of my son's cough in a couple days after weeks of trying OTC cough medicines.
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Desarie - commented on May 23, 2012
We give our daughter elderberry daily as it helps to build the immune system. She gets colds lessboften. Some elderberry has sugar so be sure to read the label. I get it at whole foods.
1 Vote
Vicks under the feet then cover with socks also on chest.
1 Vote
I found a good ones, hope they can be helpful. Surely when a child have the coughing is necessary to change the diet. No cold food, dairy product, and depending if it is a dry cough you should avoid to consume lemon only it will make it worst. Beter let them eat sweet and juicy fruits, green vegetable and recomment the following: boil 1 ltr. soya milk with 1 cup of date, let it boil until date are softend, and blend, give to the child 3 times a day one tablespoon, it taste sweet ;) and is good for babys. Other: grate onion add honey let it rest a couple of minutes a fluid with come out of the onion, this mix give to the child 3 times a day one teaspoon, this is for childrend 2 years older or more. Eucaliptus tea with honey, use 1 leaf per cup of boil water, let them drink 1/2 of cup in the morning and before going to sleep. Aloe gel is also good for bigger childrend, mix it with honey if disired, Also boil radish with honey and 1 lemon and this mix blend it together place it in a glass container and give this to the child 3 times a day, it will remove the sluggishness effectively. If they coughing at night and they can sleep, warm a teaspoon of olive oil with one teaspoon of honey let them drink it and swallow it slowly. Have a good day.. and it help your child.
1 Vote
1Tbsp honey with lemon. If they won't take it as is, mix with water.
1 Vote
a spoon of honey!
1 Vote
Honey. Try it for yourself the next sorethroat/cough you get and you'll wonder why it took you this long to find out! No honey for younger children. 2 and over. Vicks of bottom of feet and underarms.
1 Vote
boil some indian basil leaves with some peppermint leaves together with some rock sugar or brown sugar (optional). Strain and feed 1 tbsp of this water about 5 times a day especially morning and night. My kids love this and ask for it even when they don't have cough. It works well to clear phlegm.
1 Vote
Putting an onion that has been top and tailed by their bedside, it sucks up the bacteria and goes black.
1 Vote
I have an 8 almost 9 yr old. We use pure peppermint sticks (like Candy Canes ---- we stock up at the end of Christmas and buy tons at day after Christmas Sales) to suck on. The peppermint is a natural soother and also works wonders for a sore throat. We learned this from our doctor and it works wonders.
1 Vote
As a teacher AND mom, I have found that sucking on a Hershey's Kiss coats the throat and quiets a cough better than ANY cough syrup or cough drop on the market!!
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Olivia - commented on Apr 19, 2012
Really? I can't believe it. My kids will love it!
1 Vote
When my children got old enough to understand what "suck" meant I would give them a small piece of chocolate to suck on, they loved it, no arguments over the ucky taste, works well, we still do it to this day when we get to coughing. Sure beats cough drops.
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Shehaam - commented on May 2, 2012
Chocolate? Does it seriously work? My daughter would love this remedy! I'm so tired of all the cough mixtures I have to give her! I'd really love to fine just a natural home made remedy! I'm definitely gonna try yours!!
1 Vote
An old irish remedy!! is rub some hot melted butter onto the chest and cover with a piece of crumpled brown paper(scrunch it until it feels soft) pin it to inside of babys vest so it wont move do this morning & at night, Guarenteed to break any cough!!
1 Vote
my twins are only 3months old wot would you suggest for them. they both get breast milk as much as possible but im also got a cough n cold and is affecting their recovering time. i will try some of the remedes on here for me n my older 2 but babies really suffering and my sleep and theirs is very erratic
0 Votes
Surely Vicks works wonders in case of cold, taking steam works well. I also give my children a mix of ginger juice, honey and little bit of turmeric. Ginger and honey are known to soothe throat and turmeric acts as a natural antiseptic.
I remember my mother used to give us small balls made of jaggery, saunth(dry ginger) powder and little turmeric. I do the same and usually keep these small sweet balls in a transparent bottle at an accessible place so that the children take it themselves when they feel like..so no force feeding of the so called medicine! And you bet it works wonders!
0 Votes
1 part extra virgin olive oil with 1/2 part apple cider vinegar properly blended, taken 3 times a day should do the trick. It has worked for my daughter.
0 Votes
take a tablespoon of honey. It coats the throat and usually stops a cough.
0 Votes
Approx tablespoon of pickle juice with little bit of honey mixed in. This works on adults also. It really works.
0 Votes
To stop a hacking little cough at bed time, my mom rest her soul, used to put saliva on the bottom of my oldest son's feet whenever he started coughing at night, it might sound yucky to you, but I swear to God it REALLY WORKED, afterwards I started doing it myself to him and his siblings everytime they had a hacking little cough at night, to date they do the same for their own kids even that they tought it was weird at the time when they were young,I don't really know if is sanitary or not to do that but, but the only thing I know is that it really works.
0 Votes
Fresh squeezed ginger juice with equal parts honey mixed together, one spoonful at a time. This is not for children under one because of the honey.
0 Votes
A nice healthy shot of Whiskey!
0 Votes
spoon full of honey with lime juice sqeezed on top
0 Votes
I swear by Atise Soy Melts ~ 'Breathe Easy Blend' of Essential Oils. A soy melt infused with Essential Oils of Eucalyptus (Natures Decongestant), Lemon & Peppermint. Soothing, refreshing, and really relieves coughs, colds and congestion. Allows a good night's sleep when used in a flame free melt warmer (Atise Aroma Glow is ideal) overnight in the child's room - (without the mess of a steam vapouriser!!).
www.aymie.atise.com.au
0 Votes
Give your child to drink warm water as much as possible ! Water is the best !
0 Votes
Boil an avocado seed and drink the tea
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Megan - commented on May 24, 2012
What? Worth a try for interest'..?
0 Votes
The best cough remedy for me and that is proven to really work is taking minced garlic plus a tablespoon of honey, but prior to that-gargling with lukewarm water with a little bit of salt helps eliminate the itchiness in the throat.
Amy L.
0 Votes
Have tried a few of these remedies but am at a loss. Myself and my twins (11 months) keep passing this cough (and cold) around to each other. We have been on antibiotics constantly for 3 weeks and nothing has helped. Will try the onion top and tailed by your bed. Im hoping it will go black! Havve disinfected the whole house but cant seem to stop the spread and apparently we should no longer be contagious but seems otherwise.
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Nina - commented on May 24, 2012
I am surprised this didn't make it here but licorice is good for bronchitis (dry cough, barking cough). Boil licorice root and drink! Try to break down the root so you can really get the good stuff out of it and you don't have to boil as long. The younger the child the smaller the amount I gave. To my baby I usually only give a small spoonful (if its not as strong - you can tell from the color - you can give a couple spoonfuls).
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Anita - commented on May 24, 2012
Warm water with a little honey to drink and some vicks on the feet and chest usually work well. Have you tried changing your toothbrush? Most people don't realize that when they are sick, they transfer the germs to their toothbrush and wind up passing it back to themselves whenever they brush. Since it is not cost effective to buy a new toothbrush for everyone for every time you brush, I just use a washcloth. Toothpaste isn't really necessary, and the texture of the cloth does a good enough job of cleaning the teeth. Rinse cloth in boiling water after each use to kill germs (or throw in washer if doing laundry). I have a different color cloth for each person in the house so everyone has their own designated color.
0 Votes
I go with Angela on the Vicks on feet. I was also told many years ago to slice an onion, then rebuild the onion with spoonful of sugar on each layer. Cover the rebuilt onion and allow to seep overnight. The liquid from there can be given at any time. Worked for me!
0 Votes
I second the use of doTERRA essential oils. Lemon helps dry up any mucus, Eucalyptus will help open the airways, Melaleuca will help fight off infection. They have blends OnGuard (anti-viral/anti-bacterial) and Breathe (a blend with Eucalyptus in it) that will help. I just used OnGuard with Olive oil and rubbed it on the back and chest of my 4 yr old recently and it worked great for his runny nose and cough.
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