Baby has had a really bad cough for over a week, it sounds awful. suggestions for home remedies please!!!

Rani - posted on 11/08/2012

Hi, infant massage is fabulous for breaking up a cough. There are particular sequences that you can undertake that are great for baby and helps you relax too. I am an infant massage instructor and a mum of 2 and completely understand how hard it is to hear them like that. Im unable to write it all here, thus Please feel free to message me if you're ken to learn, I run web based training via Skype. Blessings xo

Cyndi - posted on 11/07/2012

Both of my kids got bad colds when very young like that too. The vaporizer really seemed to help with reducing their coughing. My doctor always said cool mist humidifier, but I used the warm mist vaporizer and it helped. Since then I have found out my kids do have allergies as well. It took a long time for my doctor decide they should be on Zyrtec daily year round (we are in south Texas) and its helping so far. Watch for that too, the biggest sign I had was the purple grooves under their eyes, long recovery time from colds, unexplained crankiness when they seemed otherwise healthy. they never had runny noses except at beginning of a cold.

Megan - posted on 11/03/2012

Sue, I'm wondering if your baby is allergic to something that's causing this. Do you have any pets?

Brandie - posted on 06/05/2009

i would bring her back...request that they do a lung x ray as well as test for RSV. if her doctor wont ask for a second opinion...

Sarah - posted on 06/05/2009

We got a Vicks Soothing Vapors Plug-in Waterless Vaporizer. (I'm not a fan of putting vapor rub on because it always seems to smell up everything and I don't like the scent much. By using the plug-in, I didn't have to actually put anything on baby and the odor didn't sit.)

Sandy - posted on 06/05/2009

I put vicks vapor rub on my baby's feet and run a humidifier and that helps.

Sue - posted on 06/05/2009

my daughter has had a runny nose and cough almost continually since she was less than 4 months old and is now over 7 months. It's crazy. We have been to three different doctors, and keep going back because she is still coughing. I have been told that babies do NOT have sinuses. They are not developed until around 1 year old partially and other sinus cavities not until almost 10 years old. So, it's not a "Sinus Infection".... okay, but the mucus is still running out of her nose and sounds like it's in the back of her throat, causing her to cough.
Two of the doctors suggest that it has to be "reflux"... I don't agree but we have been on Zantac and Previcid. We took her for a chest xray to make sure it's not in her lungs and it's not, so no pneumonia. Then we had a "barium swallow" where she drinks the barium and they take x rays of it going down into her stomach and out to see if there is reflux, but there wasn't any reflux.
At first I thought the humidifier was working but then her cold got worse after some time. One doctor told me that they/we can get up to 8 colds a year, and maybe she is just getting them back to back. That was earlier on when it would have been just two or maybe three colds in a row. Now it's been too long.
My daughter continues to eat and gain weight and for the most part is happy, so I'm not totally freaking out but I continue to take her back to the doctor and the next step is to do a swallow study to see if she is aspirating when she lays down. Although, she is not only coughing when she lays down any more... that's how it started, it was worse at bed time or when she had been laying down for a while.
I've read all the other posts and have tried everything that everyone else is suggesting with nothing curing her symptoms a hundred percent.
the saline in the nose and suctioning it out helps for a few minutes, but good luck doing it and good luck not needing to do it again in about 5-10 minutes later.
My baby has been on three different rounds of different anti biotics and each time it has seemed to clear up the symptoms a little, temporarily. This last round though, she went back after and still had a little redness in one ear. ??????????
She's not been running a fever so I haven't used tylenol but I did use benadryl for almost 2 months straight and it did seem to dry her up a little and help her to sleep. The bad thing about that is it only lasts for 4 hours so I would have to keep some on the night stand to give her in the night. Some doctors will tell you not to give a baby under 6 months old any medicines, others will suggest some. I gave her only 1/2 tsp of benadryl.
Good luck with it all, if you find any solutions please let me know !

Racqual - posted on 06/04/2009

Try putting mentholatim or vicks on her feet than put on her socks I dont know why but it takes away the cough. Check for skin irritation. Humidifier. I she gets croop Hot steamy bathroom right to the cold air really loosens it up. Good Luck.

Racqual - posted on 06/04/2009

Its hard to breath through your nose and eat when is stuffy. Maybe thats why she is eating less. The Saline is a great idea try doing it before she eats.

CJ - posted on 06/04/2009

My daughter had alot of porblems with coughing in the past when she was younger... so i learned a really good way of helping loosen up the cough is to go into your bathroom and turn your hot water on all the way on the shower and the tap and close the door.... let your bathroom steam up really good and give you baby a bath in the home made sauna.... and make sure you bring you daughters clothes in with you and get her dressed in there too. If the cough persist just make sure you go to the doctors and let them know what going on. There is very little you can do for a cough when they are that young. Tylenol will help with any pain or fever your daughter is having and may make he feel like eating more. Also, when your daughter is over a year... Honey is the absolute best cough suppresant you can get. Even for an adult... Just a little bit of honey in a syringe or something will help. But no until after they are a year old.

Megan - posted on 06/04/2009

You might need to let it run its course... Make sure she is getting enough breastmilk or formula to keep from getting dehydrated. To help her be more comfortable maybe you could give her some infant tylenol with the doc's ok. also... a humidifier can help unstuff stuffy noses and sinuses and release her congestion if she has some. Use a nasal aspirator often and you could try putting a warm wet wascloth on her forhead or chest to help with congestion (supervised of course) a warm bath when she is awake can also relieve congestion. If she sleeps to long during the day.. i would try nudging her awake every few hours to feed her... even if its just a tad. Of course if you are concerned call the doc again. Maybe something was overlooked and itsnt a common cold (unlikely though). Make sure she doesnt have a fever every once in a while. Other than that let her sleep. It is when we are sleeping that we do all of our virus and infection fighting! a good long nap may let this pass sooner!

Margaret - posted on 06/04/2009

if she has had it for 2 weeks go back to the doctor it has likely developed into a sinus or respiratory infection and she now needs antibiotics....If he doesnt find another doctor

Kristie - posted on 06/04/2009

I can't say that I had that problem with my daughter but from what I have heard, use a vaporizor in her room. The warm moist air should help her breath better. If that doesn't help I would get in touch with her Dr. and give him an update. He may be able to recommend something else to try.

Chrissy - posted on 06/04/2009

I know that using a cool mist humidifier can help. I've also heard that it can be caused by the runny nose, that a few drops of saline in the nose and then using the baby nasal aspirator to suck out the mucus is supposed to help. If the cough is getting worse, particularly now that she isn't eating as much, don't be afraid to go back to the doctor.