Cough Remedies for Babies

The site of a baby coughing is very painful for its parents. Being such a tiny being, it cannot even express its irritation over it. Parents first of all do not understand what is the cause of cough in babies. They take all the precautions to keep their baby away from all minor and major illnesses. However, new parents should keep in mind that cough and cold are common problems even in babies. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, children get six-ten colds a year on average! So do not panic, and do not use any over-the-counter medicines for getting rid of baby cough, as according to the National Institutes of Health, over-the-counter medications should not never be used without prescription for kids who are below 2 years, as it can cause harmful effects. There are many common causes of cough and cold in babies, so to treat the cough, it is first necessary to understand the cause and then treat it. The following are some of the common causes of cough in babies, followed by cough remedies for babies.

Causes of Cough in Babies

• Common cold
• Croup in babies
• Respiratory syncytial virus
• Asthma
• Allergies
• Natural irritants
• Sinusitis
• Whooping cough
• Swallowing of any object
• Pneumonia
• Cystic fibrosis

Natural Remedies for Cough

• Herbal Tea: This is one of the best home remedies for cough. Different types of herbal teas are said to be very effective home remedies to treat cough in babies as they help to clear mucus. Make lemon tea by adding 1 tsp of lemon juice along with 1 tsp of natural sweetener like stevia to 8 oz of warm water. Make this tea in the baby bottle itself. Do not use honey as a natural sweetener for babies under 2 years.
• Herbal Rub: This is an effective child cough remedy. Make a herbal rub by mixing 3 - 4 tbs of olive oil and 2 drops of essential oils like sage, rosemary, eucalyptus and peppermint oil. Apply the mixture of these oils on the baby's back and chest and keep her covered tightly so that the heat builds up and the oils vaporize.
• Steam: Steam works wonders in case of cough, not just for babies but even for adults. Babies can obviously not be taken near a steamer for steam. So simply run hot shower for a while, steam will build up automatically. Then take the baby in the steam.
• Humidifier: If the baby is troubled by cough during the night only, humidifier will prove very useful. Put a few drops of sage or thyme oil on the humidifier and set in the baby's room. It will help the baby to sleep in comfort.
• Saline Drops: Saline drops help to clear the nasal passages. Place a few drops of salt drops in each nostril of the baby before feeding, wait for about 60 seconds then using a bulb syringe remove the discharge gently.
• Suck on Something Sweet: Sucking of something sweet like lollipops can work wonders. You will find many baby cough lollipops in the market, have your baby suck on them, those lollipops have sticks so you can hold it while the baby sucks. This will not only stop the cough but also the pain caused by the cough as the throat will get moisturized.
• Cool Air: If croup is the culprit, taking the baby for a walk in the cool air at night, will provide relief. Wrap it up in a warm blanket and take her and walk in the cool air for about an hour. This will help to soothe the inflamed upper airways and also get rid of the question, how to cure baby cough.

These were some of the best cough remedies for babies. As stated earlier, using over the counter cough medicines for babies is not safe, so do not use any of the medicines.