Natural Cough Remedies For Babies

When your baby comes down with a cough, you want to do whatever you can to make her more comfortable. Yet at the same time, you don't want to grab over the counter medication, since there are usually side effects and chemicals that you'd rather not expose babies to if it can be avoided. What's more, recent studies have shown that cough syrups are worthless and the sugar they contain may even prolong illness.

Thankfully there are quite a few natural remedies that you can try to calm your baby's cough. If your baby seems congested, take her in the bathroom and run a hot shower. The steam from the shower will help loosen that congestion in her lungs.

Putting your baby in a warm (not hot) bath can have the same effect. Make the bath even more effective by adding a few drops of eucalyptus, sage or thyme oil into the bath water. The vapors from these essential oils will help open baby's airways, allowing her to breath easier. The vapors from these oils will also sooth a sore throat.

If your baby's cough is caused by croup, sometimes the best course of action is to wrap her up warmly and take her out in the night air. The cold air sometimes calms the inflammation in the upper airways.

You can also use sage and thyme to make tea out of them. The warm herbal tea will help clear mucus out of your baby's lungs. Please check with your pediatrician to find out at what age you can start giving your baby these herbal teas.

Licorice tea is another great natural cough treatment. Licorice has antibacterial properties that will help you baby fight the bacteria that are causing the cough. It also soothes the throat and calms the respiratory tract; helping her get some much needed sleep. Make a cup of licorice tea and give it to your baby as warm as possible, of course without burning her.

Another very effective and gentle natural cough remedy for babies is an herbal rub. Start with 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and add 2 drops of essential oils to the olive oil. Good oils to use are eucalyptus, sage, rosemary and peppermint oil. A mixture of eucalyptus and rosemary works really well at night, since the eucalyptus will calm your baby's cough and allow her to breath easier, while the rosemary helps calm her down and drift off to sleep.

Mix the olive oil and essential oils well, then apply the mixture to your baby's chest and back. If the baby is small, swaddle her in a soft blanket, otherwise keep her back and chest as covered as possible with a thicker, tight fitting shirt to build up body heat which will allow the essential oils to vaporize. As baby breathes in the fumes, breathing will get easier.

A humidifier is another great option when it comes to making your coughing baby more comfortable. Use a few of the same essential oils suggested above and run the humidifier in baby's bedroom.

Some Moms have found that breastmilk will help soothe and heal a cough better than any other drink. If you're nursing and baby develops a cough, don't stop breastfeeding. Increase baby's feedings. Breastmilk is not a dairy product and is the safest food for baby when he's sick.

This article is provided for information purposes only. Please consult your baby's health care provider before trying home remedies.

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Baby Cough Remedy at Night

Upper respiratory tract infections such as common cold are the most common cause of cough related sleepless nights in babies. In this case, your baby will also have other cold symptoms such as slightly elevated body temperature, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, irritability and reduced appetite. Common cold in babies is usually not serious and resolves within about a week without any medical treatment. But if your baby is younger than 3 months of age, you are recommended to call your pediatrician as soon as possible because newborns are at increased risk of complications including pneumonia and. Also, consult with your baby's doctor if you do not know what is causing night coughs regardless of his/her age and call a doctor immediately if:

- your baby has breathing difficulties

- may have swallowed a small object

- has high body temperature or/and any other worrisome symptoms

- has blue lips

- is unconscious

If your baby is older than 3 months and does not have any other worrisome symptoms, you can follow the tips below. Please note that none of the mentioned tips will make the cough go away immediately. But if your baby has an uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infection, it should resolve with other symptoms within a few days.

Baby cough remedy at night tip #1:

Elevate your baby's head. This will reduce the drainage of mucus from the nose and sinuses into the throat which is the main trigger of night cough because the mucus irritates the airways. You can also elevate the mattress in your baby's crib by placing a pillow beneath the mattress. Be sure, however, not to put any pillows or other objects into the crib because they pose a risk of suffocation as well as increase the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

Baby cough remedy at night tip #2:

Give your baby warm or cool liquid or milk formula if you are formula feeding. Both warm and cool liquids help thin out the mucus, make it easier to cough up and sooth the throat. You are also highly recommended to give your baby plenty of liquids during the day to keep him/her well hydrated. Just like adults, babies need more liquids to stay hydrated when they are sick.

Baby cough remedy at night tip #3:

Run a humidifier because dry air irritates the airways and makes the cough even worse. A humidifier will relieve nasal congestion and facilitate breathing by which less irritating mucus will be drained into your baby's throat. But please keep in mind that humidifiers are an ideal breeding ground for mold and bacteria. You are highly recommended to clean it according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Baby cough remedy at night tip #4:

Take your baby into the bathroom, run a warm shower and close the door to allow the steam to sooth your baby's irritated airways and throat, and thin up the mucus. This baby cough remedy at night works best if it is used in combination with a humidifier.

Baby cough remedy at night tip #5:

Do not use any herbal remedies and over-the-counter cough medications unless you were explicitly allowed to use them by your baby's doctor. Although some can be very helpful in older kids, most herbal remedies as well as over-the-counter cough medications can cause serious side effects in babies.

Besides following the mentioned tips, you are also recommended to make sure that your baby is comfortable and that he/she gets plenty of rest and fluids during the day.

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