It’s normal to be concerned when your child has a severe cough. Here are some home treatments for children’s coughs. Coughing in children is usually not a cause for concern and is frequently brought on by allergies or the common cold.
Because over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are not recommended for children under 6, it can be challenging to know how to help your child feel comfortable – especially if a cough is keeping them up at night at Home remedies for cough in kids. Nazima Zakhidova, M.D., pediatrician at Children’s Health℠, shares nine home remedies for cough in babies and young children.
10 home remedies for your child’s cough
Drink lots of fluids
Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids. Staying well-hydrated can help children fight off colds. Drinking warm liquids such as caffeine-free tea, broth or hot water with lemon can help relieve a cough by loosening up mucus and soothing a sore throat at Home remedies for cough in kids.
Consider using a humidifier
Dry air can make a child’s cough worse. Consider placing a cool-mist humidifier in your child’s room, near where they sleep at Home remedies for cough in kids. This can help ease their cough by moisturizing the throat, reducing throat irritation and making your child more comfortable.
Breathe in warm water vapors
Let your child breathe in water vapors from a warm bath or shower. This can help loosen mucus and, as a bonus, calm your child before bed at Home remedies for cough in kids.
Try icy treats
Give your child cold items like popsicles or ice cream to make a hurting throat feel better. Electrolyte replenishing freezer pops (such as Pedialyte popsicles) are great ways to keep your child hydrated if they are not eating or drinking well at Home remedies for cough in kids.
Saline and suction
Nasal congestion may be contributing to your child’s cough. A child may breathe through their mouth when they have a stuffy nose, which can irritate their throat and lead to coughing at Home remedies for cough in kids. Children may also experience postnasal drip, which happens when mucus drips down the back of the throat and can cause coughing.
Reducing your child’s nasal congestion may help reduce their cough. Having your child blow their nose frequently or using a saline solution, such as a nose spray or mist, can help loosen mucus in the nose. If your child is not old enough to blow their own nose, use a suction bulb to help clear mucus from their nose. Learn more about nasal congestion in babies and toddlers at Home remedies for cough in kids.
Give a spoonful of honey (over age 1)
A teaspoon of honey can help combat coughing and soothe your child’s throat at Home remedies for cough in kids. This cough remedy is only recommended for children over age 1.
Gargle with warm salt water
Gargling salt water can help relieve a sore throat and reduce mucus and congestion at Home remedies for cough in kids. Mix half a teaspoon of salt with a glass of warm water, then have your child gargle the mixture. This remedy is typically best for children over 6 or 7 years old, who can gargle the salt water without swallowing it.
Elevate your child’s head while sleeping (over age 2)
Propping up your child’s head with an extra pillow or two may help reduce their cough at night at Home remedies for cough in kids. Elevating their head can help congestion drain and ease a cough related to postnasal drip (when mucus gathers and drips down the back of the throat). This is only recommended for children over 2 years old.
Get some zzz’s
Encourage your child to get plenty of rest and sleep to promote healing at Home remedies for cough in kids. While coughing may seem worse at night, the above tips may help your child stop coughing and get some good sleep.
When to call your child’s doctor
A child may need a few weeks to recuperate from a cold. If your child’s cough persists, is accompanied by symptoms like a high fever or trouble breathing, or you think it might be an indication of a more serious illness (see other common causes of coughs in children), you should get in touch with your child’s pediatrician right away (see Home Remedies for Cough in Kids).