Home Remedies for Colds in Babies

What are home remedies for colds in babies? How to treat a cold in babies at home? What are the natural remedies for the common cold in babies? What to do when babies catch a cold? And many similar questions are frequently asked by parents who face this ailment.

What Causes a Cold in Babies?

Babies can become infected with viruses that cause illness through contact with an infected person or through contaminated air or surfaces. Cough and cold in children can have several causes:

• Allergy
• Asthma
• Cold weather
• Inhalation of a foreign body
• Bacterial respiratory infections
• Irritants such as air pollution and smoke

What are the Symptoms of a Cold in Babies?

Although the common cold can manifest itself in various ways, we can list the common symptoms as follows:

• Runny nose, stuffy nose
• Sneezing, coughing
• Loss of appetite
• Insomnia
• Irritability

Colds and Coughs in Babies

Colds and coughs are common in infants and young children. A cold usually lasts for about a week and can cause mucus to accumulate in the respiratory tract. Because of possible side effects, it is not recommended to give cough and cold medicines to children under the age of 6 years. Therefore, the right thing is to resort to natural methods. For most children, a cough is just a symptom of a cold. The cough should be expected to improve with the course of the disease because nothing can be done for a faster recovery.

Of course, there are natural methods that we can apply for cold and cough in children. These methods help relieve symptoms, but medical attention should be sought for colds and coughs accompanied by high-grade fever.

Cough often worsens at night because babies lie flat. For older children, you can use extra pillows to raise their head.

Home Remedies for Colds in Babies

» Bath

Babies can be bathed in water that is lower than body temperature, but not too cold, to reduce fever and balance body temperature. The bath also relaxes the child and allows her/him to sleep better, which leads to a faster recovery.

For infants, you can apply a sponge bath 2-3 times a day. To do this, soak a washcloth in room temperature water, squeeze out excess water, and then apply to baby’s armpits, feet, hands and groin to reduce fever. You can also place a cold, damp cloth on the baby’s forehead and change it every few minutes. For older children, it may be recommended to take a bath with water at a lower temperature than body temperature.

For bathing, water should be used at a temperature that will not make the child cold. Cold water should not be used.

» Steam Inhalation

Steam inhalation is a safe method for colds and coughs. It helps to get rid of mucus that causes nasal congestion. For babies under six months old, turn on the hot water faucet in the bathroom and sit with the baby in the bath for at least 10-15 minutes. For children aged 1 year and above, you can add a drop of eucalyptus oil to hot water and get it inhaled to child.

» Plenty of Fluid Intake

The child should be given plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration. Fever, excessive sweating, which can cause dehydration and worsen the condition. Good water consumption makes it easier for the child to expel germs and get rid of congestion in the nasal passages. To help replenish fluids and electrolytes, you can give infants oral rehydration solutions, readily available from pharmacies. Older children should be given warm water regularly.

» Salty Drops

Nasal drops can help relieve a runny nose, loosen and expel mucus thereby unclog the blocked nose. Unclogging helps drain mucus and allows the baby to breathe more easily. You can use the nasal drops more often according to the child’s needs. Opening the nasal congestion is more important for young babies because their noses need to be open while they are sucking or drinking milk.

You can also look: Common Mistakes Parents Make When Their Infant or Child is Sick

You can also read this article: What is Good for Colds in Babies?

You can share your thoughts, experiences and suggestions on this subject in the comments section…