Top 7 Home Remedies for Colds and Coughs in Babies

Top 7 Home Remedies for Colds and Coughs in Babies

1. Sponge Bath

To reduce a fever in small babies, give them a cool water bath or sponge bath to regulate body temperature.

A bath has the added benefit of relaxing your child and it will help them sleep better, which is essential for faster recovery.

For small babies, give a sponge bath 2 or 3 times a day. Soak a washcloth in room temperature tap water, wring out the excess water and then sponge the armpits, feet, hands and groin to reduce their temperature.
Another option is to place a cold, damp washcloth on your baby’s forehead and change it every few minutes.
Older children can take a cool bath or shower.

2. Lemon
Lemon is another good home remedy. Being rich in vitamin C, lemon helps boost the immune system and assists the body in fighting colds and flu.

Its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties also help reduce symptoms, such as sore throat, runny nose and coughing.

Put the juice and peels from 4 lemons and 1 tablespoon of ginger slices in a pan.
Add enough boiling water to cover the ingredients.
Cover and let it steep for 10 minutes.
Strain off the liquid.
Dilute this liquid with an equal amount of warm water and add raw honey for taste.
Give your child this hot lemonade to drink, a few times a day.
Note: For babies younger than 1 year, add sugar instead of honey for taste.

3. Honey
Honey is a safe remedy for children age 1 and older who are suffering from the common cold or a cough. It has high antibacterial, antioxidant and immune-boosting properties that help ease coughing, soothe a sore throat and kill the bacteria causing the infection.

Mix 2 teaspoons of raw honey and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Give it to your child every few hours for symptom relief.
You can also have your child swallow a spoonful of buckwheat honey several times a day.
A glass of warm milk with honey can relieve a dry cough and reduce chest pain.

4. Warm Chicken Soup
For children older than 1 year, warm chicken soup is a great option when suffering from a cold or cough. It is light and nutritious and can help relieve congestion. The antioxidants in it speed up the healing process.

In addition, chicken soup improves the function of protective cilia in the nasal cavity that prevent contagions from entering the body.

A 2000 study published in the Chest journal suggests that chicken soup contains a number of substances with beneficial medicinal activity for upper respiratory tract infections.

Serve your children homemade chicken soup using organic chicken and vegetables, such as carrots, beet root and spinach. You can feed babies chicken soup 2 or 3 times a day.

5. Oranges
The vitamin C in oranges helps increase the production of white blood cells that fight off the cold-causing germs. It also boosts the immune system to alleviate symptoms, such as coughing, sore throat and runny nose.

For children age 2 years or older, give them 1 to 2 glasses of orange juice daily. For younger babies, dilute orange juice with an equal amount of warm water and give it to them to drink at regular intervals.
Older children can be given oranges to eat to increase their vitamin C intake.

6. Ginger
Ginger is another very popular natural cure for colds and coughs due to its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and antitussive (cough suppressant) properties.

It is also effective at inducing sweating and expelling heat, which in turn relieves mild fever. In addition, it boosts the immune system to help speed up recovery.

7.Apple Cider Vinegar
To reduce a child’s fever, apple cider vinegar is a highly effective remedy. Its acidic nature helps draw heat out of the body through the skin.

Soak 2 washcloths in a mixture of 1 part raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and 2 parts cool water. Wring out the excess solution and place one washcloth on the forehead and one on the tummy. Replace them with freshly soaked cloths after 10 minutes. Repeat until the fever has dropped.
For children older than 2 years, add ½ cup of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar to lukewarm bathwater. Have your child sit in the bath for 5 to 10 minutes. Repeat if the body’s temperature rises again.