When your child has a cough or cold, you may wonder whether medicine or home remedies are the best option. In many cases, simple home remedies can help children feel better without the need for cough and cold medicines. Here’s what parents should know about treating coughs and colds in children.
Cough & Cold Medicines
Oral over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines can cause serious harm to young children. For young children, the risks of these medicines may be greater than any benefit they provide in reducing cold symptoms.
- Under age 4: Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are not recommended for babies and young children.
- Ages 4 to 6: Cough medicine should only be used if recommended by your child’s doctor.
- After age 6: Cough medicines can be used safely when the instructions on the package are followed carefully, including the recommended dose.
Fortunately, coughs and colds in young children can often be managed without using cough and cold medicines.
Children may also accidentally take or misuse the prescription cough medicine benzonatate. This has led to an increase in calls to poison control. If you suspect a benzonatate overdose, call 911 immediately. For non-emergency questions, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222. You can also find more information about medication safety.
Home Remedies for Cold Symptoms
A good home remedy should be safe, affordable, and able to help your child feel more comfortable. Many helpful remedies can already be found at home.
Here are ways to help manage your child’s cold symptoms.
For a Runny Nose
Use suction, such as a bulb syringe, to gently remove liquid from your child’s nose. You can also encourage your child to blow their nose.
When your child’s nose is running, it is helping remove viruses from the body.
For a Blocked or Stuffy Nose
For children 3 months to 1 year of age, a common cold may cause babies to feed more slowly or lose interest in eating because they are having difficulty breathing.
Try suctioning your baby’s nose before breastfeeding or bottle-feeding.
Breastfeeding is still recommended for infants with common colds. If your baby has difficulty feeding at the breast, expressing breast milk into a cup or bottle may be an option.
You can also use saline nose drops or spray to loosen dried mucus. After using saline, have your child blow their nose or gently remove the liquid with a bulb syringe.
If you do not have saline nose drops or spray, warm water can also be used.
Put 2 to 3 drops into the opening of each nostril, one side at a time. Then gently suction the liquid out or have your child blow their nose.
Saline nose drops and sprays are available without a prescription at pharmacies. You can also make your own saline solution.
Use nasal washes whenever your child cannot breathe comfortably through their nose. For infants who breastfeed or bottle-feed, use nose drops before feedings.
Older children and teens can splash warm water into their noses.
Continue nasal washes until the mucus coming from the nose becomes clear.