How to Ease Cold Symptoms for Infants & Toddlers

Babies and toddlers catch an average of six to 10 colds a year, according to the BabyCenter medical advisory board. Although parents don't expect a cure for the common cold, they do want to help their children feel better quickly. Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends against using over-the-counter cold and cough remedies in children under 2, parents need to employ medicine-free remedies to alleviate their young children's symptoms.

Instructions

• 1

  Employ time-tested, commonsense remedies. By ensuring your child gets plenty of rest and stays well-hydrated, you can help his immune system fight off infection. Rest also gives the body a chance to heal. Adequate hydration thins nasal secretions. The Mayo Clinic says that science has shown the old-fashioned chicken soup remedy has merit. It eases the inflammation at the root of many cold symptoms and treats congestion by speeding the movement of mucus through the nose.

• 2

  Try some natural alternative remedies to alleviate cold symptoms. Kathi Kemper, a professor of pediatrics, public health sciences and family medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, suggests adding a few drops of pine, eucalyptus or menthol essential oil to a bath or vaporizer to help with congestion. If you child is older than 6 months, offer her some lukewarm spoonfuls of weakened chamomile tea to help a sore throat and to clear sinuses.

• 3

  Create a warm, humid environment with a humidifier, cool-mist vaporizer or steamy bathroom to break up nasal congestion and to help your child breathe easier. Clean humidifiers and vaporizers frequently to avoid mold and bacteria growth.

• 4

  Clear the nose effectively. Teach your child effective nose-blowing or use a bulb syringe aspirator and saline spray to clear out nasal passages. Older toddlers can often learn to blow their noses by copying their parents' actions. If this doesn't work, tilt your baby's head back, place a few drops of saline in each nostril and use the syringe to suck up mucus and saline solution. Although this treatment might not be popular with your baby, it will help him breathe easier.

• 5

  Elevate your child's head to help her breathe more freely. For a child still in a crib, place a pillow or towel between the crib springs and the mattress. Don't put pillows and other soft items into the crib with your baby because they might suffocate him. For a child in a regular bed, try an extra pillow under his head at night, or place a pillow or towel underneath the head of the mattress to position it at a slight incline.