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Home Remedy for Children's Colds

In 2007 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) began to question the safety of children's cold medication. FDA officials pushed for a ban, citing children's cold medication as the culprit in 123 children's deaths. While this is enough to prompt many parents to avoid medicating their sick children, no parent wants to see his child suffer. Finding the best home remedy for your children's colds can have both parent and child smiling in no time.

  1. Saline

    • Saline nose drops are a natural solution that aid in loosening the mucus from the nose and clear the breathing passageways. To place the drops, have your child lie on her back while you place two or three drops in the clogged nostril. Give her nose a little rub until she claims the solution is going up her nose or that it tickles. Then have her stand up and blow her nose. If she will not sit still long enough to allow this, place a humidifier in her room to clear her nose slowly.

    Honey

    • One of the worst things about having a sick child in the house is the persistent coughing that has him awake all night long. To relieve this cough, try giving the child a little honey before bed or in between coughing fits. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests 1/2 teaspoon for 2- to 5-year-olds, 1 tsp. for children ages 6 to 11 and 2 tsp. for older children. Honey combined with a cool-mist humidifier should have your child sleeping through most of the night.

    Soup

    • According to the Mayo Clinic, that old adage about chicken soup curing the common cold is true. Hot and broth-based soups like chicken noodle and vegetable help to clear chest congestion, open nasal passages and ease a sore throat. Best of all, getting a child to eat soup is usually the easy part compared to some home remedies.

    Physical Therapy

    • If your small child's chest is congested, you can perform a little physical therapy on her to get her breathing clearly again. Lay her face down across your knees or have her sit on your lap leaning forward. Then place a cupped hand on her back and tap gently. This can physically loosen mucus and allow her to cough up the things that are making it hard to breathe.

    Lozenges

    • To help treat a cough and sore throat, you can give non-medicated lozenges to children over the age of 4. These lozenges help to numb the mechanisms that cause a child to cough and ache with few to no side effects.

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