Most babies experience a common cold several times during their first two years. A cough generally accompanies a cold and often goes away within two weeks. Antibiotics do not cure illnesses that are caused by viral infections. Avoid giving over-the-counter cold or cough medicines to children under 2, because they have been known to cause serious side effects, warns the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Contact your baby's health care provide if she has trouble breathing, coughs up blood or runs a fever over 103 degrees.
Step 1
Encourage your baby to drink her regular amount of fluids. Giving your baby additional fluids is not necessary. Fluids prevent dehydration, moisten your baby's throat and ease her cough. Continue to breastfeed or bottle-feed your baby on her regular schedule. According to "The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Children," your baby may find it difficult to breastfeed or bottle-feed to due to congestion. Use gentle remedies to clear up congestion to make it easier for your baby to feed.
Step 2
Use saline drops or solution. According to Dr. Renee Jenkins, M.D., FAAP, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, saline solutions help dissolve and thin congestion in your baby's nose. Purchase saline drops or solutions at a pharmacy or drugstore. Apply a few drops of saline solution to a cotton swab and lightly swab the inside of each of your baby's nostrils. After waiting a few minutes, use a suction bulb to remove mucus from your baby's nose. Saline solutions are gentle enough to be used several a times a day, as needed. Avoid nose drops that contain medication.
Step 3
Place a cool-mist vaporizer or humidifier in your baby's room to thin mucus, making it easier for your baby to breathe at night. Turn on the humidifier 30 minutes before your baby's bedtime, to begin moisturizing the room. Thoroughly clean the humidifier daily to avoid bacteria or mold growth. HealthyChildren.org recommends avoiding hot-water vaporizers, which can cause severe burns.
Step 4
Run a hot shower with the bathroom door closed, creating a steam treatment for your baby. Sit with your baby in the steam for 15 to 20 minutes. Steam loosens nasal and chest congestion, helping to relieve your baby's cough symptoms. Once the steam shower loosens congestion, use a suction bulb to remove excess mucus from your baby's nasal passages.
Step 5
Make sure your baby gets plenty of rest. While coughing and congestion may make it difficult for your baby to sleep, she needs rest to help her body heal. Use a suction bulb to clear congestion before nap time or bedtime to help her sleep easier.
