If your toddler is suffering from a cold or the flu, you don't have to run to the doctor for prescription medication. Preschoolers may get colds as often as six to ten times a year, according to the Mayo Clinic. If it's OK with your child's doctor, you can treat your toddler's cold symptoms with over-the-counter treatments and home remedies. A cough, which may linger longer than other cold and flu symptoms, can become worse at night, so try home remedies before bedtime.
Step 1
Place a humidifier in your child's room and run it overnight. A humidifier releases water vapor in the air, which can help loosen the chest and clear congestion. The Mayo Clinic recommends cleaning the humidifier thoroughly once every few days, to avoid sending harmful bacteria into the air along with the water vapor.
Step 2
Provide a variety of drinks your child enjoys. Liquids like juice and water are effective expectorants, says Robert C. Beckerman, M.D., professor of pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine. When your child has a productive cough, she is losing liquid throughout the day. Give diluted 100-percent fruit juices and, if your toddler will drink it, herbal tea.
Step 3
Prepare a mixture of hot water, lemon and honey for your coughing toddler. Boil hot water, then add about 1 teaspoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and mix thoroughly. When the mixture is warm--not hot--instruct your child to sip it slowly.
Step 4
Turn the heat down. Although you do not want your child's room to be freezing, turn the thermostat down a few degrees before putting your toddler to bed. Heat aggravates a cough because it can dry out the room.
Step 5
Drip saline nasal drops in your child's nose. Saline nasal drops, available over-the-counter at the drugstore, contain only salt water. Carefully squeeze a few drops into your child's nostrils to help loosen congestion, which can also help reduce coughing.
Tips and Warnings
- Hydrate your toddler with clear chicken or vegetable broth.
- Do not give honey to children under 1; at that age it can cause infant botulism, a type of food poisoning.
Things You'll Need
- Humidifier
- Apple juice
- Orange juice
- Herbal tea
- Lemon
- Honey
- Saline nasal drops
