Toddler Colds

Milk only causes mucus if the child has a milk allergy...

Humidifiers and sleep are the best.
My daughter likes chicken noodle soup so I give her that.

Sometimes, if the cough is really bad I give her a smaller dose then recommended of Infant Tylenol... it seems to help ease it and helps her get the rest she needs.

Lots of water!

Hope that helps

I know it is frustrating. There is nothing you can give her. Limit milk products (causes more mucus). Try a cool mist humidifier and raise her head with an extra pillow or a blanket under the matress if you don't use pillows. Good luck.

Hi D. -

For years now I have run a vaporizer at night, prop up the head of the bed and rub Vick's Vapor Rub on the bottoms of the feet then cover with socks. Works like a charm and is safe for little one's. Putting it on their feet you don't have to worry about them putting their hands in it then in their mouths.

Good luck - S.

Yes there is. At my pediatricians office they have a hand out about Buckwheat honey (it's a very dark honey) working better than any cough medicine on the market at treating coughs. And no side effects!!! They did studies on this and it is true. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdFlu/story?id=3947988&amp... I tried it myself and it does work. So you need to have this buckwheat honey on hand for your children. Also I would rub some vicks mentholatum on the bottom of her feet and put socks on, when she goes to bed. I noticed the other ladies on here can't figure out how this works. It works the same way reflexology works. All your organs have nerve endings that run to the bottom of the feet, your feet absorb this and it just works!! Just like when they have you soak your feet to detox. It works for us!! Run the warm mist vaporizer with some of the vapor steam in it and you and your little one will have a sound sleep without the use of harmful chemicals in your little girls small, growing body!!!!! It works!!!
P.S. Honey is not recommended for babies under the age of 12 months! After 12 months it is fine!!!!
Another link http://www.ethicalshopping.com/food/packaged-products/buc...

When my daughter was 20 months and had a bad cough, especially at night, the nurse at her doctor's office said to give her 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of honey and warm apple juice. Plus she said to us a humidifier.

I've used an all-natural cough medicine with my daughter since she was about a year and a half old. It's honey-based so as long as your child doesn't have any allergies to honey, it should be fine. I can't remember the brand-name but I get it at Whole Foods. It works quite well in controlling the cough, especially to help them fall asleep.

You can try:

take her in a very warm shower with you and let the water run on her back (steam and water breaks up the mucus in her chest)

a teaspoon of honey (coats the throat)

maybe cough drop if she will suck on one?

Hi D., My name is M.. I am a nurse for a very busy pediatric office. We also don't recommend any of the over the counter meds due to the risks. Try giving your daughter warm apple juice, warm tea, warm Pedialyte or warm chicken noodle soup broth. The warm fluids will soothe her throat and help cut any drainage she may have making it difficult for her to breathe. Idf her nose is runny, use the nasal aspirator frquently to keep her naose clear or use nasal saline drops ( home receipe is 1/2 teaspoon table salt to 1 cup of tap water, keep covered) Use an eye dropper to instill 2-3 drops in each nostril every 2 hours if needed. When the kids noses are really snotty I will wash them out really good with this solution 2-3 drops repeated 5 to 10 times. The kids don't like it but they sure can breathe well afterwards. Try a cool or warm mist vaporizer in her room. Colds are a virus and usually take 7-14 days to runs it's course. Good luck.

Honey is a good cough suppressant.

Vicks makes a vapo-rub for babies which is helpful. I found it in the pharmacy section of Wal-Mart. Also I like the plug-ins for outlets, they're called Sudacare nighttime vapor plug-ins. And Johnson & Johnson makes a baby bath for little ones with colds called "soothing vapor bath". It comes in a mint green colored bottle and works very well. Hope this all helps!

Call your peditrician. When my daughter was 22 months mine told me to go ahead and give her some Triaminic, but my daughter is the size of a 3 1/2 year old. He was also very specific on the dosage and time between doses, he said to only give it to her 2 times a day where the package says every 4 hours. You can also try some warm (not hot) decaffinated tea, and a cool mist vaporizer in her room. Good Luck!

FYI it is 18 months for honey. Before that it can give them bochulism (sp?)

Hi D.,

Vaporizer at night with some drops of eucalyptus oil in it. Works great!

Also, there are some homeopathics you can use. Find a health food store, look for a product called 'Umcka'. It's a homeopathic cold medicine.

There is also a product called Sambuca which helps not only to boost the immune system, but you can double up the dosage during a cold or something.

Neither taste bad.

If you use VICKS, don't use homeopathics within an hour. The menthol will inactivate the homeopathics. Also, I would opt for the baby vicks. It has few chemicals in it and is basically eucalyptus and mint.

oh... pepermint tea is great as well. Helps open up the sinuses.

Saline drops and then use an aspirator to clear out the junk in the nose. Do that often to help keep her clear. I know they hate it, but it really does help. I try to make a game of it with my daughter. We've been through many stuffy noses because every time she cuts a tooth, she gets a runny nose!

I hope your little one feels better soon!

I never understood about the vicks on the feet thing... Your skin on your feet is thicker and doesn't absord as much since you are standing on them all day. They get a pretty hard work out. :-) We always smear the vicks on the chest. Even a little smear on the top of the nose works. (You want them to be able to BREATHE it in) So put a shirt on her that has the buttons on the front and smear her chest up (The shirt will stick to the vicks) Open the top one or 2 buttons and let her go.... :-)
I would call your pediatrician and ask THEM to figure out a doseage of meds for her weight...
Is it a cough like a dry cough? Or is she bringing stuff up with it? Is it worse when she lays down?
It could be a post nasal drip...

Honey lemon works AWESOME for just the regular coughs and sore throats.

Hope she's feeling better soon...

Hi D.! I am sorry you are having to deal with a sick daughter. I have been fighting my daughters sickness for 2 weeks now, so I know your frustration. I haven't read others responses yet, so bear with me if I am repeating others. One natural alternative is to give a tsp or so of honey to help coat the throat to calm the coughing. You can also mix a little lemon juice in with it as well. Before giving, heat in microwave for a few seconds to warm and thin it out a bit. If you haven't got a humidifier in her room, that is also effective in stopping he coughing. Keep in running while she sleeps and that has worked wonders for me. Prop her mattress up with pillows underneath to keep her on an angle to stop mucus from pooling in the back of her throat. Also, try giving an additional supplement of Vitamin C (100mg, 3 X a day). You can buy chewable Vitamin C at any healthfood store. This will help her immune system.

I just took my daughter into the pediatrician last week and he said there is absolutely nothing over the counter that is safe or effective for children. The only over the counter he said was effective was Zicam and that of course is not recommended for children. I had even gone to the health food store desperate for any relief. I bought some homepathic cough medicine, and took that in when we had our appointment. My daughters pediatrician said that most of those are ineffective as well and would potentially make things worse by keeping her up more at night. I hope some of his advice will help you. Good luck! Remember, spring is around the corner & cold and flu season is almost over. Yeah!

Hello D.,

Here are some things I've tried.
1. Elevate the head of her bed.
2. Turn on the hot water in the shower to cause a steam in the bathroom and go in with her and let her breath in the moist air. I also run hot water in the sink and put some of the vapor bath in it and let her breath in the vapors along wiht the steam. This is easier when they are tired because tying to keep her in the bathroom can be challenging.

These things did help some with my daughter I hope it helps you and your daughter.

L.

Delsyn I believe for 2 and under is a 1/2 tsp. Chech the back. my pediatrician has me give that to my kids for cough.

Buckwheat Honey. Its suppose to be safe over 1 yr old

Hi,I'm not sure if this will help you but when your little one is miserable then so are you and anything is worth a try. I read once that for a cough to rub vicks vaper rub on their FEET! Yes, their feet but I swear to you this worked for my 3 yr. old. Something about preasure points in the feet all being connected......I don't know the science of it but I know it worked for me! Good Luck! Tis the season for sick kids!

D.,

If your daughter is coughing in the morning when she gets up try a cup of warm tea (chamomile or peppermint) with a dollop of honey in it to sooth her throat. The warm tea will help to loose the congestion that built up over the night and clear it out fairly quickly and easily.

I hope your daughter starts feeling better soon.

-C..

D.,

You could try running a humidifier in her room, that may give her some relief.

Honey and humidifiers are great...I've even resorted to Vicks on the bottom of my son's feet and then thick socks, although Im not really sure how that is supposed to work. It didn't by the way. The problems with OTC cold meds is that moms were guessing the dose and giving two or more meds with the same ingredients, thus giving multiple (dangerous) doses of certain meds. I use triaminic for my kids (4 and 2) and it works very well. I asked my doc for proper doses. Some kids don't respond to triaminic but will respond to another brand. Just make sure you are giving ONLY one med at a time and check your ingredients carefully. It also depends on weight, not age. Smaller kids will take a smaller dose, as it has everything to do with metabolizing the drug and nothing to do with chronological age.

ask your dr.. but my dr said my toddler could have benadryl liquid for a cough.

sudafed is also ok by my dr.

you just have to find out the dose..

A humidifier works better than any cold medicine out there. Make sure it's a cold air humidifier and keep it runnning constantly so the air is super moist. Good luck.

B.

Honey, Honey, Honey! And that's not my reference to you!
My mother, who is a mother to 11 children & is now 82 years old, always swore that honey was the best. I thought it was an old wives tale until one, I heard it directly from a doctor's mouth, and two, I tried it! I had my girls to the clinic just before the holidays & the doctor said to me "Honey is every bit as good as any cough medicine - and much safer!". I now give them a teaspoon every couple of hours, but especially at bedtime. Also, I mix it with hot water (so it dissolves easier), wait for it to cool down to warm, then let them drink it - they love their "honey drinks"! Honey isn't always recommended to children under 2, but my doctor okay'd it & your child is almost 2, anyway.
Also, at bedtime, I use Vicks Vapour Rub, mixed with Vaseline on their chests and back & pure on the bottoms of their feet (don't ask, but it works) - I then put socks on them. Don't ever use it under their nose, tho...Good luck - sure hope she's feeling better!

I've used almost a lot of Hylands homeopathic remedies. I haven't used the cough syrup but if they make it I bet it's good stuff.
http://www.hylands.com/products/coughsyrup.php
A. H

Check the age limits on the Vicks vapor rub (generics are cheaper and made of the same ingredients), but I have used it at night on my 6 year old son for the past couple of years who always gets a nagging (and annoying) cough when he gets a cold. I put it on his chest and his feet and get good results. You might have to reapply before morning. I also try to get him to prop up his head on two pillows to try to prevent the post-nasal drip problem. This rarely works but might help at least to get your daughter to sleep.

Please stay away from OTC cough medicines even if you see here that "some" doctors approve some. "Some" doctors are wrong.

I have also used a product called "Cold Pops" which I found in the drug store. They are basically suckers made out of a very mild cough drop. Better for littler kids who might swallow the cough drop or not tolerate honey/lemon and they, of course, like the idea that it is candy.

The problem with over the counter medicines is that they usually give dosages based on age and not weight. It is very important to measure according the weight. For example: If a cough medicine says "Children 5 to 8 yrs of age - 2 tsp., you know to only give your 2 year old 1 teaspoon or less." My ped. taught me this. She says to cut in 1/2 the recommended dose for younger children. Good luck and I hope all is well soon. :)