What Are the Treatments for Stuffy Nose & Cough in Infants?

Any illness in an infant makes you nervous

Parents never want to see their infants suffer in any way. That's why they often overreact to mild ailments such as a persistent cough or stuffy nose. Both of these conditions aren't uncommon in infants, and the American Academy of Pediatrics states that stuffy noses and coughs usually disappear on their own. But there are some steps parents can take to ease their infants' discomfort when they're coughing or stuffy.

Avoid Over-the-Counter Medications

Avoid cough medications for infants

Pediatricians recommend that parents stay away from over-the-counter cough or cold medications for children under the age of four. It's better to treat coughs or stuffy noses with more natural remedies, says the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Assess the Seriousness

A fever in infants requires a doctor's visit

In the majority of cases, a cough or stuffy nose is caused by a virus that merely needs to run its course, something that might take as long as two weeks. But there are certain signs that an infant needs to see a doctor: For a cough, if infants are having difficulty breathing, make a whooping noise after their cough or have a blue or dusky color to their lips or face they should see a doctor. In the case of a stuffy nose, parents should make an appointment if their child's nasal mucus turns thick and dark green or if they are having trouble breathing. If any infant under three months has any fever, the baby should immediately see a doctor.

Treating a Cough

A humidifier can help ease a baby's cough

If an infant's cough has a bark-like sound to it, parents can run the hot water in their shower, close the bathroom door and sit in the steamy room with their infants for about 20 minutes. Parents can also run a cool-mist humidifier in their child's room.

Treating a Stuffy Nose

A nasal aspirator can clear out a stuffy nose

Parents can run a cool-mist dehumidifier in their infant's room to make a baby with a stuffy nose more comfortable. They can also use an infant nasal aspirator -- a rubber bulb -- to clean mucus out of their baby's nostrils. Finally, normal saline solution nose drops -- not medicated -- can help clear out mucus, too.

Fever is a Warning Sign

Don't ignore a fever in your infant

There is one instance in which every parent should take their infants to the doctor immediately: if they are three months old or younger and contract any type of fever. A fever in such a young baby can be extremely dangerous, and always calls for medical attention.

References

• American Academy of Pediatrics
• Fisher-Price Experts
• Academic Pediatric Association