How to Relieve a Child's Cough
Coughing is a frequent and usually harmless symptom of childhood illness, but seeing your child suffer from a cough is distressing. It is important to avoid giving over-the-counter cough medicines to children, especially very young ones, without the guidance of a doctor. Still, you can take certain measures to speed the healing process and help to comfort your little one.
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Instructions
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Administer honey in the following dosages: 1/2 tsp. for a child between the ages of 2 and 5, 1 tsp. for a child between the ages of 6 and 11, and 2 tsps. for a child of at least 12 years of age.
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Avoid bringing your child into environments that include irritants such as smoke. Prohibit smoking in your home.
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Close the bathroom door and turn on the shower. Use only hot water so the room fills with steam. Stay in the room with the child for approximately 20 minutes.
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Offer the child cold beverages such as water and juice to increase hydration and alleviate the throat irritation that can result from heavy coughing. Choose drinksfree of carbonation or citric acid as these ingredients might aggravate the problem.
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Humidify the air in the child's room using a vaporizer.
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Tips & Warnings
Take the child to the emergency room if he cannot breathe properly or if you observe bloody phlegm.
Never give honey to a child under the age of 1 year due to the risk of a condition known as infant botulism.
Do not let children under 3 have cough drops because they pose a choking hazard.
See a doctor if the child's cough interferes with sleeping or persists for over 10 days.
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