Home Remedies for Runny Nose, Congestion, Cough-Cold in Babies and infants
Are you worried that your baby’s runny
nose, common cold, congested chest and sneezing? Runny nose, cold can be quite
troubling for your baby, especially at young age, as it might cause watery and
red eyes, fever or headache. It is always better to follow appropriate home
remedies as soon as you see the early signs of cough and common cold.
Following remedies are natural, safe and
effective for babies younger and older than 6 months. But some of ingredients
like sugar, honey, jaggery are prohibited for kids below 1 year old, so please
read given notes carefully.
Remedies for below 6 months old
Babies & Infants
1. Coconut oil with camphor oil
Slightly warm one or half teaspoon of
coconut oil and 1-2 drops of camphor oil. Apply this mixture over baby’s entire
body every night.
This application will give fast relief to your baby in runny nose.
This application will give fast relief to your baby in runny nose.
Note: test this
mixture by applying little amount on small skin area of baby before applying it
over entire body.
2. Mustard oil with garlic, asafoetida
1.
Crush one garlic clove and heat it with half teaspoon of celery seed or carom
seeds/ajwain powder, 2-3 pinches of asafoetida and 1-2 tablespoon of mustard
oil.
2.
Then add 2 drops of camphor oil to this mixture.
3.
Apply this slightly warm mixture and massage your baby’s body twice a
day for fast relief.
3. Steam
Inhaling steam helps clear out the mucus
that causes the sneezing and runny nose. It also helps your baby sleep better.
For babies younger than 8 months, turn
your bathroom into a steam room, simply shut the door and turn the shower on
full hot. Sit with your baby into the bathroom for 10-15 minutes. Repeat this
2-3 times a day.
4. Ajwain hot compress
1.
Roast 2-3 tablespoon of carom seeds/ ajwain and wrap them in clean thin cotton
cloth.
2.
Apply this warm cloth (hot compress) lightly on the baby’s chest and
back several times a day for clearing out the cough and cold.
Note: Roast the seeds
again, when it become normal.
5. Flaxseed hot compress
Take 1 tablespoon of flaxseeds and 2
tablespoon of celery seed or carom seeds/ajwain and roast them on pan. Wrap
them in cotton cloth. Press this warm compress in on the chest and back of the
baby.
Above chest warming therapies and
massages are very helpful relieving baby’s congested chest due to cough and
cold.
Remedies for Babies older than
6 months
Caution: Don’t use
jaggery for babies younger than one year, use fresh breast milk for them.
1. Nutmeg powder
Mix pinch of nutmeg powder with 1-2 tablespoon
of fresh breast milk and give your baby once or twice a week. (You can give
second dose after 6 hours of first dose)
2. Mint, basil, ginger mix
1.
Take 2 mint leaves, 2 basil (tulsi) leaves, pinch of black pepper, and
half teaspoon of grated or mashed ginger.
2.
Boil all these ingredients in 2 cups of water on slow flame.
3.
Allow the mixture to boil
until it reduced half. Let the mixture come
to normal temperature and then strain it.
4.
Give your baby 1 tablespoon of this liquid after every four hours.
Note: Only 3
tablespoon a day is enough. You can add 1 teaspoon of fresh breast milk to
every dose.
3. Dates with carom seeds and
turmeric
Boil 1-2 dates, 1 tablespoon of carom seeds/ajwain/celery
seeds and pinch of turmeric powder in cup of breast milk or normal milk for 5
minutes on low flame. Strain and cool it down. Give it to your baby to reduce a
runny nose and associated symptoms in baby.
