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9 Safe Alternatives for Treating Children's Cold Symptoms
Your child is congested and miserable, but headlines are reporting unsafe cold and flu medicines. Use these simple, doctor-approved remedies to ease your baby or toddler's symptoms.
Young children's developing immune systems require special care, and major drug makers have recently reconsidered what is deemed safe for these little bodies. In response to concerns over medicine misuse and accidental overdose, multiple OTC cold and flu relief products for babies and toddlers have been pulled off the market—read one recall, here—and medical organizations are recommending against giving any cough or cold medicines to children under age 6.
But with treatment options now limited, what's a parent to do when the inevitable case of runny nose, chest congestion, and hacking cough strikes? Three pediatricians—Dr. Henry Bernstein, MD, Chief of General Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth in Hanover, New Hampshire; Dr. Kelly Miller, MD, a practicing pediatrician from Newark, New Jersey; and Dr. James Sears, MD, pediatrician and co-author of The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood—offer the following safe and effective methods to relieve your child's cough and cold symptoms, without depending on powerful medicines.
Note: These are general recommendations for treating common cold symptoms and are not intended to substitute for advice from your child's own pediatrician.
Bulb Syringe
Treats: Stuffy, runny noses
Why use a bulb syringe? Most parents find that holding a tissue to Baby's congested nose just sets off an impromptu game of peek-a-boo. Most children are not developmentally capable of blowing their noses until around age two, so until your baby responds when you say, "Blow!", you'll need to find alternative remedies to treat nasal congestion. For very young babies, an infant-size nasal bulb syringe works well to relieve a stuffy, runny nose.
How to use it: First, cradle your baby in a semi-upright position, making sure his head is well-supported. Squeeze the bulb and gently place the rubber tip into one nostril. Slowly release the bulb—the suction produced will draw the clogged mucus out of his nose. Because an older baby might bat the syringe away or jerk his or her head, experts agree that this method usually works best in infants younger than 6 months.
Keep in mind: "Use the bulb syringe only when your baby's nose is so clogged that he or she is having trouble sucking to drink or is having difficulty falling asleep," advises Dr. Miller. "Basically you are blowing the baby's nose when you use a bulb syringe, and you could do it all day long and end up with a cranky baby who has a really sore nose." To avoid irritation, Dr. Miller recommends squeezing a few drops of saline into your baby's nose before inserting the bulb syringe.
Related Links
- Article: Winter Baby Basics
- Advice: Allergies and Babies
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- Quiz: How Healthy Is Your Household?
- Poll: How often does your child get sick?
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