Winter is a cold and flu season and babies may suffer a lot during this time. There are 200 different viruses that may cause cold to the babies. Kids under the age of 2 are at high risk during this season (Source). Although it is a bit scary, proper home remedies can help your kid fight the infection.
Symptoms of common cold and flu:
- Runny nose
- Nasal discharge
- Watering eyes
- Sore throat
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Difficulty sleeping
- Fever
Remedies:
Our baby had several cold attacks in the first year. Every time we went to the doctor, she prescribed over-the-counter medicines. These medicines reduced the cold symptoms fast but weakened the immune system of our baby. As a result, cold used to attack him so often and make him sick.
As cold and flus are viral infections, antibiotics and OTC medicines are not the solution to treat the infections. What you can do is to develop the immunity of your kid. There are some home remedies which can help your baby in fighting the disease. Please have a look at the 14 hacks which we applied to cure cold in our baby boy:
➯ Breastfeeding:
Breastfeed your baby regularly. Breast milk contains antibodies that are passed to babies through your milk. These antibodies help babies fight off cold and recover quickly. Mothers who are breastfeeding should avoid sugar desserts and junk foods. What they eat affects the breast milk. They should eat plenty of fruits and green vegetables.
➯ Honey:
Honey is a natural antibiotic. The antibacterial properties of honey play an effective role in treating coughs in children. You can give 1 teaspoon of honey mixed in warm water before bedtime. But never feed honey to your kid until he or she becomes 1-year-old. The World Health Organization recommends honey to soothe coughing in kids older than one year.
➯ Ginger, black seed, cinnamon, and Indian bay leaf mixed tea:
Antibacterial properties of ginger, black seed, and cinnamon are effective in treating colds of babies. They are more powerful than medicines. You can give 3 tablespoons of mixed tea to your child in the noon daily.
Recipe:
- Pour 1 cup water into a cooking pot.
- Add some ginger, black seed, cinnamon and Indian bay leaf.
- Boil them for 10 minutes.
- Remove the heat
➯ Warm Water:
Feed warm water to your little champ frequently. Warm water reduces the symptoms of cold and gives some comfort to babies.
➯ Vitamin D from sunlight:
The sun is the best source of Vitamin D. We want to mention that 90-95% of vitamin D comes from sunlight. So little babies and kids should be exposed to sunlight 10 minutes per day. Vitamin D from sunlight not only protects babies from cold and flu but also develops their immunity.
According to The Institute of Medicine (IOM), babies need at least 400 IU (international units) of vitamin D per day in the first year of life. Furthermore, kids older than 1 year require at least 600 IU of vitamin D each day. We have a detailed post on the importance of sunlight for babies on our blog.
➯ Pomegranate juice:
Pomegranate is an antioxidant and contains vitamin C. Pomegranate juice reduces inflammation and helps the kids to fight cold and cough.
➯ Orange Juice:
Orange is an excellent source of vitamin C, calcium and potassium. These nutrients are very important in building the immune system of babies. Vitamin C in oranges provides some sort of relief from cold and flu.
➯ Apple puree:
Antioxidants present in apples protect babies from cold and improve lung health. According to this research, children of mothers who consumed apples regularly while they were pregnant were much less likely to suffer from asthma or wheezing by age 5 than those whose mothers rarely ate apples during pregnancy.
You can feed apple puree from the 7th month. We have already shown a recipe for apple puree and its benefits in this blog.
➯ Broccoli, carrot, and tomato:
Broccoli, carrot, and tomato are good sources of vitamin C and they play an effective role in thinning out mucus. At the same time, these vegetables also enhance the immunity of kids.
➯ Chicken soup:
Chicken soup is a great remedy for colds and flu. The anti-inflammatory properties of chicken soup relieve congestion and cough in babies.
➯ Warm bath:
Give your baby a bath with lukewarm water every day. It not only clears nasal passages but also softens mucus. A warm bath also gives babies some comfort.
➯ Mustard oil:
It heals chest congestion and cough of babies. Rub mustard oil (1 tea spoon) on your baby’s chest and it works great.
➯ Cool-mist humidifier:
A cool-mist humidifier adds moisture to the air and gives babies some comfort. It eases chest congestion and cough in babies.
➯ Rest:
Plenty of rest is needed to recover well from cold and flu. Your baby requires 12-14 hours of sleep every day.
These home remedies are more effective than medicines in treating the cough of children and they have no side effects.
