The American Academy of Pediatrics do not recommend giving your child over-the-counter medicine to combat their cough as their body can easily build tolerance to them. However, as a parent, you would want to be able to alleviate the constant coughing of your child, especially when it is already disrupting their sleep. Fortunately, there are natural remedies available that may help soothe your child’s sore and itchy throat in a safe manner. Here are some that you should know of:

Increase fluid intake

It’s not just water that you should be giving your little one when he or she has a cough, because fluids like broth or even warm apple cider, can help thin out the mucus in their throat, making it easier for them to eliminate the phlegm.

Neti pot

Another remedy that can be used to alleviate cough is to cleanse your child’s nasal passage with the help of a neti pot and saline solution. Nasal drops can also be used, but if your child doesn’t know how to blow their nose as of yet, use a nasal suction bulb to remove the thinned-out mucus to help clear their airways.

Gargling

You can also teach your child how to gargle with saline to help reduce the inflammation in their throat. All that you have to do is to add a teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water, mix it, and let your child use it to gargle. This should be done three times in a day to soothe the irritation in their throat and to alleviate their cough.

Use a baby rub

Some parents find that rubbing their child’s chest with a baby rub, helps open their chest up to clear up any congestion happening there. You can make your own rub too by mixing some essential oils with base oils and beeswax pastilles. Just make sure that you do your research on essential oils as some are not allowed for young children.

Honey

This is the most popular remedy for coughs in children because of the anti-microbial properties that it has. This particular function supports the body in fighting off the effects of cold and cough. The sweetness of honey also causes more saliva to be produced which can reduce the mucus in your nasal passages. Just mix a tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm water, add some freshly squeezed lemon juice in it, and let your child drink it throughout the day.