When your little ones are not feeling good it adds a great deal of stress to anyone’s day. Having a cold is a normal part of human life, even for babies; fortunately, there are plenty of home remedies for baby cold that will always work. Here are 5 that are safe and effective for a child of five years and under.
Please note that though these remedies are effective for treating symptoms, they are not all-inclusive cures. In many severe cases, it is still best to consult a healthcare professional for advice and treatment over using home remedies.
* Chicken Soup- Make chicken soup from a whole chicken with the bone in the broth.
- Add in vegetables like carrots, beets, and spinach to give it a little more nutritional kick.
- If your baby isn’t eating solid food, he or she can still take advantage of the nutrients by drinking the broth.
- Feed this to your baby a couple of times a day for a few days.
* Ginger
- Boil 6 cups of water and add in ½ cup of thinly sliced ginger and a couple of cinnamon sticks.
- Turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Allow the tea to cool and strain out the ginger and cinnamon.
- Add honey, (Do NOT use honey if your child is under 1 year) sugar or maple syrup to sweeten.
- Give this to your child to drink several times daily.
- You can dilute the solution with water if it is a little too strong.
* Apple Cider Vinegar- Make a mixture of 1 part raw, unfiltered ACV to 2 parts of cool water.
- Soak 2 clean washcloths in the solution, wring out the excess liquid.
- Place one washcloth on the forehead and the other on the stomach.
- Leave them in place for 10 minutes before resoaking each of the clothes and replacing it.
- Toddlers can soak in warm bathwater with ½ cup of raw, unfiltered ACV added in for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Repeat this whenever necessary to reduce fever.
* Carom Seeds- Place ½ tsp of carom seeds in a cup of water and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Strain out the seeds and allow the tea to cool.
- Serve it to your baby several times a day to help relieve cold symptoms.
- Another way to use carom seeds is to dry roast 2 peeled and chopped garlic cloves along with 1 Tbsp of carom seeds.
- Place the mixture in a clean muslin cloth, seal it with a rubber band and hang it in your baby’s crib or cradle while he or she sleeps.
* Breast Milk- Clean out your baby’s nasal passages with a nasal aspirator and hold your baby upright in order to encourage nursing.
- You may need to switch positions several times to encourage nursing when your baby is sick.