My 7 month old has had a cold for the last 3 weeks It has gotten better and then returned now seems to have settled in her chest. We are looking for an at home natural remedy to help her. Going to a dr is the last option. advice?


The most common affliction amongst infants and children is the common cold and cough and they suffer from common cold several times a year. This occurs due to a viral infection which affects the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. Infants are more susceptible to such viral infections since their immune system has not yet become strong enough to resist various infections. Since the common cold virus is transferred through the air and contact, infants frequently fall prey to the virus. Very often, a common cold is accompanied by sinusitis and development of congestion when the mucus gets impacted in the sinus tract or builds up in the respiratory tract. This can lead to problems in breathing which compound the other common cold symptoms of exhaustion, fatigue and irritability caused due to the constant sniffing, running nose, sneezing and cough. If the treatment is started early, then infants can be extremely resilient and in most cases a few natural home remedies will suffice.

You can start by keeping your child covered warmly, especially when she goes out into the cold chilly air. While it is important to get a good supply of fresh air and allow your child to breathe in the open air and run around to build up the stamina of the lungs, you should ensure that the chest and throat are adequately covered and warm. In addition to this, you should ensure that your child’s diet has a healthy proportion of fresh fruits and vegetables that supply all the essential nutrients. Vitamin C is crucial for building the body’s immune system so you can try giving your infant orange juice. You should give your child plenty of warm liquids and soups laced with garlic and some pepper that help to clear the mucus built up in the nasal and respiratory tract and also fight the viral infection. Turmeric and jaggery are also beneficial for treating common colds. You can boil some freshly powdered turmeric in milk with some sugar to improve the taste and give this to your child at night. This will ease the breathing and help to clear the respiratory tract and treat the infection. A spoonful of freshly extracted ginger juice with some honey consumed every day helps to treat the infection and clear the mucus that has built up in the respiratory tract. You can also try clearing the infant’s blocked nose by inserting a bulb syringe into the nose and using the suction to pull the mucus out of the nose. However this is a delicate procedure and you should remember not to force too much and too clean the syringe properly after using it to avoid contamination. Apart from this, massaging the child’s chest with warm coconut oil just before bedtime will help your child to sleep better.

answered by G M


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