How to recognize and manage your baby's cough at home

Coughing is one of our bodies' most important defenses against respiratory illnesses like the flu and pneumonia. It helps clear mucus in the airways and can prevent an infection from moving deeper into the airway and lungs.

Still, notes Colleen Kraft, MD, pediatrician at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, it can be distressing to hear your little one cough. 

"Often, an infant or child's cough sounds worse than it is," she reassures families, "But different types of coughing can also provide valuable clues about your child's illness."

When to be worried about your baby's cough

• It's within the first few weeks of life
• It's paired with a fever lasting over five days
• Coughing worsens by the third week
• Coughing interferes with your child's eating or drinking
• Cough lasts for eight weeks or more
• It makes breathing labored or difficult
• It's paired with night sweats, weight loss, or coughing up blood
• Coughing sounds like a wet or dry hacking without wheezing or fast breathing

If your child's cough persists for more than 10 days without improving, see your doctor. Your little one could have acid reflux, allergies, asthma, or even enlarged adenoids, which inhibit breathing. Older kids could have sinusitis (a bacterial infection caused by a cold).

Watching for whooping cough or RSV

In the winter, if your baby is experiencing a severe cough, it could be a dangerous viral infection called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Whooping cough-which sounds different in babies-is also a possibility. These are all reasons to seek medical advice immediately from your child's physician.

Home remedies for coughing

• Keep your child's nose as clear as possible: Congestion and postnasal drip will worsen the cough, especially during sleep.
• Prioritize hydration: Offer more frequent fluids like breastmilk or formula (infants), water (6 months and older), juice (1 year and older), or uncaffeinated herbal tea (2 years and older).
  • If they refuse to drink, children 6 months and older can have a homemade popsicle.
• Run a cool-mist humidifier: This helps moisten airways, which can reduce coughing from postnasal drip.
• Clear nasal passages with a bulb aspirator: This helps young children who cannot blow their noses, especially before breastfeeding or bottle feeding.
• Relieve congestion with saline nasal drops: An over-the-counter saltwater solution can help moisten dry nasal passages. 
• Give a spoonful of honey (1 year and up): This can help thin mucus and loosen a cough.
• Put menthol rub on the chest (2 years and up): These cooling, medicated rubs provide soothing cough relief. (Always read directions and store safely.)
• Give medicine as a last resort: If your child has a fever and they're very uncomfortable or have trouble sleeping, you may give them acetaminophen (Tylenol), or if they're over 6 months, ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil).

What to avoid: 

• Do not give honey to babies younger than 1 year old. Babies under 1 are at risk for an infection called infant botulism. 
• Do not give cough or cold medicine to children under 6 years old, unless advised by your pediatrician.

Try some of these home solutions early on. If your child's cough doesn't improve or they start to show more concerning symptoms, reach out to your pediatrician.