Since most cold remedies on the market are strictly intended only for children ages 4+, I bought a bunch of things today at the drug store and it got me wondering what other parents do when a toddler under 2 (or for that matter, under 4) gets a cold and/or a cough. We've used in the past few months (for 2 chest colds w/bronchial coughs -- no fevers):
Vicks Vapor Rub (Baby) on chest and feet... some say it doesn't work, others swear by it... whatcha think?
Vaporizer/nightlight version
Cold mist humidifier (though we use it almost every nite anyway)
Hyland's teething tablets...We use them OFTEN for teething, and swear by them. Anyone use belladonna specifically for colds? Hadn't really thought of it until doing more research on homeopathic remedies today. (Belladonna is often known for teething benefits, but it also inhibits mucus production and helps w/sore throats.)
Honey (in milk bottles)
Just read reviews on Chestal (by Boiron) and decided to give our son (18mo) a half dose tonight. Although it's recommended for kids over 2, I've also read some pediatricians approve of it, and our son weighs 30 pounds, so we felt comfortable giving it to him. I figured one half dose tonight is worth a shot. (Directions call for one full dose every 2 hours, which we're not going to do.)
Chest PT -- my mom is a Physical Therapist and recommended chest PT this week. Our son didn't mind it yesterday, but didn't really love playing the "cough cough" game (I thought I'd make it more fun!?) today, so we only did it for a few minutes. Not too sure on it's effectiveness since we probably didn't do it long enough (it's where you cup your hand and clap their backs/fronts/sides). It loosens phlegm in the lungs.
Baths/Vapor baths...We're not completely sold on whether vapor bath products are total gimmicks, but we've tried them. Any bath seems to clear our son's nose anyway!
... FYI when our son's coughs have had occasional wheezing, our pediatrician has monitored him and told us to use nebulizer, which we also do.
We also bought Similasan Kids Cough Relief syrup but haven't used it yet. There seems to be so many products out there... I was trying to buy some recommended ones...
ANYTHING ELSE? WHAT ELSE DO YOU MOMS DO?
Tags: cold, colds, cough, homeopathic, medicines, remedies, remedy, toddler
This is hard. For my 3 yr old son we use good old honey. We try and get local honey (I read it is good for allergies as well). He will take a spoon full or hot water with honey (and sometimes lemon) in it.
But my daughter is only 16 months, which rules out giving her honey. We do the humidifires anyway with both of them. I haven't found anything for her.
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