Almost 2 Yr Old with Cough and Congestion

Hey J.,

My daughter just started getting a cough & being an herbalist I always go for the home made remedies, and a cough medicine is really easy. You can boil a cup or two of water, add some Thyme (awesome for congestion) and if you can pick up some Hyssop at a health food store, you can add about 1 tablespoon of each of these herbs, let it steep for at least 20-30 minutes, then add some honey, that'll also help coat the throat. Bottle it up & store it in the fridge. Feel free to e-mail if you have any questions!

E-mail: ____@____.com

Hi J.,

Take your baby to the doctor, so they can let you know what is going on. A persistent cough can develop into many things. Have her checked out by her doctor.

All the best.

J.,

When my daughter has a cold i give her the recommended dosage for infant tylonol cold and cough and she is fine, no rushed to the hospital because shes overdosed or because the medicine is killing her. Give her some cold medicine and see how shes handling it. Just follow the directions carefully and I dont think you will have a problem. Also try the vicks vapor rub plug ins. You plug it into your outlet and the heat gives off vapors and fills the room while she sleeps and helps clear up the congestion. I used it for when my daughter was really congested and couldint breath and it worked really well. It the one with the nightlite. See how it goes and let us know how it went!

I asked my pediatrician about this. One doctor said it was fine to use OTC cold remedies for my 2.5 year old and gave him a perscription decongestant. Another doctor in the same practice said not to use decongestants (phynelephrine) for him. Both doctors are mothers of young children. Given the medical opinions I got are are an even split I decided to just give him decongestant if he really needs it like at night or naptime. I do give him other OTC medicines such as cough medicine, Mucinex, antihistimines (okayed by both doctors) if needed. If you get the same kind of conflicting info as I did than you will have to decide for yourself. I have given these medications to my son before with no problems. Also, my son is large for his age (38 lb.s at 2.5 years) so it is much less likely he will get too big a dose of anything using the usual dosing instructions. All I would tell you is read the dosing information carefully (dosing by weight probably more acurate than just age alone) and make sure you are keeping close track of what you are giving your child (I usually keep track myself even if my husband actually gives him a dose of something).

Hope your daughter is feeling better soon.

hi J.;

i think you hit the nail on the head that OTCs should be used w caution for APPROPRIATE dosing. my son 3+, has suffered from congestion all his life esp. from too much dairy, and he used to get a lot of runny noses from dragging his pacifier around. i have always given him the right dose of OTC meds, cut way back on the diary, and made sure he was hydraetd, with good results. i wouldn't try to take him off dairy because he loves it, but i also am of the belief that kids will get colds and throat sickies all thier lives, it's just what happens, so i think it's best to use OTCs as you need them and not in excess, and don't worry about it.

my daughter, 20 mos, also gets wicked colds every time she teethes, which lately seems to be every day, and i do the same w her. we always use the Tylenol products because the grape flavor seems to go down wout too much hassle.

make double shure the baby stays hydrated as decongestants work in part by drying out the system, and also losing all that mucus will dry them out; so offer extra water all day. also try to make sure you get her OUTSIDE to play; even tho you may think you should keep a sick child in, getting them out will help thier metabolism and will clear them up ; also lots of exercise makes a kid sleep better, and better sleep helps them get well faster.

good luck!
j

Hi J.,
Has your baby ever been tested for allergies I know I have severe allergies my cough could get irritating at times but its from my post nasal drip. I will pray for healing in her body and strength for you. God bless.
M.

My son is 21 months old now. Last March when he was 14 months old, he had his 6th ear infection. The ENT that I brought him to said to give him Dimetapp at night before bed (when I see his nose running or he begins to get a cold) to help with the conjestion at night. He also said to raise one end of his crib by putting a pillow under the matress so that he was sleeping on an angle. This year, I can't raise the matress because he can flip out of his crib with the pillow there, but I saw these plastic things that you put under the legs of the crib to raise one end. I will definitely be purchasing those. Hope this helps and I hope Sophie feels better.

Hi J.-
You should definitely ask your pediatrician before giving your daughter honey. I believe a child is not supposed to have honey until after 2 years old.
You should try using a vaporizer at bedtime (just make sure to keep it out of reach) another thing to try is saline spray. It's all natural so it does not contain any of those ingredients you mentioned. I feel the same way you do. My son actually snores from a clogged nose from allergies, but I don't want to give him anything either. I think I may put some Vicks drops into the vaporizer (after I do lots of research) and see if that helps.

Hi J. B,

My son had a bad cold for a long time last winter. It's looking the same for this winter. I started him on a nepulizer and its help him greatly. You should ask your doctor about it. Its cheaper to buy through your insurance. Good Luck! :)

Hi J.,
Sorry to hear about your Sophie. Here is what I recommend.
You might check in your local health food store for childrens cough medication without alcohol. Second you need to ged rid of all your toxic "stuff" at home, like Lysol, Formula 409, Pine-Sol, Tilex, Tide etc.
I am with a Wellness Company that makes children's cough syrup without alcohol, and nontoxic environmental products.
If you want more info email me at: ____@____.com

All the best
C.