So, I think Ella has a mild cold. Her nose isn't really running and she's acting normal. The only symptom she's having right now is coughing. She's not coughing during the day, just during her naptime and bedtime when she sleeps.
It is to the point where it's keeping her from sleeping soundly. I don't know what to do! Are cough medicines okay to give to a 2 year old?
She literally coughs all night, every few minutes. It has to be keeping her from getting a good night's sleep. It's for sure affecting my sleep (which I know is not all that important) because I will hear her coughing throughout the whole night on the baby monitor.
I want to do something for her, but I don't want to give her medicine that won't do anything. So, is a cough suppressant helpful? I put the humidifier up in her room and it hasn't helped a bit. It's so odd that she's showing no other symptoms except a rather productive cough. And she doesn't cough during the day....just at night. I'm sure it's because she's lying down. I guess she has some stuff in there.
She's still the happiest little girl I know. I just want my baby to get a good night's sleep.
Any ideas? What has worked for you?
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Two things, one that can be a sign of early asthma.
OR, and I know this is gonna sound crazy but it worked for my 4 year old, and I don't know why. I only tried it out of desperation bc the cough suppressant wasn't working, and she was constantly coughing to the point of vomiting and couldn't eat. Rub, and I mean slather, Vicks (or something similar) on the bottom of her feet and put socks on. Whether it worked because it relaxed her with a sort of foot massage, or if it was the Vicks, or if it was even just placebo effect because I told her it would help her coughing - I don't care because it stopped her coughing all night. Try it.
If you're concerned, see a doctor.
Honey is supposed to be good for coughs, and probably better/safer than cough medicines I'd imagine. Also, I've heard what @sarahsmurfette@xanga suggested before, I've never tried it but I know a lot of people who swear by it!
My son started doing that at 11 months old. He ended up doing it for months and turns out he had asthma. Most of the time he had no other symptoms but the cough. The winter time is the worst for him. We do a lot of breathing treatments and it really helps.
My daughter just recovered from a nasty chest cold/sinus infection that had her coughing so hard she would throw up mucus. My doctor said that there aren't any cough suppressants that they recommend before the age of 4, but they suggested something called Honey, Don't Cough. It's some sort of natural honey buckwheat stuff that comes in a little packet, kind of like a mustard packet. Trying to get my two-year-old to swallow that stuff was sheer torture, but it really helped at night. The nurse I talked too also suggested the Vicks Vapor Rub on the bottom of the feet with socks. The pharmacy was sold out of the Infant/Toddler rub, but I found some all natural imitation rub that actually said right on the instructions to rub it on her chest and feet, so apparently the feet thing isn't crazy after all! Between the chest/foot rub and the nasty honey stuff, it really helped my kiddo sleep better. Not great, but much better than before! Happier toddler, happier mom!
I don't have kids, but I know from past personal experience that vicks vapor rub on the feet with socks is great. I would also recommend a vaporizer. Not sure if you know what they are (I figure you probably do) but its like a humidifier that you add a special liquid to (smells like vicks, sold near the vaporizers) that will possibly help her to stop coughing.
Best of luck to mom and baby!!!
I find that when my daughter is coughing during the night, a humidifier or vaporizer really helps. Heck, it helps me!
this is the list of what we do with our little guy.
1. elevate the head of the bed. Either by using those blocks you can buy at Toys R Us or something similar. I usually roll up a comforter and put it under his mattress.
2 skip the cough syrup, it doesn't help anyway. And here in Canada we can't give it to a child under the age of 8.
3. Warm mist humidifier. I find they work much better the cool mist because the warmth soothes a sore throat. If you can get one where you can put Vicks on the top, buy Eucalyptus oil instead.
4. Vicks never worked for us with little monkey.. but then he has sensitive skin and gets a rash from it. Worked for for me when I was little though.
5. Get a new anti-allergen pillow and thoroughly dust the child's room ESPECIALLY under the bed, and vacuum the mattress. Wash anything that could be collecting dust. If you can take all the stuffed friends and put them in one of those vacuum bags that you can suck all the air out of, they are great because they will suck out all the dust and mites as well. Stuffies are awful when it comes to causing coughs from dust.
6. When it comes to honey, make sure it is the raw unpasteurized non-blended (so only 1 kind of honey) organic honey.. the stuff you can't give to a child under 2.
and 7, keep a water bottle beside or in bed. Put half a teaspoon of A & H Baking soda in room temp water. It works wonders in the middle of the night.
Hope your little one starts feeling better soon!
HONEY!!!!!
I've been using honey as a cough suppressant for years and it works better than any OTC stuff you can buy. We make my little guy a cup of hot tea (it's lukewarm when he gets it!) and put a teaspoon of honey in it. If you can get your child to just eat a tsp of honey, that works best but we do what we can since he isn't a big fan of honey...
Honey is nature's antiboiotic! You can put that *hit on everything. ;)
@LadyGwenivere@xanga - Thank you so much for such a thoughtful answer
You should definitely talk to your doctor before giving cough meds to toddlers. In addition, honey supposedly helps with coughs. My 3-year-old is coughing a lot lately (she had croup last week, and now it seems to just be a regular cold), and I have been giving her honey before bed and in the morning (if she's still coughing). It seems to help.
never give babies under two honey...check with your doctor...babies cannot digest it yet and are often allergic to it until they grow a bit...
You'll have to take her to a doctor... she's too small to take over-the-counter medicines.
Is there a humidifier in her room?
usually if a child is unwell, you can tell by their change in behaviour from what is their norm.
I remember some study a few years ago had shown that cough medicines did not provide any clinical benefit for children under the age of 6. So it may be redundant to take any cough medicines.
sometimes, coughing at night may be a symptom of asthma?
The best ways to prevent croup cough to happen in children is to make sure that their hands are washed properly and that they avoid contact with people who have respiratory infections.
There is what my mom has taught me:
Crush two tablets of Aspirin to powder them and mix with a tsp of grease: lard, butter, lanolin, coconut oil. Apply only to the bottom of the feet of the baby/child and put on socks. Perhaps if you decide to use Vicks instead, it would be better if first you apply any kind of grease to the bottom of the feet to prevent skin irritation. This has a warming effect and if the child has a fever should not be used. In NO way should Aspirin be administered to a child orally.
Crush mustard seeds to powder and mix with butter to make a paste, apply to the chest and the back avoiding the backbone.
For cough also you can give a half a teaspoon of olive oil. It will burn on the throat, but also soothe it. Do not give liquids or food afterwards for some time for the effect to take place.
my son is 11 has asthma been haven it from 1 till now well he's been coughing every night nostop..i have done everthing i can think of..please help me.i cant stand to see my baby like this,i know he's 11 but he's still my baby please help
@kukuruku - Try this
http://www.homeveda.com/lungs/natural-ayurvedic-home-remedies-for-asthma.html