All You Need To Know About Your Child's Cough and Home Remedies To Use

It must be the extra-dry weather we’ve been having in Singapore over the last few months. My kids have been sick with coughs and colds for what feels like forever. It’s awful seeing them sick, especially my two-year-old who, with his limited communication, cannot express his discomfort to me properly. It would help a mum out to know cough remedies for kids.

Coughing in Kids

For me as a mum, the worst part of dealing with a cold is the dry or wet cough that more often than not accompanies it and continues way after the runny nose, sneezing and fever are over.

A kid’s cough — whether dry or phlegmy — can be terribly irritating for a child. A dry cough is usually at its worst at night and will keep your child (and you) up until the wee hours of the morning.

A wet or phlegmy cough can be as bad, maybe worse, because of the risk of it turning into bronchitis if the phlegm isn’t expelled.

Why Does My Child Keep Coughing at Night

It is bad enough to see your child feel discomfort when coughing, but it gets worse when it affects their sleep. You might have asked, why does my child keep coughing at night?

This is because the mucus from your child’s nose and sinuses runs down their throats. This is called post-nasal drip. This triggers coughing because they are in a horizontal position for sleep.

There is plenty of over-the-counter cough remedy for kids — but many of these are a nasty concoction of chemicals that you would rather not have in your child’s system.

Should You Avoid Over-The-Counter Medicine for Your Kid’s Cough

Medical experts say that cold and cough medicines for kids don’t really help and may pose a risk (although small) of side effects, especially to young children. In relation to cough medicines, experts recommend avoiding:

• Cough suppressants that contain the chemical dextromethorphan or DM; and
• Cough expectorants that contain guaifenesin.

While you might not be familiar with the names of these drugs, you can check the label on the box of cough syrup for kids. You’ll see that these are the active ingredients in many brands of cough medicines for kids commonly available in pharmacies.

But there is a problem with these medicines as cough remedies for kids. It is that the effects are usually only studied in adults and then applied to children, even though adults and kids may not react to these medicines in the same way.

What’s the danger of using these medicines as cough remedies for kids?

• You could accidentally give a child a dose that’s too high.
• Parents could use two different brands at the same time, not realising they contain the same ingredients.
• Parents could measure the wrong dose by mistake if they get up in the middle of the night to soothe a coughing child.

Medical experts strongly discourage parents from giving kids under 4 years old over-the-counter cough syrup for kids because of the various risks they pose. These medicines neither cure the cough nor lessen its duration.

Also, the danger with cough suppressants is that these may prevent your child’s body from expelling phlegm, which could then accumulate and turn into bronchitis or pneumonia.

You can use gentler home remedies for child cough to help soothe your kid’s discomfort. Find out what these are below.

Home Remedies For Child’s Cough

Nasty chemicals are really unnecessary as cough remedies for kids. All you need are a few inexpensive, easily available ingredients to bring about relief.

Here are some child cough remedy items that are easily available in your home. 

• Honey

Delicious honey can actually be more effective than over-the-counter cough syrup for kids when it comes to reducing the frequency and severity of nighttime coughing in kids, according to research. 

Honey is full of natural antimicrobial agents and antioxidants, which can help the body fight off cold germs. Honey also stimulates salivation (because it is sweet), which can help thin excessive mucus and/or soothe a dry throat and cough.

Experts recommend:

• A half-teaspoon of honey for children aged 2 to 5.
• 1 teaspoon for children aged 6 to 11.
• 2 teaspoons for those 12 and older.

Never give honey to babies younger than 1 because of the risk of infant botulism, a potentially life-threatening disease.

• Vapor Rub

It’s not just an old wives’ tale — it really works! Rub a thick layer of Baby or regular Vicks on the soles of your child’s feet and cover them with socks. It works a treat in especially stopping those dry, nighttime coughs that keep kids and parents up all night!

• Steam

If you don’t have a steam vaporiser, there’s always the old child cough remedy of going into your bathroom and turning on the hot water to produce steam. The steam will help ease coughing fits.

If you do have a steam vaporiser, keep it on at night to add moisture and humidity into the air, which will help loosen your kid’s congestion. Add some menthol or camphor essential oil to the vaporiser for even better results.

• Chicken soup

Your own mother was right to give you plenty of chicken soup or broth as a cough remedy for kids.

Chicken soup actually has anti-inflammatory properties that, according to medical experts, slow down the movement of immune system cells that contribute to the body’s inflammatory response. It also speeds up the movement of mucus, which can help relieve congestion.

• Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

While it’s best to take your child to a qualified TCM practitioner to get a proper and accurate assessment, there are still a few things you can do that are based on TCM to help your child’s cough.

Congee or chicken soup that includes certain herbs (again, please consult with your TCM practitioner to find out what these are) can help with easing a cough.

Pear tea can also help a dry cough: just cut up 1 pear (ideally a snow pear) and simmer the pieces for about 15 minutes. Then, let your child drink the “tea.” It’s simple, delicious and effective!

These at-home cough remedies for kids will come in handy not just for your child’s relief, but for your peace of mind as well. 

What To Do When Your Child Is Coughing and Wheezing

If your child makes a wheezing sound when breathing out or coughing, it may be because of swollen lower airways in the lungs. This may occur when your child has asthma, or a viral infection called bronchiolitis. 

Wheezing can also occur if the lower airways are blocked by a foreign object. If your child coughs after inhaling or ingesting something, you need to see a doctor. 

When Should You Take Your Child to a Doctor

You should take your child to a doctor if:

• He has a cough and breathing difficulty
• He has high fever along with the cough
• You think your child may be choking on something (head straight to the emergency room if this is the case)
• The cough persists for longer than 4 weeks or
• He has severe coughing followed by a “whoop” sound as this could indicate whooping cough and needs immediate medical attention.

How To Stop A Constant Cough In Child

They say an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. So how to stop a constant cough in a child? Boost their immune system and ensure they are in the pink of health. 

Here are some practices you can adopt to help strengthen your child’s immune system and avoid coughs and colds:

• Teach them to drink lots of fluids. Make drinking water a habit. Let them choose their water bottle to make it more enjoyable.
• Have fruits and vegetables part of their diet to load them up with vitamins and minerals. 
• Use a humidifier especially if the air in your home is dry. Having moist air will prevent the nose and airways from drying out. 
• Make sure to practice social distancing and observe safety measures when going out, especially in crowded places. Teach your child to wear their mask properly, and wash their hands often. 

Updates from Romy Pena Cruz