Cough Meds for 10 Mo Old Baby

The FDA and CDC tell parents NOT to use cough medicines in children under 2 years old.
http://kidshealth.org/research/medicines.html
So I would not use anything OTC.

You can buy Baby Vicks Vaporub (safer than adult version since the adult version has camphor, which can be toxic) to put on her chest. Also, use a humidier with eucalyptus oil (same ingredient in the Baby Vicks Vaporub).

Good luck! We've been using the humidifier in our 7 month old daughter's room for 5 nights now. She has an ear infection, runny nose, and chest congestion....but is still sleeping through the night (thank goodness!).

1 mom found this helpful

Hi M.,
I suggest liquid ALJ by Nature's Sunshine which is fine for babies, no stimulants.(Put the drops in a drink of some kind. Don't taste great but work well.) Cough/Cold pellets by Boiron. Hyland's cell salts, tiny pellets which dissolve in seconds. I purchase the Nature's Sunshine at my local health food store(not GNC). The Boiron or Hylands can be found at a Central Market or Whole Foods and some large HEB's. Some other moms may know another source. I have used these products successfully for over 20 yrs. Hopefully one of these will be helpful to you. If you cannot find these, contact me, I will send some to you. =)
Peace, C.

1 mom found this helpful

I just recently heard about putting vicks on their feet with socks. I tried it with my granddaughter and it worked beautifully.

1 mom found this helpful

Get a cool mist humidifier and call your doctor. She is too young for honey and none of the OTC drugs are safe.

Hi M.. I had asthma as a baby and when i coughed and such, my mother took me into a steamy bathroom (she ran the shower on hot for several minutes before turning it off and sitting in the room with me so i could breathe the moist, warm air).

you may want to contact your pediatrician about this. you shouldn't have to make an appointment unless you feel you need one. you should be able to just call and ask some questions.

here's a link to my pediatrician's site which i find helpful when i'm trying to determine the best course of action for my son's health:

http://treehouse.pediatricweb.com/web159/pedwebarticle1.asp

just click on the symptom and it'll take you to a page full of "what to do", "what to watch for", etc. i hope this helps you!

Vick's vapor rub liberally on the soles of her feet cover with socks is something you should hold off on until she's a bit older. Other than that saline spray/drops. Good luck!

Hello M.,

My little 6 month old girl just got over being sick for almost two months! She was congested forever. Anyway, sometime in the two months she had a bad cough. The doctor said that I could give her a little benadryl at night to help her sleep and not cough as much at night. But I think this is ONLY if your baby is really coughing. If its just a tickle and doesnt get any worse, I think she will get over it eventually. If it gets any worse, ask your doctor about benadryl and how much to give her at night. The dosages are by weight and not age now. Hope this helps.

M.

There are no over the counter meds for infants anymore your best bet is to always call your dr. Most of the time if minor and no other symptoms they will fax or call in a simple scrpt. Tell them you want her to have something to help her if they say they do not normal prescribe

Hi M.,

I would try a humidifier in her room. Her throat may just be a little dry and a humidifier would help with that. If it continues, I would call your pediatrician before giving her any medicines.

hi M., my 13 month old is just getting over a cough which he had for over three weeks. i had called my doctor's office after it had been going on for about a week and a half and was told there is nothing over the counter they would recommend to children under 2 and to let it run its course (the nurse on the phone said they usually last about 2 weeks). it was the same as what you describe - mostly at night, no wheezing, no fever, no runny nose. anyway at week three when the coughing still didn't sound any better i took him in to see the doc who was stumped. she said his chest was totally clear but three weeks was too long for this to continue so she prescribed an antibiotic, which he has been on for almost a week now and the coughing seems to have stopped for the past two days. so, i would just monitor your baby and take her to the doctors if it gets worse or is accompanied by a fever. i am not a fan of going to the doctor's office unless i have to - my child only seems to get sick after a visit with her. good luck.

Lots of fluids and humid air.

I think it's a load of bologna when they say babies don't have allergies. They should meet my sneezing and itchy nosed 8 month old. With that being said, whether it's allergies or the start of a cold I'm with the other moms. Cool mist humidifier and vicks on the feet. Just make sure to put socks on after you apply the vicks.

And if you start getting that feeling in your gut where you're wondering if you should take her to the doctor. Listen to your instincts and go ahead and do it. Also remember that kids get sick and sometimes lots of love is the best medicine.

Good luck!
Jen
http://www.mommysjoy.com

I am not sure if you have had responses yet but I am S. from Houston, Tx. I have 3 children 5,4 and 18 mos. It is not advised to give a 10 month old cough meds. What you can do is give her a warm bath or let her sit at the bottom of the shower while you have it on so she can breathe in the steam. After the bath rub baby vapor rub on her feet and chest then dress her. When you put her to bed put a warm/hot mist vaporizer in her room. If the cough starts sounding deep like it is in her chest you should bring her to the dr so it dosent turn into an infection.

Hi M. -- I see you have a lot of wonderful answers.
I have a 3yr old and a 9month old. (boy and girl respectively).
As soon as they start to cough, I always rub the vicks on their feet and put some socks on and also on their chest. It has always helped them both to sleep through the night. They even have the children's vicks now. I use that, but have also used regular vicks in the past. IT REALLY DOES WORK. The shower/vapor thing is also true. Anytime my kids get a little congested I will put them in the bathroom during bath time, or while I take a shower.
For a quick relief -- I will run the hot water in the sink and just hold my 10 month old over it so she can get some of that steam. Another thing that you can try is chamomile tea. Just boil water and drop some leaves in there. Strain and you can even sweeten with a tiny bit of sugar...my kids always took it without sugar. but some kids will take it better if it has a sweet taste.
GOOD LUCK

This usually means she is having a drip in the back of her throat. It will probably end up being a runny nose in a few days.

I would start giving her saline drops. It will help break up the mucous that might be dripping and hopefully prevent or at least minimize the runny nose I am pretty sure will come.

Honey is NOT to do for a child under a year old! Try the humdifier only, but NOT HONEY!

In the wake of recent warnings against using dangerous medications for cough relief in young children, a study emerged with a simple solution. It appears that a mixture of fresh lemon juice and honey works equally well, without any danger to delicate systems, for soothing the swollen tissues and eliminating coughing symptoms. In addition, it tastes good and has nutritional value! Nature wins again...

Hey M.,
I second the opinions on no OTC meds or honey at this age...too scary and not safe. Everyone in my family has allergies since moving to TX and my pedi tells me the same thing every time. Cool mist humidifier and saline nasal drops (Little Noses is easy to find and safe). I have 2 boys, ages 3 and 1 and this has worked well for both of them. I usually see improvement by the next morning with the humidifier and periodic saline drops. Cheap and effective!
Good luck!
Sherri

I always gave my little ones honey and lemon juice mixed together to foem a syrup. Very soothing.

Hi, I have been told by my doc that they don't recommend anything other than a humidifier for them. Keep the environment a little more humid day and night. They are too little, as I understand it, to use anything. My little daughters have had coughs for as long as a month and my doc said as long as they don't have a fever, there isn't anything to treat. Sorry I don't have anymore advice for you! But, if they don't have any other symptoms, perhaps it it will go away soon! And you can continue to give them their normal amount of milk and/or formula. That does not aggravate anything unless your doctor directs you otherwise. Best wishes!!

Alot of times the cough is caused by nasal drainage. If you can get her dried up, the cough will probably subside as well. Call your doctor and ask what they suggest you give her. (Some kind of antihistimine, benadryl, zyrtec, etc.) I can't remember what meds a 10 month old can have.. My princess is 5 1/2!! =)
Good Luck!

Try rubbing some vicks on her chest and on the bottoms of her feet and then put socks on them. My 7 year old always gets a horrible cough whenever he catches a cold of any kind. I heard about this remedy about a year ago, and it works, better than any medicine and I have tried them all. Good luck..