Help with Babies Cough

Updated on October 15, 2008
J.T. asks from Elmhurst, IL
20 answers

My daughter is 9 months old and has had a cold for about a week and now she has a really bad cough. I've got the humidifier going and put a blanket under her matress to lift her head up. No fever or anything yet and I can't give her anything. Does anyone know of anything else to help.

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So What Happened?

Ladies, thank you for all the wonderful messages. I totally forgot about the Vick's on the feet and have always used it on my older two. You would think after three kids I could treat a simple cold!! I am also going to steam up the bath for her, it seems to be a pretty loose cough and when she sneezes-lots of wonderful snot bubbles, so at least it is coming out and not staying in. Again thanks again for all the support!

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S.H.

answers from Chicago on

When my older one was sick someone recommended putting vicks on the bottom of his feet and then socks while he was sleeping. I don't remember how old he was when we did this though! The vicks still gets asorbed but they can't get at it as if it were on thier chest. Good luck, I hope she feels better!

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V.G.

answers from Chicago on

I used to use a home remedy. On olive oil put little camphor. Heat it a notch and apply on her chest and back. Just like Vicks. Works like charm, I have never used cough medicine, she is 3 years and we still use the same to get through the cold.

If you have patience and you follow this 2- 3 times a week, cough is bare minimu.

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M.J.

answers from Chicago on

Hi J.,
I don't want to alarm you or self diagnose your child but I was just diagnosed with Whooping Cough. I live in Lake Bluff and it seems to be going around here. You can go to www.centerfordiseasecontrol.org to look at the symptoms. The Whooping Cough starts out with cold like symptoms and a little cough and progressively develops in bouts of serious coughs where I throw up and can't catch my breath. Sometimes the cough is dry and sometimes I am coughing up a lot of mucus. If your child's symptoms get any worse I would definitely call the doctor. Currently my husband, 2 year old, and 5 month old are on antibiotics because Whooping Cough is highly contagious.

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R.K.

answers from Chicago on

I agree with Stacey. I also rub Baby vicks on my daughters feet and put socks on. It really does help!
Good Luck!

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P.A.

answers from Chicago on

Try a few drops of eucalyptis oil in the humidifier. It's a natural decongestant. If your humidifier instructions prohibits such additives try taking a vapor bath with her on your lap so you can literally vibrate her chest as the steam loosens the phlem.

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S.B.

answers from Rockford on

Okay call down. Go into the bathroom with the shower, on hot, going, it will be steamy in there and that should open up her lungs. Then call the doctor. If she has had a cough for more than 7 days and seems to be getting worse, just call they might suggest you give her infant tylonal cold. Good luck!

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G.

answers from Chicago on

Believe it or not, vicks on the feet with socks works. I can't explain it but it works for my daughter.

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A.B.

answers from Chicago on

J.,

Let her sleep in her car seat,(infant carrier) and even put her in it in her crib when she sleeps. My pediatrician told me to do this when my son was a baby and it REALLY helped.

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K.F.

answers from Chicago on

Our dr told us to bring her into the bathroom with us when either I or my husband was taking a shower. The steam is good for them and may help loosen up some of the stuff causing the cough. Another thing to consider is maybe it's fall allergies. Our daughter is 9 mos too and she has a cough in the mornings. Dr. said not to worry.

Good luck!

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L.M.

answers from Chicago on

Vapor, they have vapor bath, vapor rub, vapor plug ins ect. My 5 month old is on her third cold and it helped so much with her nose and her cough.

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R.C.

answers from Peoria on

my daughter was like this for the past 2-3 weeks. The vick's vapor plug in helped. I put it in her room for 3 nights and she was almost completely cleared up.

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R.J.

answers from Chicago on

If she is congested, you could try Vicks for babies. I believe you can use that as early as 6 months. good Luck!

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L.G.

answers from Chicago on

I put those sudafed shower soothers in a scalding hot shower to steam up the bathroom and would sit with my daughter in there when I was nursing. Then I would use some of the saline nose drops and a bulb syringe to get out the ickies (still in the steamy bathroom). It seemed to clear her out really well and she would sleep pretty soundly. I always put her in a warm pair of fleece pajamas when we were on our way out. If there was a chill in the apartment I would put a little hat on her too.

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N.A.

answers from Chicago on

Dear J., I am a big fan of Vicks vapor rub. When my kids have a bad cough I put a little vicks on there chest and then put a towel or cloth diaper on over that. Just put a little on because she is only 9 months old right before she goes to bed or takes her nap. I think it works great. I know my mom did that to us when we were little and it worked. Just make sure you don't take her out after that. My mother always said that your pores are all open when you put the vicks on. Give your daughter a bath the next day to wash it off. Hopefully that will help.

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A.G.

answers from Chicago on

Awwhh...poor thing. Ask her doctor if they will let you use vicks BABY rub...seperate formula from the regular, and if you can use the vicks fan plug ins. Also ask about rubbing it on the souls of her feet too. Both my kids hadd pneumonia last year (YUCK) and were coughing so hard they were throwing up (double yuck). My daughter had just turned one when this happened and that is wht they recommended for me to do for both of them, as well as letting the bathroom fill with steam several times a day and just sit in there with them for 5 to ten minutes, drinking lots of fluids, particularily gatorade, not only for hydration, but I guess surprise of all surprises to me, the corn syrup in the gatorade is really good for thinning secretion (maybe pedia lyte since she is only nine months?) Also, a warm compress on the chest several times a day to help loosen the phlegm. The vicks worked like a charm for them, used it mostly at night so the poor kids could get some sleep. Hope this helps, and hope your daughter feels well soon.

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L.S.

answers from Chicago on

I did a bit of Vicks Vapo Rub. It will get better! I never gave my daughter any over the counter meds. because I feared the worst! I was left with not much but Vicks and my Humidifier. Thankfully, she wasn't sick often.
Good Luck!

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R.S.

answers from Champaign on

Hi. When my baby is coughing like that I do what all these ladies do...sit in the steamy bathroom with him. One thing I would also suggest is flushing out his sinuses with a product like Baby Ayr or Baby Simply Saline, as the post-nasal drip might be causing him to cough more. I really like the Baby Simply Saline. There are no preservatives in the product, and there's a little stopper in the applicator tip so you can't push it too high into a squirming baby's nose. I used the when my son was a baby. Now he's two and when he has a hard time with congestion, he actually asks me to squirt his nose.

Good luck!

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J.J.

answers from Springfield on

Hi J.,

My father-in-law and nephew live by putting Vicks rub on the bottom of your feet and also cover them with socks when you go to bed. They say the cough will be gone the next morning. I've never tried this myself yet but they sure say it does work. I was told not to put Vicks on babies chest ( I guess because of the strong aroma ) but to put it in a humidifier. Maybe on the feet with socks will be ok and maybe that will work.
Good luck,
J. J.

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M.B.

answers from Chicago on

I like to do what I call "steam the baby". We run the shower in the bathroom, get it all steamy and sit in there for about 5-10 minutes. We do that 2 - 3x a day. I also use saline drops in her nose to keep things moist and help clean up the gunk. We use Ocean. Just gently tilt her head back and drop one/two drops in each nostril. Our daughter's most recent cold (she's had two in 11 months) lasted about 10 days with a cough but it did clear up on its own with a little TLC from us.

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M.M.

answers from Chicago on

Have you consulted the dr? Is it a congested type of cough or something else? My 9 month old had had a barky cough for 72 hours, a clear runny nose, no fever, eating, sleeping fine. I called the nurse to ask about it--I have 5 but never experienced a cough like this...she asked me to bring the baby in to be seen. My daughter was diagnosed with croup--something my mattress propping would not help, yet the humidifier will. She just has to get through it, yet did need to be checked to ensure she is breathing comfortably.

Good luck

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