Those sleepless and restless nights, when your baby has cold n cough. You rush to a pharmacy to give them some medicine but nothing is really working out. So you probably need to stay up whole night and try to comfort the baby.
Here are a few home remedies you should try before rushing to visit a doctor. These remedies are safe to use since they are made with herbs and natural ingredients. It would really help your baby and you too.
Babies are too flimsy to give them any kind of medication. Their immunity system is developing with mom's milk. Your milk is 'Sanjivani' to your baby. The best medicine for them is your breast milk for any soreness or cough or cold. 'Cause it is full of antibodies which improve your baby's immunity system and gives strength to fight with germs, viruses or bacteria.
Nothing can beat mom's milk. Try to breastfeed your baby until they are at least 1/1.5 years old. Avoid giving outside milk unless your baby's pediatrician suggests you to do so.
A hot glass of milk with turmeric is the best homemade remedy for having a cough. It is not only for kids, but it's also even good for adults too. If your baby has a sore throat and he keeps coughing, give him/her 2-3 spoons of milk with a pinch of turmeric. You can add a pinch of powdered rock salt in the milk with turmeric. It's completely okay if you want to give them more. It is completely safe.
Honey or Madhu or Shahad is again a good source of antibiotics. It has glucose and monosaccharide which has vitamins and minerals to protect our body against bacteria and viruses.
Mostly American pediatricians say no for giving honey to an infant. But As I have read about honey in Ayurveda book and some informatory blogs, they say it's completely safe for infants too. Don't forget to give your baby honey when they have a cough.
Take one teaspoon of honey plus Half a teaspoon of ginger juice. Mix them well. Give this mixture to your kid twice a day but make sure that you give this mixture once in the night just before bedtime. It is great medicine for a sore throat.
It is one more yet important mixture with honey. If you can find Tulsi(Indian Basil), mince it with ginger and take the juice out of it. Mix this juice with honey and give it to your child.
Garlic and Ajwain have anti-viral and antibiotic properties. You can give this combination in any form. For instance, Either you make a thin paste and make your baby lick your fingertip dipped in this paste or roast both things together and make a potli or like a teabag. First, make your baby smell this potli for few times and then keep it on their chest. It would help in reducing congestion and opens nostrils.
Oil massage with lukewarm mustard oil would get your baby calm down. Light hand massage with mustard oil is soothing and calming therapy. Your baby would love it and go to sound sleep in no time. In addition, you can add some minced garlic cloves to the oil during warming it up. Massage with this infused oil on kid's whole body but mainly on the chest, palm and downside of their feet.
Saffron's medicinal value in Ayurved is very rich. Take a few strands of Kesar or Saffron and few drops of water to make a thin paste out of it. Put this paste on the baby's forehead. It helps in cold and cough too because of its heat.
Pediatricians usually prescribe saline drops for Infants. It helps to clear out nostrils and prevents nose from getting crusty. Before applying it, clean your baby's nose with wet wipes and keep his/her head a little tilted back so that drops wouldn't flow out.
Kids who can sit and inhale infusing vapors, make them sit in front of steaming hot water pot, add eucalyptus oil or Nilgiri oil, put a towel around them(the pot should be inside the towel) and ask them to inhale the vapor or steam. If kids are too small to take steam you can use humidifier or steamer but don't forget to add either of these oils. Or you can take you, baby, inside the bathroom when you are taking a bath with hot water. Steam or vapors in the bathroom can help in softening and clearing your baby's stuffed nose.
The 'Kada' is the soup of Adrak(ginger), tulsi(Indian Basil), Dal Chini(cinnamon sticks), Ajwain(carom seeds), Kali Mirch(Black Pepper), long(cloves) Gud or Jaggery( brown sugar), Tez Patta(bay leaves).
Put everything in a pan and add 2 glasses of water. Boil it, till it comes down to half a glass. Let it cool down to lukewarm, give one-one spoon of this soup to your kid twice in a day. It helps in cough, cold and fever too.
Anything warm to drink will help your child. If you have an Infant, you can give them warm vegetable stock with a pinch of black pepper and salt to taste otherwise you can give your kid crunchy vegetable soup with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add lemongrass, celery, and Carrots in your soup for sure.
I would call it my mom's ancestral recipe, which was handed down by my grandmother to my mom. This soup is really good for everyone. Serve it hot to an adult. And feed this soup to your kid warm or lukewarm as your kid can have it. You can increase the level of spiciness with additional crushed/powdered black pepper.
It clears out the throat or nasal congestion and keeps your body warm with ease.
Here are a few home remedies you should try before rushing to visit a doctor. These remedies are safe to use since they are made with herbs and natural ingredients. It would really help your baby and you too.
Breast milk
Nothing can beat mom's milk. Try to breastfeed your baby until they are at least 1/1.5 years old. Avoid giving outside milk unless your baby's pediatrician suggests you to do so.
Turmeric and rock salt with Milk
A hot glass of milk with turmeric is the best homemade remedy for having a cough. It is not only for kids, but it's also even good for adults too. If your baby has a sore throat and he keeps coughing, give him/her 2-3 spoons of milk with a pinch of turmeric. You can add a pinch of powdered rock salt in the milk with turmeric. It's completely okay if you want to give them more. It is completely safe.
Honey
Honey or Madhu or Shahad is again a good source of antibiotics. It has glucose and monosaccharide which has vitamins and minerals to protect our body against bacteria and viruses.
Mostly American pediatricians say no for giving honey to an infant. But As I have read about honey in Ayurveda book and some informatory blogs, they say it's completely safe for infants too. Don't forget to give your baby honey when they have a cough.
Honey with Ginger Juice
Take one teaspoon of honey plus Half a teaspoon of ginger juice. Mix them well. Give this mixture to your kid twice a day but make sure that you give this mixture once in the night just before bedtime. It is great medicine for a sore throat.
Honey with Tulsi and ginger juice
It is one more yet important mixture with honey. If you can find Tulsi(Indian Basil), mince it with ginger and take the juice out of it. Mix this juice with honey and give it to your child.
Honey with Black Pepper
It is again an effective homemade remedy as with ginger juice. Take 1tsp Honey and 2-3 powdered/crushed black pepper. Mix them well. Give this mixture to your baby. For best results give it to them 2 times a day, especially just before they go to bed.
In these remedies, honey is the key ingredient. You can give honey with multiple ingredients to create a variety of flavors. Remember honey and home medicines are completely safe for infants/kids.
Ajwain(Carom seeds) and Garlic:
Garlic and Ajwain have anti-viral and antibiotic properties. You can give this combination in any form. For instance, Either you make a thin paste and make your baby lick your fingertip dipped in this paste or roast both things together and make a potli or like a teabag. First, make your baby smell this potli for few times and then keep it on their chest. It would help in reducing congestion and opens nostrils.
Oil Massage
Oil massage with lukewarm mustard oil would get your baby calm down. Light hand massage with mustard oil is soothing and calming therapy. Your baby would love it and go to sound sleep in no time. In addition, you can add some minced garlic cloves to the oil during warming it up. Massage with this infused oil on kid's whole body but mainly on the chest, palm and downside of their feet.
Saffron paste
Saffron's medicinal value in Ayurved is very rich. Take a few strands of Kesar or Saffron and few drops of water to make a thin paste out of it. Put this paste on the baby's forehead. It helps in cold and cough too because of its heat.
Saline drops
Pediatricians usually prescribe saline drops for Infants. It helps to clear out nostrils and prevents nose from getting crusty. Before applying it, clean your baby's nose with wet wipes and keep his/her head a little tilted back so that drops wouldn't flow out.
Infusing vapors
Kids who can sit and inhale infusing vapors, make them sit in front of steaming hot water pot, add eucalyptus oil or Nilgiri oil, put a towel around them(the pot should be inside the towel) and ask them to inhale the vapor or steam. If kids are too small to take steam you can use humidifier or steamer but don't forget to add either of these oils. Or you can take you, baby, inside the bathroom when you are taking a bath with hot water. Steam or vapors in the bathroom can help in softening and clearing your baby's stuffed nose.
Kada
The 'Kada' is the soup of Adrak(ginger), tulsi(Indian Basil), Dal Chini(cinnamon sticks), Ajwain(carom seeds), Kali Mirch(Black Pepper), long(cloves) Gud or Jaggery( brown sugar), Tez Patta(bay leaves).
Put everything in a pan and add 2 glasses of water. Boil it, till it comes down to half a glass. Let it cool down to lukewarm, give one-one spoon of this soup to your kid twice in a day. It helps in cough, cold and fever too.
Vegetable stock soup with lemongrass and black pepper
Anything warm to drink will help your child. If you have an Infant, you can give them warm vegetable stock with a pinch of black pepper and salt to taste otherwise you can give your kid crunchy vegetable soup with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Add lemongrass, celery, and Carrots in your soup for sure.
Jaggery soup with Black Pepper
I would call it my mom's ancestral recipe, which was handed down by my grandmother to my mom. This soup is really good for everyone. Serve it hot to an adult. And feed this soup to your kid warm or lukewarm as your kid can have it. You can increase the level of spiciness with additional crushed/powdered black pepper.
It clears out the throat or nasal congestion and keeps your body warm with ease.
Recipe of the Jaggery soup
- Take a spoon of ghee(pure desi ghee) in a heavy bottom pan
- Add 2 spoons of whole wheat flour to it and stir it till it gets golden brown.
- Now add jaggery mixed 2 glasses of water(sweetness as per taste) to the pan.
- Add black pepper powder (according to taste)
- Stir it till it thickens as soup.
Use the remedies according to kids' age- for instance, if your kid is an infant, neither you can give them ginger tea nor treat them with infusing water vapors. You need to go for a humidifier adding few drops of eucalyptus oil or Nilgiri oil.
Summary
Basically, there is no fixed recipe to prepare any home remedy. Since all ingredients are from nature and everything goes with the other.
Don't take your child to a doctor immediately because once your kid catches an infection, it will remain at least 2-3 days. Try home remedies first before giving them any medicine.
In the end, develop the habit of staying clean in your kid. Tell them to wash their faces, hands, and feet after playing or after coming from school. Keep your house clean and tidy. Use floor and carpet cleaner to keep your home germs free.
Eat healthy and fresh food. Add vegetables and pulses in your regular diet. Use turmeric and garlic in your daily cooking.
These are very simple steps to keep your family away from any kind of infection.
'Stay clean, Stay healthy'
Summary
Basically, there is no fixed recipe to prepare any home remedy. Since all ingredients are from nature and everything goes with the other.
Don't take your child to a doctor immediately because once your kid catches an infection, it will remain at least 2-3 days. Try home remedies first before giving them any medicine.
In the end, develop the habit of staying clean in your kid. Tell them to wash their faces, hands, and feet after playing or after coming from school. Keep your house clean and tidy. Use floor and carpet cleaner to keep your home germs free.
Eat healthy and fresh food. Add vegetables and pulses in your regular diet. Use turmeric and garlic in your daily cooking.
These are very simple steps to keep your family away from any kind of infection.
'Stay clean, Stay healthy'
