Home Remedy Suitable for Babies of Ages 1 and Above
7. Honey Combinations
An important note – avoid honey for babies younger than a year. Honey cannot be given to children below the age of one as it is harmful to them. They do not have the digestive capacity to dissolve certain particles of raw honey. However, once they are above 12 months old, they develop enough digestion capacity to have honey. Honey is an excellent remedy to fight off germs that spread colds and cough. It can be combined with pepper, dry ginger, and lemon juice for excellent results against common cold and cough.
- Honey and pepper: Add a pinch of powdered pepper to a spoon of honey and feed the baby at regular intervals. This is good for both cold and cough.
- Honey and dry ginger: A generous pinch of dry ginger powder with a tablespoon of honey is a great remedy for a cough.
- Lemon and honey: Squeeze some lemon juice into a glass of water and add some honey to it. This is a tasty remedy and kids wouldn’t really say no to this homemade medicine! It also relieves both a cough and cold.
Feed your baby a teaspoon of these solutions every morning, noon, and evening. They can even be fed to the child more than thrice a day. You will notice that your baby’s cough and cold clear out soon.
8. Turmeric Milk
Everyone has heard of the term ‘haldi doodh’. Turmeric milk is a must for a dry cough. Give the baby a glass of milk with a pinch of turmeric at night. You can even add jaggery for sweetness. More so, milk and turmeric make for a healthy and nutritious combination.
9. Khichdi and Soups
Khichdi and warm soup make for excellent supplement food for children. It is calming, comforting, and relieves all kinds of cold and cough.
10. Juice of Citrus Fruits
Give the baby regular sips of juice containing Vitamin C, such as lemon, orange or amla. Vitamin C fights germs that spread colds. However, avoid this if your child suffers from a sore throat.
11. ‘Chukku Coffee’ or Dry Ginger Coffee
No, there is no coffee involved with this home remedy for common cold and cough; not for babies, anyway! This is a traditional drink that has its origins in Kerala and has several anti-cold and anti-cough elements. Here is the recipe for a ‘chukku’ kaapi or dry ginger kaapi.
- Dry ginger (chukku) – 1-inch piece
- Tulsi leaves – 6 to 7 (torn)
- Peppercorn – Few
- Jaggery – 1 tablespoon (or more, if you prefer a sweet drink)
- Water – 1 cup
Coarsely crush together dry ginger and peppercorns. Boil water with jaggery and add dry ginger and peppercorns followed by the torn tulsi leaves. Let it boil and switch it off. Filter the mixture and feed the baby the lukewarm chukku kaapi.
12. Gargling
Make your baby who has a common cold and cough gargle plain warm water or saltwater twice or thrice a day to provide him relief from a sore throat and cough. Regularly doing this will provide quick results.
The following are remedies for kids across different age group
