Non-drug treatments for coughs include drinking plenty of fluids, especially warm drinks to soothe the throat. Ways to Treat Colds in Infants and ChildrenĬoughs are a normal symptom of a cold and help the body clear the mucus out of the airway and protect the lungs. If you are concerned about COVID-19, talk to your child’s health care provider. These days, cold and cough symptoms can be especially worrisome, because they could be symptoms of COVID-19, the flu, or other potentially serious illness. For those reasons, it’s important to know when your child needs medication, which treatments are recommended, and when to do without medicine. In addition, some cough and cold medicines can have serious side effects, such as slowed breathing, which can be life-threatening, especially in infants and young children. But most children will get better on their own, and cough or cold medicine will not change the natural course of a cold or make it go away faster. It’s understandable that you might want to give your child medicine to treat a cold. Although most colds in children don’t cause serious complications, they can cause stress and worry in parents and caregivers.
