Beyond Rest and Fluids: Natural Remedies for Kids' Colds

by Heidi Horner with Sarah Winfrey

Veteran parents know the signs: the baby is fussy for no apparent reason, or an older child seems out-of-sorts. Sometime in the middle of the night, the sniffles, sneezes, coughing and fever begin, making everyone miserable.  The common cold generally doesn't warrant medical treatment.  A healthy child will naturally recover in a week or so, although the sniffles may linger, as any parent who has survived cold season can attest. In the absence of more concerning symptoms, all parents can do is make their little one comfortable and wait it out.

Until recently, store shelves were stocked with over-the-counter medicines intended to alleviate cold symptoms. However, in early 2008, after FDA studies found the drugs could be dangerous to babies and toddlers, manufacturers recalled many of them, leaving parents of in search of safe alternatives.  More information is on the FDA website (www.FDA.gov).

"Rest and fluids" is the traditional advice for treating kids' colds. For parents who would like to alleviate their child's discomfort while allowing the immune system to work naturally, thereby strengthening itself, many non-drug options exist.  With the exception of some herbs, most of these remedies can be used in conjunction with over-the-counter pharmaceuticals or prescription drugs if necessary.  When in doubt, check with a doctor or pharmacist. This article offers several simple home remedies that can help make a sick child comfortable and support a speedy recovery. 

Drinking enough water is essential to recovering from a cold, but many other liquids can help.  One time-honored home remedy for a sore throat or cough is to combine the juice of half a lemon and a spoonful of honey in a cup of hot water.  This "tea" contains lots of vitamin C, and the honey is throat-soothing and antiseptic.  According to herbalist and midwife Aviva Jill Romm, author of Naturally Healthy Babies and Children, teas of the following herbs may be helpful as well: catnip, chamomile, lemon balm, thyme, or freshly grated ginger root (p. 272).  Some of these will be readily available in teabag form from a health food store, or parents can steep 1 teaspoon of dried herb (or fresh ginger) in a cup of hot water for 15 minutes.  Strain the tea and serve, perhaps sweetened with honey.

Other herbs popular for treating kids' colds come in liquid form. Katerina Fletcher of Fredericksburg's Natural Mystics Reggae Shop, which carries Herbs for Kids, especially recommends echinacea tincture, or elderberry syrup.  Homeopathic remedies are also popular, and several local stores sell combination or single remedies for children.  Zicam is one homeopathic brand that is widely available in supermarkets and pharmacies, as well.

Chicken soup is an old stand-by, and making a pot from scratch is simple.   There are various theories about how chicken soup eases cold symptoms; no one knows for sure why it helps, but it's certainly hydrating, warming, and nourishing for sick kids and their tired parents.

Nursing babies too young for herbal infusions (honey is also unsafe for babies under 1 year) or chicken broth should continue to breastfeed, since mother's milk offers immunity to any cold the mother has been exposed to, according to La Leche League International's guidebook, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (2004).  Breastfeeding moms often notice that their babies do not get sick with the cold the rest of the family has been fighting, or their symptoms are milder. Bottle-fed babies may require extra fluids when they are sick; parents should check with their pediatrician. 

Congestion and runny noses probably top the list of aggravating cold symptoms.  Thick green nasal mucus sometimes accompanies a bacterial infection, and is worth mentioning to a pediatrician. There is a simple, natural method for clearing stuffy noses.  A baby (or toddler who can still be wrestled down) can have her nose cleared as follows: mix 1/4-teaspoon salt in about 1/2 cup warm water.  Lay baby so her head is slightly lower than her body, and with an eyedropper drip1 to 2 drops of this solution into1 nostril.  Wait a few seconds, and then use a bulb aspirator to gently suction the nostril.  Repeat on the other side.  This treatment should be repeated no more than 3 to 4 times daily, to avoid irritating the nose. Older children may use a saline nasal spray, which can be purchased from any pharmacy.  Neti pots, another form of nasal irrigation, are suitable for older kids.  All of these methods work by thinning nasal mucus to facilitate drainage and clearing of the sinuses. 

Steam inhalation can ease congestion and coughs.  Parents may hold a baby on their lap in a closed bathroom with a hot shower running, creating a steam bath.  They can add a drop or two of eucalyptus essential oil placed on a washcloth on the shower floor to help clear the sinuses. According to Valerie Ann Worwood's Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy,  (p. 176), older children can inhale steam from a bowl of hot water to which a drop each of eucalyptus, tea tree, and lavender oils have been added.   Drape a towel over the child's head and shoulders and the bowl, forming a tent to trap the steam. This oil blend also works well in a diffuser in the child's bedroom. (Always keep essential oils out of children's reach.)

Parents can make massage oil with 5 drops each of lavender and eucalyptus essential oils mixed into 1 ounce grape seed oil, to rub into an older child's back and chest twice daily to ease coughs.  For colds with chills, dilute a drop each of lavender, eucalyptus and tea tree oils in 1/2 cup Epsom salts or 1/4 cup honey or heavy cream. Stir well, then add the mixture to a warm bath. Wrap the child up warmly after soaking for twenty minutes. There are many more ways to use essential oils in treating colds; see Recommended Reading.

Fevers help fight infection, and shouldn't necessarily be suppressed unless they are very high or causing the child discomfort. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen will reduce fevers; however, it's also effective to periodically sponge a sick child's body with cool (not cold) water, possibly with a drop or two of lavender oil added.  Let the air dry his skin, and keep him under a sheet or a light blanket in a well-ventilated room.  A lukewarm bath with lavender oil is also cooling and may promote sleep (see Natural Baby Care by Kim Davies, pp. 134-135).

Natural remedies such as these are generally safe, gentle, and effective alternatives to over-the-counter drugs for treating simple colds.  Parents should always watch for concerning symptoms such as persistent high fever, or any fever in a baby three months or younger, severe sore throat or pain, lethargy, wheezing or loose, rattling cough, or prolonged illness that doesn't seem to be improving. In the presence of these symptoms, or when in doubt, consult with a doctor.  Otherwise, parents can feel good about using natural remedies to help their little ones through cold season.

Heidi Horner, a birth and postpartum doula, lives with her husband and two daughters in Spotsylvania.  She can be contacted through her website: www.motherwitdoula.com.  Sarah Winfrey, DONA-certified birth doula, also lives in Spotsylvania with her husband and two daughters.  She can be contacted at www.birthbeauty.com.

Recommended Reading:

Naturally Healthy Babies and Children by Aviva Jill Romm (2003)
The Complete Guide to Natural Health Care for Children by Karen Sullivan (2002)
Natural Baby Care: Raising Your Child the Way Nature Intended by Kim Davies (2007)
Child Health Guide: Holistic Pediatrics for Parents by Randall Neustaedter, OMD (2005)
Aromatherapy: Soothing Remedies to Restore, Rejuvenate, and Heal by Valerie Gennari Cooksley, R.N. (2002)
The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood (1991)

Where to Shop:

Healthway Natural Foods (540)786-4844: herbs in bulk, capsules, tinctures; homeopathics; essential oils; vitamins; Neti pots
Ukrop's Super Market (540)785-2626: herbs in capsule or syrup form; some homeopathics; vitamins; essential oils; pocket aromatherapy diffusers; Neti pots
Natural Mystics Reggae Shop (540)899-6789: Herbs for Kids brand herbal preparations
Dan's Wellness Pharmacy (540) 657-0006: herb tinctures, capsules, homeopathics, some essential oils
The Natural Path (540)891-6200: herbal preparations; vitamins
Melanie Yost, LCSW, CCA www.annanda.org: Young Living essential oils

Heidi's Chicken Soup Recipe:

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken (breast or leftovers)
2 carrots, scrubbed and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 parsnip, scrubbed and diced (optional)
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 leeks, including about 1/3 of the green part, chopped
3 T. olive oil or butter
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 or 3 sprigs parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 quart chicken stock or broth
2 c. dry egg noodles (more or less as you prefer)
additional water as necessary
salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, heat oil or butter over medium heat.  Add onion, carrots, celery, parsnip, and leeks.  Stir well, cover, reduce heat and cook until vegetables are somewhat tender, stirring occasionally, about 10-15 minutes.  Add chicken, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and stock.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until vegetables are cooked through.  You may adjust the amount of liquid by adding another cup or two of hot water or stock, as desired.  Add egg noodles about 20-30 minutes before serving, and simmer until they are cooked but not mushy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remove parsley sprigs and bay leaf before serving. Serves 4-6.

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