Remedies for Infant Congestion

Try putting a humidifier in her room. If you are in a desert, the dry air won't help her get over it. We have one always (we live in Las Vegas, NV). Also, my friend used to put this eucalyptus/Menthol rub in the humidifier together with Lavender Exctract. Her sister used to find it at a health store and that always helped. She did it in my girls' humidifier and it helped a lot. Good Luck and I hope she gets better soon. Congestion is always the last thing to go when you have a cold, and like I said, maybe the dry air is just not helping. Big Hugs! L.

R.,
I too am raising my child with more of an alternative appraoch. We are in the minority and this is a wonderful webiste but I have learned it isn't one where alternative mothers hang out. That being said you really have to know lots and lots of information when it comes to alternative health, including naturopathy...which is homeopathic medicine. Just because it is called medicine doesn't mean it isn't alternative. The fact that you weren't sure about homeopathic means you should really do a little more homework. You can't get more natural than homeopathic. Here is a websits to two wonderful naturopathic doctors that treat children with natural approaches. Again if you aren't going to follow the western appraoch you really need to familiarize yourself fully with alternative health before you reject something that is actually along the lines of what you believe in. Hope this helps.... www.sandiegonaturalhealth.com
g

Hi R.,
I agree with the other moms, you need to take her to see a doctor. However, my daughter did have a cold for almost two weeks right around the time she turned one. I thought she'd never get over it.

With an infant that young, what really helps is to run a humidifier in her room at night. When my daughter was REALLY congested, I actually ran two in her room, one on the floor right next to her crib. It seemed to help.

Good luck to you.

With all due respect to your approach to your child's illness... she is quite young, and you first need to have a diagnosis, to see what is wrong with her. THEN, that way, a remedy can be suggested and implemented.

Bear in mind, that this has been going on for 2 weeks, with nothing helping or 'curing' it. Since she is a young baby only 6 months old... you need to make sure she does NOT have some kind of infection, or bacterial infection. If untreated, it can get worse, affect her lungs or damage it etc.

She seems very congested. There are a variety of reasons for coughs/congestion like this... which only a professional can determine. And, Pneumonia can be a complication, sometimes, in illnesses like this. And it can be dangerous and the child can end up in the hospital. THAT would be my concern as a parent... and that she has been this way for at least 2 weeks with no improvement.

Here is a link on coughs, in babies as an example:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_coughing_11526.bc

Using guesswork and giving things to a baby, can also pose a danger or a risk. Because you don't really 'know' if it is safe for a baby. Especially at that age. And then meanwhile, it could or could not make her condition worse. Meanwhile, trying things and then waiting to see if it works... takes time... and meanwhile, her condition can get worse. To me, time is of essence too. Do you just wait and see if it gets better, or do something specific that you KNOW will work and is pertinent for her illness or infection? PLUS, at this age... many foods are not appropriate for this age... and you could get another complication, if giving her something that is not yet appropriate for her age and physiological development and digestive development.

I think, there are too many "what if's" and guess work... to appropriately address her illness. Namely, she has not been examined, AND there is NO diagnosis on her condition... so 'treatment' cannot be further applied, correctly.

I certainly hope, she does not have an infection of some kind, or a secondary infection. Does she have fever? Is she able to breathe? Is she getting enough oxygen in her? Babies this age cannot often 'know' to breathe through their mouth yet... and this can really affect them. Is her skin normal colored, or turning bluish? If her skin color is not normal this can indicate that she is not getting enough oxygen in her bloodstream, for example. This is dangerous.

At least she is still nursing. Because you don't want her to get dehydrated. This is also dangerous in a baby. Is she having enough wet & poopy diapers? If not, this can also indicate dehydration.

There are so many possible guesses... but only the appropriate solution will help her. But first, this will depend on getting a real diagnosis.

As an example: my Mom was once sick with congestion and coughing. She did not want to see a Doctor and just took natural things and let time 'solve' it. She too did not want "medicine." Well, after a couple of weeks it did not get better, she had a hard time breathing too, of course. She FINALLY went to the Doctor... and by then, she had developed bad Bronchitis and almost Pneumonia. The Doctor said she needed to be in the hospital, which she refused. Meanwhile, because she did not get her condition properly treated in the beginning, she had developed PERMANENTLY damaged lungs, and now has a benign abscess in her lungs now. NOW, her lungs are permanently weakened.. .and whenever she gets sick, she has to be EXTRA careful she does not get any secondary infections. AND, when she gets sick now, she also develops asthma. She learned the hard way. But her lungs are now forever 'sick.' If she had not gone to the Doctor, she could have even died, because she had walking Pneumonia by then. She didn't know and just thought it was a bad cold. Very sad. She is elderly.

For the elderly and young babies... their bodies are not as adept at fighting things off... and it is very important to properly treat these ailments. Even if just to make sure it is not getting worse or affecting the body, negatively.

I don't have any answers for you, but just some thoughts.
All the best and take care,
Susan

Very quick, because I have to get my four kidlets get dressed. I go to Dr. Paul Fleiss, (ok, my kids do) because he's not a knee-jerk, give 'em antibiotics doctor. There are other wonderful pediatricians out there who are as careful (Jay Gordon, I think as well). When they say meds, it's time. Dr. Fleiss' best remedy for congestion in a baby -- breastmilk. Seriously. The stuff is miraculous -- better than saline because of all the natural antibiotic properties it has. Pump some and use it in a dropper to get up her nose.

***** Just noticed someone recommended something with honey in it -- honey should NOT be given to babies under 1 year!
As for feeding her extra stuff to "fill her up" -- it's not necessary. Until she loses her toungue thrust reflex and can sit completely independently (no Bumbo seat!) it's too soon. If she's hungry, nurse her more. Don't count sessions. Do you know the difference between foremilk and hindmilk? The latter is higher fat and arrives at the end of a nursing session. So let her be on one breast longer than usual. If she feels poorly, take thee to bed. Grab a book or a couple movies you've wanted to see, darken the room and nurse for a couple days straight. Don't forget breast milk up the nose!
(PS -- kids 11, 8, and 3.75 year old twins. All breastfed exclusively for over a year. Lots of colds -- we have dogs and tree-covered lot)
Good luck!

So your message is a little long and lots of information in there. One of the things that caught my eye is that you are feeding her barley. Let's back off of that for awhile as that could be increasing congestion. It is a big allergan (gluten/wheat family). Best to stick with rice for a little bit especially with breast feeding. You are doing a good job on everything else so try some of the other things like the saline sprays.

Chest congestion is not something to take lightly and you should see a doctor for that to make sure it is not something more serious. Another thing for you to be doing is probiotics especially if she might need to take antibiotics. This will help the gut and immune system.

DO NOT DO SHOTS when a baby /child is sick. In fact, take a break from any vaccinations at this time and do some of your own research on them to decide when you child should get them. With the traveling you do, yes some are very important, but most of the ones on the recommended AAP are not. Too many, too soon. Tylenol is also something else to consider not doing as it tells the immune system to take a vacation and that is not something you want at this time.

Here are sites and books that I always recommend for people to start their research:

www.909shot.com
www.tacanow.org
www.generationrescue.com

Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies: The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders, by Dr. Kenneth Bock
The Vaccine Book, by Dr. Robert Sears
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Childhood Vaccinations, by Dr. Stephanie Cave
Evidence of Harm, by David Kirby

I respect your choice in doing things natural and organic ( I wish I could), but you need to have your daughter checked out--specially because of your trip. If she DOES have an infection of some sort it could be soooo harmful for her to go on with an infection like that than not to get the needed medical attention. The saline solution for her nose and humidifier are the best solutions for her symptoms.

I agree with Dianna. If your child has RSV it is serious. Please take her back to a pediatrician and let them know how long she has been sick. Poor thing, she must feel miserable.

R.,

Congestion this long in an infant or any child IS NOT NORMAL!!!

I have to 2nd everything that Susan wrote...

There is so much to factor in...travel included. But, this is something a doctor NEEDs to diagnose. You can't guess at what it is.

She should be checked soon...we follow the 3-day rule for any symptoms with my son. If it lasts longer than 3 days I take him to the doctor, even if it turns out to be nothing. Not every sickness requires antibiotics.

This is RSV season and that can be very serious!

Good luck.

R., I know both doctors have said its a cold, but be aware that if the congestion and cough lasts longer it could turn into pneumonia, which you do not want! Good job on keeping your environment so chem free, but don't let it cloud your other natural instinct to keep your child healthy and safe...

You mention having an air cleaner, but have you also tried a warm-air humidifier? The moister the environment, the moister the mucus, thus the easier it will be for her body to break it down, cough it up, etc. I would also try running a hot shower for about 30 minutes and letting the steam buildup, then taking your baby into the steamy room and sit with her in just her diaper for about 5-15 minutes, depending on how hot it is in the room. Too hot is bad, but you do want it to be steamy and want her to be in there long enough to help moisten the sinus passages and bronchiols. Then make sure you dress her up warmly before the leaving the room.

Hi R.,

This is a tough one. My concern, like others, is that your DD could develop a more serious infection if it's not solved soon. I've read all the advice you've already received, so I will add a couple of new things.

Something to consider: while it's admirable to want to treat dis-ease with only food grade remedies, bear in mind that we live in a global society now where people from all over the world--carrying all kinds of strains of bacteria and viruses--end up on planes, buses and trains with us. If we travel to countries where these bacteria are common, we may get particularly sicker than the natives because we don't have the antibodies that they do. In other words, using exclusively food-grade remedies would probably suffice if we all lived in relative isolation in our own small geographical area and were not exposed to all kinds of bacteria and viruses that are not native to our "people."

Kind of like how the white man brought chicken pox and measles to the Native Americans and wiped out thousands of them, even tho the white man had alrady developed antibodies. This kind of stuff happens all the time when "outsiders" enter the geo world of tribes that had been living for centuries in virtual isolation.

You may have great antibodies for the geo area you grew up in, but do you have the antibodies for anything/everything that may be floating around Cairo and Amman--or from the people who frequent or visit these cities? If you grew up there you probably do. If not, then your breast milk may not have these antibodies, nor will the food remedies.

Because your baby is young, her immune systems lacks the capability to create the antibodies it needs, which is why breast milk is so great. But breast milk has antibodies only for things YOU have been exposed to. If your DD picked up somsething in Cairo for which you have no antibodies, her body will not be able to create them either. And of course you know that it is the antibodies that defeat the infection, which is why antibiotic has its name, too.

So, with all of that said, you might want to re-evaluate the best approach for your daughter. At minimum, ask to have a chest x-ray taken (non-invasive) which will tell the doc whether she has pneumonia (bacteria in her lungs). If her runny nose has progressed into heavy congestion, it means her little body was unable to create the antibodies to deal with it in its lesser stage. Now that it's bigger and badder, i.e., it has invaded her system even more, it is less likely her her little body will be able to do it now, either. It's not a question of time here, it's a question of antibodies.

Does your DD have a fever? How high and for how long? This is imp info for any doc - allopathic or naturopathic.

While I am not a fan of antibiotics (I cringe whenever there is no other choice for my 2-year-old son), I know my own limits. And I do what I can to remediate the affect of the antibiotics, like giving him fish oil, probiotics and Vit. C on a daily basis. I feel that I am doing the best things to create a strong boy in this germy world we live in--a combination of letting him create some of his own antibodies (for colds that last a few days, for example) and using antibiotics when things progress quickly or last too long.

You haven't said why you are so opposed to antibiotics--is it personal or religious? Just be sure as you consider your alternatives, that you are giving equal weight to your precious daughter's immediate needs as well. Having congestion as long as two weeks is serious. If there is no improvement by tomorrow morning -- especially if you are implementing some of the great things listed here like elevating the mattress, cleaning out the mucus, etc. -- I would go back to some doctors and make a quick decision for your daughter's best health benefit.

One last thing.... Unfortunately, the food we eat today has about 1/2 (if that) of the nutrition of the same food grown 20-40 years ago. Because of soil depletion, pollution, contaminants in ground water and poor farming practices, a tomato or eggplant today does not have the same nutrition as yesteryear. Something else to keep in mind when you consider your own diet and also food-grade remedies.

Since dairy causes mucus build-up, maybe you could back off of dairy for a while and see if this helps.

And finally, I want to close by applauding your incredible efforts to keep a chem-free and organic home. I wish I was half as fastidious as you are! I wish you all the best!

I understand not wanting to use conventional medicine if you don't have to, but if you are putting your child at risk, then I don't understand. If a doctor recommended antibiotics you child has an infection. If you don't take care of that she can end up with pneumonia! Obviously what you are doing is not working and you need to listen to the doctors. Sorry, but I just don't get it. I don't like giving my dd medicine unless necessary, but with an infection it is needed. It will not likely go away on it's own if it has been two weeks already. I love my dd as much as any mama, and I had to give her antibiotics a couple of weeks ago for an ear infection and she is just fine. Just give her some probiotics so her tummy does not get messed up.

Doctors said she had a cold right? If this doesn't go away soon go back to make sure it hasn't developed into something more.

Find out more about homeopathic medicines/treatments, I suspect you'll be happy with what you find.

Also look into eucalyptus and lavender oils. If they aren't too strong for a child her age they may be great added to a warm or cold steam treatment/bath. Moisture will also help keep the dust down a little. My kids and I usually feel much better after a warm bath. It sooths aches and helps to clear congestion.

Make sure that you are eating well and that you are as rested as possible and nurse on demand. Being sick she may need the extra nutrition and your immune system's help to fight it off.

Good luck! It is hard to have kids sick. Seeing them uncomfortable is not fun. Work with a trusted doctor/healer. Listen to their advice and make sure that they listen to your convictions. Educate eachother and come to a treatment for your child that is in her best interest.

R.,
Sounds like she needs a nebulizer with Albuterol for her chest... The saline rinse is great but that will only help the sinuses not the chest and that can turn into pneumonia. You can also use a nebulizer with saline only (withouth the drug). Really, see a doctor before its too late. This can be life threatening. Take care and good luck

Elevation. Don't let her sleep flat while she is sick. She needs drainage. You can put a pillow or something under her crib mattress if she is sleeping in a crib. You can take garlic while you are nursing and garlic acts something like a natural antibiotic that you can pass through the milk. I would take her into the shower with you a couple of times a day to let the steam loosen things up and also suck out the mucous from her nostrils. You can use one of those bulb syringes, but honestly it's easier and less scary for them if you just do it with your own mouth and then spit it out. There are some terrible colds going around -- sorry your darling has caught one. Nurse, nurse, nurse, nurse, nurse -- she needs your antibodies. Eat lots of healthy things so you can pass it all along to her. Hope she feels better soon.

Hello R.,

One thing that you could use at night is a humdifier. My son has a cough from Oct. 08' till about a week ago. The cough was consuming his day and nights. Coughing so hard that he threw up a few times from it.

He also had the congestion in the nose. We used the saline rinse along with the nose sucker and the humdifier at night. Also, plenty of fluids.

Nothing helps, so we had to use modern meds. After 3 rounds of antibotics the cough is finally gone. And he is on Clarin that had helped extremely.

Good Luck,
M.

Hi R.,
We frequently use the Vicks steam vaporizor with eucalyptus and menthol vapors. It really works well to help
with stuffy sinuses. Eucalyptus has natural anti-viral, and antibacterial properties.
good luck,
C.

Dear R.:

The incredible thing about breastfeeding is that it's a two-way street: whatever the child is battling gets transmitted to you during the feeding and your body produces antibodies and transmits them back to her via the breastmilk. It's great that you're breastfeeding exclusively.

I would caution you with the introduction of grains before vegetables. My son is severly allergic to barley, for instance, and we were unaware of it until he was much older.

My way of handling colds in infants under 1 year of age is to nurse them frequently and sit up with them on my shoulder all night to help them breathe (you can use a sling). They are very fragile when they're sick and they need the constant contact and supervision. If she has a cough or congestion, a cool vaporizer or walks outside in the cool night air will aleviate both symptoms. If the child becomes markedly listless, then you'll need to get to the doctor right away. RSV is a very serious threat at that age.

I commend you on the way you keep house. I try my best to adhere to the same standards.

I pray for your child's quick recovery!

Best wishes,

M.

Chest congestion could lead to pneumonia, as several others have mentioned. You said at the end that you went to 2 doctors, but you also mentioned Chinese doctor earlier... I hope you meant that she has been checked and diagnosed by 2 Board certified pediatritians, and not some other kinds of doctors. Only a pediatritian can listen and make sure she indeed does not have a pneumonia. Please don't delay her treatment while you search for your preferred remedies. Your daughter is only 6 months old, and this could get really serious if you don't do as what the doctor says.

I don't want to get into a debate about the pros and cons of using antibiotics. I am Chinese and I grew up taking Chinese herbs. I still go to my Chinese doctors and accupuncturists for joint problems and such, but when I get a bacterial infection, I take antibiotics. It was hard for me to read your request, because I am scared of your "no antibiotics" approach on a poor 6 month old who has only a fraction of your immune system. Breastmilk is great, but it's not a cure-all. I don't think that people should use antibiotics on everything like a cold, but from what you described, I think your baby has more than a cold, or a secondary infection. Please consider to set aside your personal belief and put your daughter's health in first priority.

Hi R.,
Homeopathic remedies are all natural, just to let you know. What I do for nose congestion is take saline solution and a bulb syringe, fill the bulb with the solution, lie your baby's head in your lap on her side, then squirt the solution through one nostril until it come out the other side. This forces the mucus through the nose. They can't blow their little noses and this helps my daughter a lot.
Another thing is a cool mist humidifier to keep the air moist and also helps to clean the air. Make sure to keep the filter clean or changed, they can mold.
Whole foods carries a honey cough syrup made especially for infants under two, unfortunately I don't remember the name, but they have a whole area just for babies and kids. They also have something called Oblas, that is amazing to use in a vaporizer or in a steam shower. This is made from essential oils and is all natural. It really opens up the air ways. I used to suffer from bronchitis until I started using these oils in steam. It can also be sprinkled on your babies pillow to help with the congestion.
Best to you and your daughter,
S.

Good Morning R.,

You may want to go to Amazon.com and purchase the book Perscription for Nutritional Healing by Balch. I understand about Homeopathy, you only want to use nutrients and herbs, so try Prescription for Nutritional Healing, I think you will be happy with it.

Also, if you live in the Culver City, CA area, you may want to look up Luciana Hardin, ###-###-####. She is an excellent accupuncturist and she does not make you drink anything before a treatment. And your child can handle needles, I'm sure you've had accupuncture before, it does not hurt. And if you stay in the room with your child and hold her, I'm sure it will work out. You may want to search for Naturopathic Doctors in your area. I have a superb Naturopathic Doctor, but he is in New Zealand treating patients for allergies for 6 months. This can't wait until he returns, so I'm sure you will be able to find one now.

Be Well.

N.

You could prop up your babies crib mattress. Like fold up a blanket and put under the mattress. That little bit of elevation should help keep the passages open for her. And even putting a humidifier or vaporizer in her room will also help.

Apparently a lot of responses were made before they finished reading your post where you had stated that you had seen two doctors who gave you the same diagnosis yet different treatments. I've been there, in fact I'm going through it now. With no experience with my 1st child I learned the hard way on everything. With my second child I learned the miracle of probiotic. If you want to get the congestion gone quickly find a trusted probiotic perhaps garden of life for your baby and for yourself. Also, an omega 3, 6 and 9 oil blend. It can also be vegetarian. Quality can be tough to find my naturopath has one called Pro EFA lemon 1/4 tsp/day and Ther-biotic for infants 1/4 tsp/day. These are standard doses for infants. She also gave me this site naturopathicpeadiatrics.com. With my second child I also drank wheat grass at least 3 times a week or everyday and b-vitamins along with eating well, a multi-vitamin with and steam with peppermint treatments to loosen the mucus while in the bathroom for about 5 mins or less at a time. Also, the herb thyme is amazing. Soak the plant in your baby's bath water with a drop of lemon, lavender and peppermint.
Recap:
Probiotic for you and baby, omega oils(borage, evoo, flax seed oil always be careful introducing new things[test for one to two days at least]), wheat grass, b- complex vitamin, steam, and relaxing bath and of course good eating habits. Be sure that there is no corn by-products in the gummy bears you love causing her problems and be sure the barley is not bothering her. Check out the glutenfreesociety.com with Dr. Peter Osbourne(not Dr. OZ) he has wonderful case studies on his site and YouTube and his employees are some of the nicest and educated people you'll ever speak with. God Bless you all!

Updated

Apparently a lot of responses were made before they finished reading your post where you had stated that you had seen two doctors who gave you the same diagnosis yet different treatments. I've been there, in fact I'm going through it now. With no experience with my 1st child I learned the hard way on everything. With my second child I learned the miracle of probiotic. If you want to get the congestion gone quickly find a trusted probiotic perhaps garden of life for your baby and for yourself. Also, an omega 3, 6 and 9 oil blend. It can also be vegetarian. Quality can be tough to find my naturopath has one called Pro EFA lemon 1/4 tsp/day and Ther-biotic for infants 1/4 tsp/day. These are standard doses for infants. She also gave me this site naturopathicpeadiatrics.com. With my second child I also drank wheat grass at least 3 times a week or everyday and b-vitamins along with eating well, a multi-vitamin with and steam with peppermint treatments to loosen the mucus while in the bathroom for about 5 mins or less at a time. Also, the herb thyme is amazing. Soak the plant in your baby's bath water with a drop of lemon, lavender and peppermint.
Recap:
Probiotic for you and baby, omega oils(borage, evoo, flax seed oil always be careful introducing new things[test for one to two days at least]), wheat grass, b- complex vitamin, steam, and relaxing bath and of course good eating habits. Be sure that there is no corn by-products in the gummy bears you love causing her problems and be sure the barley is not bothering her. Check out the glutenfreesociety.com with Dr. Peter Osbourne(not Dr. OZ) he has wonderful case studies on his site and YouTube and his employees are some of the nicest and educated people you'll ever speak with. God Bless you all!

Hi R.,

Homeopathy is the most natural medicine there is. Herbs are
less reliable....

You have probably already had many responses but I am unable to read them until I have posted a response.

Give your child the homeopathy. I use it for my son and it
works wonderfully!

all the best,
R.

We use homeopahty, but we have found that Camphor oil on their sunuses and chest help mroe than any other oil. We also give our kids/babies Herbs for Kids Echinacea/Goldenroot as needed. I usually increase my Immune Support, PB8 and A&D before I give the babies anything. The vitamin A&D works SOOOOOOOO well for sinus issues.

www.worldlifesupplements.com
www.nutritionnow.com
http://www.drtowery.com/Biospec_VITAMIN_A&D.htm

We also get our kids adjusted by our pediatric chiropractor. In fact, our 11 month old was stuffy and had a snotty nose recently for 2 weeks and we got her neck adjusted. Immediately, her sinuses cleared and have stayed clear. www.icpa4kids.com

i've had the same problem with my son (5 months) practically since i brought him home, lots of nasal conjestion. A few things seemed to have worked for us: 1)for naps and bedtime, put baby/infant Vicks on the bottom of his feet and put socks on (don't use the adult, may be too strong)... this has really made a difference. 2)Get a saline solution nasal spray (it's not a drug, it's just purified water, look at the label) -- the best i've found is BABY Simply Saline -- its spray is a fine mist and better than the Little Noses product -- spray it in his nose at every diaper change and before bed... this was a HUGE difference, i was only doing it once a day and when i started doing it more it helped 3) put a cold-air humidifier in his room, we have one going 24x7. Lastly, if necessary put the bed/crib at an angle (we did this until he started moving, now he ends up with his head at the wrong end, so we've stopped) hope it ehelps!

Hi R.,
The best thing is saline spray (just salt water) and cold air humidifier every night in the bedroom. The babies don't really like the saline spray but it does help loosen things up and then you can suction out the mucus. Also, don't keep the heat too high in the house - you want the it comfortable. If you can, put something under the mattress to give the baby an incline to sleep with her head up a little higher. This should help until her cold clears up.

Good luck! Hope this helps. The first few colds are the hardest on the parents.

It is clear you love your little child, but don't study any history. Before antibiotics a lot of children just died and so did not grow up. Many people still living ended up hard of hearing from childhood ear infections. Antibiotics have help this problem.
Now many more people who had antibiotics as children have good hearing.
There are lots and lots of other reasons why modern medicine helps people survive childhood illnesses and become adults.
Sure a very few suffer for the common good, but that is very few. Perhaps you should study history a bit.
Drugs save lives. What are you afraid of?
Do you want your child to die?
Love to all of you.
B. v.O.