22 Home Remedies for Toddler Cough

Cough Remedies for Children: 22 Natural Home Remedies for Kids, Toddlers and Babies

Written and medically reviewed by Veronique Claes d’Erckenteel, D.C., chiropractor since 1991 · Last reviewed: 19 October 2026

The best natural cough remedies for children depend on their age. For babies under 12 months: saline drops, gently clearing the nose, a cool mist humidifier, a steamy bathroom and plenty of breastfeeding or bottle feeds. No honey and no essential oils. From 12 months, a spoonful of honey before bed is the best studied remedy there is. From age 2, add a vapour rub on the chest, ivy leaf and thyme syrups for children, and a kids’ oil blend in the diffuser; from age 3, eucalyptus in the bedroom. Any cough in a baby under 3 months, trouble breathing, a whooping sound or a high fever needs a doctor straight away.

Children cough a lot. A toddler in daycare can easily catch eight or more colds a winter, and almost every one of them ends with a cough that hangs around for a week or two after the runny nose has gone. Researchers call it the post-viral cough, and it’s the most common symptom in childhood (Murgia et al., 2021).

The good news is that most of these coughs heal on their own, and there’s a lot you can do at home to make your child more comfortable and help them sleep. Many of the remedies in this guide have been passed down in families for generations, and some now have good research behind them too. This guide is part of our cough series; for every type of cough, start with how to stop coughing.

Table of Contents

• What Can I Give My Child for a Cough? Remedies by Age
• 22 Natural Cough Remedies for Children
• Cough Remedies for Babies and Newborns
• Croup: Natural Croup Cough Remedies at Home
• Child Coughing at Night
• A Detox Bath: Green Clay and Epsom Salt
• Why Cough Syrups Aren’t for Young Children
• Think for Yourself: Follow the Incentives
• Ask the Same Questions About Conventional Medicine
• When to See a Doctor
• Frequently Asked Questions

What Can I Give My Child for a Cough? Remedies by Age

A remedy that’s lovely for a five year old can be dangerous for a baby, so age comes first. Use this as your quick guide:

22 Natural Cough Remedies for Children

Two recent reviews of natural cough remedies for children agree on the same thing: there’s a long tradition behind herbs and honey, and the best clinical evidence in children so far is for honey, a few herbal syrups and pelargonium (Murgia et al., 2021; Ciprandi and Tosca, 2021). The rest is traditional use, which we label as such.

1. Honey (from 12 months)

Honey is the best studied cough remedy for children. In a double-blind trial, a spoonful of honey half an hour before bed reduced night coughing and improved sleep for both children and parents compared with a placebo (Cohen et al., 2012). A Cochrane review came to the same conclusion (Oduwole et al.). Give half a teaspoon from 1 to 5 years, a teaspoon from 6 to 11, and two teaspoons from 12. Never under 12 months: honey can carry the spores of infant botulism, which a baby’s gut can’t yet keep in check. More in honey for cough.

2. Carob syrup (from 12 months)

Carob syrup is sweet and thick like honey, so it coats the throat in the same way, and it may also help against reflux, which can keep a cough going (Pecoraro et al., 2024). A good choice for children who don’t like honey.

3. Saline drops and gentle nose clearing (all ages)

Most coughs in small children start in the nose. A few saline drops in each nostril, followed by a gentle nasal aspirator, clears the mucus before it drips down the throat. Do this before feeds and before sleep. Saline has been shown to ease cold symptoms in children (American Family Physician, 2012).

4. Saline nose rinse (from about 6 years)

Older children can learn to rinse their nose with a children’s saline spray or rinse bottle. In children aged 6 to 10, regular saline rinses eased colds and even reduced how many colds they caught, with fewer school days missed (AFP, 2012).

5. A cool mist humidifier

Moist air keeps mucus thin and soothes a dry throat. Use a cool mist humidifier, not a hot steam one, in a child’s room, and clean it every day so it doesn’t spread mould.

6. A steamy bathroom

Run a hot shower with the door closed and sit with your child in the steam for 10 to 15 minutes. It loosens mucus and calms a barking cough. Never use a bowl of hot water with young children; scalds are common.

7. Feeds and normal drinks

Breastfeed or bottle feed often, and offer older children water and warm drinks. One thing to know: forcing extra fluids on a child who isn’t dehydrated isn’t advised, because a few children developed low sodium levels that way (AFP, 2012). Let thirst guide them and watch for wet nappies.

8. Chicken soup and warm broth

Generations of grandmothers can’t be wrong: warm chicken soup is easy to eat, hydrating, and the steam helps a blocked nose. From around 12 months, as part of normal meals.

9. Vapour rub on the chest and neck (from 2 years)

In a trial with children aged 2 to 11, a vapour rub on the chest and neck at bedtime eased night cough and congestion and helped both child and parents sleep better (Paul et al., 2010). Only on the chest and neck, never under the nose or on the face, and never under 2.

10. Eucalyptus oil in the diffuser (from 3 years)

From age 3, eucalyptus in the diffuser in their bedroom can be a real relief. It opens the airways and makes breathing through the nose easier. A few drops, an hour before bed. Only ever buy pure, food grade oil, keep the bottle well out of reach (swallowed essential oils are dangerous for children) and never put oil on or near a child’s face.

Get the eucalyptus oil I use (Affiliate link: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.)

11. A kids’ oil blend (2 to 3 years)

Between 2 and 3, use a blend made for small children instead, like Plant Therapy Sniffle Stopper KidSafe, with fir, spruce, cypress and cedarwood and no eucalyptus or peppermint. Under 2, skip the oils completely.

12. Marshmallow root

Marshmallow root forms a soft protective layer over the throat and calms a dry, tickly cough. Children’s marshmallow syrups are traditionally used from a few months old (Pecoraro et al., 2024), but any cough under 3 months needs a doctor first. Follow the label.

13. Ivy leaf syrup (from 2 years)

Ivy leaf loosens mucus so it’s easier to cough up, and it has one of the strongest evidence bases of any herbal cough remedy in Europe (Pecoraro et al., 2024). Use an alcohol-free children’s syrup from age 2, and never garden ivy.

14. Thyme

Thyme has been used for coughs for centuries and works especially well combined with ivy or primrose in children’s syrups (Pecoraro et al., 2024). Older children can have a weak, warm thyme tea with honey.

15. Pelargonium (geranium root, from 1 year)

Pelargonium root extract may help clear cough and mucus in children with a cold, and it’s one of the few natural remedies tested in children (AFP, 2012). Use a children’s preparation and follow the label.

16. Ginger, lemon and honey tea (older children)

A warm, mild cup of ginger, lemon and honey tea soothes the throat and calms the cough. Make it weak for children and let it cool to drinking temperature. Recipes are in our tea for cough guide.

17. Propolis (from 1 year, alcohol-free)

Propolis drops are part of my own winter routine, and for children I use an alcohol-free version. In a trial with 430 children aged 1 to 5, a children’s preparation of echinacea, propolis and vitamin C reduced the number of colds, sick days and days missed from school (AFP, 2012). Skip propolis if your child is allergic to bee products or has asthma.

18. Vitamin C from fruit

Children who took vitamin C regularly had fewer cold symptoms (AFP, 2012). In autumn and winter, a bowl of oranges and mandarins on the table is the easiest way. Supplements for children: follow the label dose.

19. Zinc syrup (from 1 year)

Zinc syrup started early in a cold, and given regularly over the winter, reduced colds and school absences in studies (AFP, 2012). Follow the label; too much zinc upsets the stomach.

20. Probiotics for prevention

Healthy children aged 3 to 5 who took probiotics through the winter had less fever, cough and runny nose and missed fewer days of daycare (AFP, 2012). Yoghurt, kefir and fermented foods are a natural start.

21. Gentle acupressure and back tapping

For children over 3, gently pressing the points on the chest and wrist can calm a coughing fit. See the acupressure points for cough chart. Gently tapping the back with a cupped hand while your child leans forward helps loosen mucus in the chest.

22. Rest, cuddles and a smoke-free home

Sleep is when children heal. Keep the house calm, cool and free of smoke, including smoke on clothes, which irritates a child’s airways for days.

Cough Remedies for Babies and Newborns

A newborn’s airways are tiny, so a cough in a baby always deserves extra attention. Any cough in a baby under 3 months needs a doctor or pediatrician first, before any home remedy. Once you know what you’re dealing with, these natural infant cough remedies are safe from birth:

• Saline drops in each nostril, then a gentle nasal aspirator, before feeds and sleep.
• Frequent breastfeeding or bottle feeds. Breast milk also gives your baby your antibodies.
• A cool mist humidifier in the room.
• A steamy bathroom, held safely in your arms.
• Holding your baby upright while awake, so mucus drains.
• Always on their back to sleep, on a firm, flat mattress. No pillows or wedges, even with a blocked nose.

For babies with a cough and chest congestion, see the babies section in chest congestion relief. No honey, no essential oils, no vapour rubs and no cough syrups under 12 months.

Interestingly, a trial in coughing babies and toddlers found that a sweet syrup with no active ingredient at all, given by parents, improved their cough scores much like a placebo does in adults (Paul et al., 2014). Part of what helps is simply time and comfort.

Croup: Natural Croup Cough Remedies at Home

Croup causes a loud, barking cough that sounds like a seal, often with a hoarse voice, and it usually starts at night in children between 6 months and 3 years. It’s caused by swelling around the voice box. Mild croup can be eased at home:

• Stay calm and keep your child calm. Crying makes the swelling worse. Hold them upright on your lap.
• Cool night air. Wrap them up and stand by an open window or step outside for a few minutes.
• A steamy bathroom can also help some children.
• Drinks and rest once the coughing settles.

Croup is one of the situations where a doctor’s treatment clearly works, so don’t hesitate: get help straight away for a high-pitched noise when breathing in while resting, struggling to breathe, drooling or not being able to swallow. Croup can look a bit like whooping cough; read about whooping cough in children to know the signs.

Child Coughing at Night

A child’s cough is almost always worse at night, because mucus from the nose drips down the throat when they lie down. A study of more than 136,000 children found that night cough was around three times more common in children with an inflamed, runny nose. So clear the nose before bed, run a humidifier, give honey from 12 months and use a vapour rub on the chest from age 2. Our guide on how to stop a cough at night explains it all.

A Detox Bath: Green Clay and Epsom Salt

This is a ritual from our own family, not a cough cure. When the children are run down after a cold, we give them a warm bath with a few tablespoons of green clay and a handful of Epsom salt, a traditional way to help the body detox through the skin and relax before sleep. It’s traditional use, not something studies have looked at, but children love it and they sleep beautifully after.

• Warm water, never hot, for 10 to 15 minutes, and always stay with your child.
• Use a small handful of Epsom salt for a child’s bath and don’t let them drink the water.
• Keep clay away from eyes and rinse the skin and hair well afterwards.
• Skip it on broken skin or eczema flares, and for babies under 12 months.

Why Cough Syrups Aren’t for Young Children

There is no good evidence that over-the-counter cough and cold syrups help young children, and there’s real potential for harm. Cough and cold medicines were among the top 20 substances leading to death in children under five, and manufacturers changed their labels to say they shouldn’t be used under 4 (AFP, 2012; Paul, 2012). Honey and a vapour rub actually did better in trials. Remember: a cough is “the watchdog of the lungs” and it protects your child’s airways. The aim is to calm what’s irritating it, not to switch it off (Pecoraro et al., 2024).

Think for Yourself: Follow the Incentives

For any health advice, ask two questions: who profits if you follow it, and who would lose if a harm were found? Advice nobody earns from, like waiting with honey until your baby’s first birthday, has no commercial pressure behind it. Advice tied to products people sell deserves a closer look.

In a paper we cite on children’s cough, the author openly declares that he has worked as a consultant for several cough and cold medicine makers and received research funding from one of them (Paul, 2012). Cough and cold syrups for babies were sold for years before they were pulled, and after they were removed, emergency visits for side effects in children under two dropped by half (AFP, 2012).

So when you read a study, check who paid for it, how many people took part, and whether independent researchers in other countries found the same thing. You don’t have to take anyone’s word for it, including ours.

Ask the Same Questions About Conventional Medicine

Natural remedies are often asked for proof while prescriptions aren’t. But many conventional medicines given to babies and toddlers for coughs have weak evidence too:

• Steroids didn’t help babies with bronchiolitis, the common chesty virus of the first two years, in a Cochrane review (Fernandes et al.), and they didn’t help children with ordinary colds who don’t have asthma (AFP, 2012).
• Inhalers that open the airways are advised against for bronchiolitis by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ own guideline, yet they’re still widely given, and they can cause side effects like a racing heart and shakiness (adverse effects in infants).
• Antibiotics don’t touch a cold, because colds are caused by viruses (AFP, 2012).
• Cough and cold syrups for babies were sold for years before they were pulled.

These medicines have their place. Steroids clearly help croup (Cochrane), and inhalers are essential for asthma. So when your child is prescribed something, ask: what exactly is the diagnosis? What does this medicine do for that diagnosis? What does the evidence say for a child this age? What are the side effects? What happens if we wait and watch? A good doctor welcomes these questions.

When to See a Doctor

Natural remedies work best once you know what you’re treating. Diagnosis first, then treatment:

• Straight away for any of the warning signs in the red box at the top, or any cough in a baby under 3 months. In an emergency, call 112 (Europe) or 911 (US).
• Your pediatrician for a fever above 38 °C in a baby under 6 months, a fever lasting more than 3 days, ear pain, a cough lasting more than 3 weeks, or a child who just seems really unwell.
• A pediatric pulmonologist (children’s lung specialist) for a cough that keeps coming back, wheezing, or a cough with every cold that lingers for weeks.
• An ENT specialist (ear, nose and throat) for a constantly blocked nose, snoring, mouth breathing or frequent ear infections.
• A pediatric allergist when the cough comes with sneezing, itchy eyes, eczema, or always in the same season.

Read more in when a cough needs a doctor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I give my child for a cough?

It depends on age. Under 12 months: saline drops, nose clearing, a humidifier and feeds. From 12 months: honey before bed. From 2 years: a vapour rub on the chest and neck and children’s ivy or thyme syrups. From 3 years: eucalyptus in the diffuser. Avoid over-the-counter cough and cold syrups in young children.

What is a natural cough remedy for infants?

Saline drops followed by gentle nose suction, frequent breastfeeding or bottle feeds, a cool mist humidifier and a steamy bathroom. No honey, essential oils or vapour rubs under 12 months, and any cough under 3 months needs a doctor first.

What helps a newborn with a cough?

See a doctor first: any cough in a baby under 3 months needs checking. At home, saline drops, gentle nose suction, frequent feeds, holding your baby upright while awake and a humidifier are safe. Always put a baby to sleep flat on their back.

What are good cough remedies for a three year old?

Honey before bed, a vapour rub on the chest and neck, a children’s ivy leaf or thyme syrup, eucalyptus in the diffuser in their room, a steamy bathroom, warm drinks, and saline to clear the nose.

How do you treat croup at home?

Keep your child calm and upright, take them into cool night air for a few minutes or sit in a steamy bathroom, and offer drinks. Get help straight away if they make a high-pitched noise breathing in while resting or struggle to breathe.

Why can’t babies under 12 months have honey?

Honey can contain spores of the bacteria that cause infant botulism. Older children’s guts keep the spores in check, but a baby’s can’t yet. It’s rare but serious, and honey’s cough benefit has only been studied from 12 months, so waiting costs nothing.

Are essential oils safe for children?

Not under 2. From 2 to 3, use a kids’ blend without eucalyptus or peppermint in a diffuser. From 3, eucalyptus in the diffuser. Never put oil on or near a child’s face, and keep bottles out of reach, because swallowing essential oil is dangerous.

When should I worry about my child’s cough?

Any cough under 3 months, trouble breathing, fast breathing, blue lips, a whoop or a high-pitched noise when breathing in, a high fever, not drinking, or a cough lasting more than 3 weeks.

Recommended

• How to Stop Coughing: What to Do When You Can’t Stop
• Whooping Cough in Children
• How to Stop Coughing at Night
• Honey for Cough
• Cough Remedies at Home

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Veronique Cleas D'erckenteel

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