Cough Remedies for Kids

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Onions
Posted by Melissa (Alberta, Canada) on 03/26/2012
★★★★★

I never write in to these things, but the red onion recipe is great.

I have a 4 year old who has been battling a nasty cough at night. It was horrible, she would cough so hard that she would throw up. I made the red onion recipe (sliced the RED onion and put a little honey on top of each slice and then stacked them neatly in a bowl. Within a few hours the mixture was quite runny... So don't overdo it, with the honey! ). She woke up at 11:00pm, hacking and coughing, so I gave her 1 teaspoon (even though it hadn't been the 15 hours a previous poster had recommended... More like 8-10ish). She went straight back to sleep without coughing, but woke up again about an hour later coughing up a storm. I gave her 1 tsp. Again and she went straight back to sleep. She woke up this morning (after sleeping until 9:30!!! Without a cough) claiming that she feels much better.

It does taste onion-y though, but the honey disguises it nicely.

EC: Remember, no honey for babies 12 months and under.


Onions
Posted by Willowone (Athens, GA) on 05/02/2009
★★★★★

Onions for cough and congestion: My first child was colicky and had several colds with congestion. The doctors gave him antibiotics that did not seem to help. I felt like the cold went away on its own. My grandmother told me about the onions. My second and third children never had to take antibiotics. I would take a onion or part of onion about the size of a golf ball and grate up in a bowl.Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Cover and put in the fridge for 45 minutes. The sugar draws the syrup out of the onion. I would then take a dropper full and give to the child. It does not taste bad (try it yourself). It clears their chests and helps them sleep. I never had a problem with using it. Now when I feel like I am getting a cold I always eat more raw onions.


Onions
Posted by Marcela (Mexico) on 03/01/2009
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

Hi, my toddler had been coughing a little at night and after waking up, for several weeks now, but the last two days it was getting worse, so I decided to try two remedies at once: I cut an onion in half and put one half in a dish on his night table. And I spritzed a little Apple Cider Vinegar on both sides of his pillow. He coughed once, and then nothing. Slept through the whole night without a single cough. Upon waking up he coughed a little bit but nothing like the days before.

My husband is also recovering from some bad sinusitis and he began coughing last night as well, so once we saw that it worked for our little boy, we tried the same with him, only both halves of a (freshly cut) onion. And it was like pressing the "mute" button! No more coughing till like 5 a.m. I think the vapors wear off and it wasn't enough for the entire night for my husband, so tonight I'll try slicing another chunk off the onion when the cough restarts.

I had previously tried just the onion or just the Apple Cider Vinegar but I hadn't noticed much improvement. With both it was a really dramatic change, a mute button!


Onions
Posted by Faith (Louisville, KY) on 12/03/2008
★★★★★

When I was younger, around 10 or 11 years old, I went with my grandma to visit her relatives. I think I caught cold during that time because I played outside a lot in the snow with my cousins.

When the night came, I was coughing non-stop. No body could sleep because of me. Needless to say that we were at some village far from civilization, lol, and they could not take me to the doctor. Well, in the middle of the night, the lady of the house got up and came to me asking me to get up and eat some onion. Nooo!!! I hated onions. But, she talked me into eating some. I wrapped it in a piece of bread and swallowed quickly without chewing. Amazingly, I did not cough at all for the rest of the night.

I think it really worked, and I tried it few times later in my life. It is not pleasant to eat raw onions, but it will help you, that is for sure.

Now, when I get sick and cough, I cut up a whole onion and mix it with cottage cheese and some sour cream add some salt and eat it like a salad. It tastes so much better and helps me get rid of the cold much faster.