My daughter had a terrible cough a while ago. I applied turmeric paste on her forehead, and then I applied Vicks to some warm paan (beetel leaves), and placed it on her chest. I did this around three to four times a day, for around fifteen minutes at a time. It worked like magic! INDIA

My baby is almost 12 years old now. Since the day she was born, whenever she would suffer from a cold or from colic, I would give her a pinch of turmeric powder with a little warm water. Her cold would completely dry out within a couple of days. Also I breastfed her till she turned 1.5 yrs. I strongly believe that because of this, her immunity is high and she has had rare incidents of colic and cold. Babies build their resistance in the first few years. If they are fed antibiotics during this time, it can hamper their natural resistance building process. Hence, use home remedies as much as possible. CANADA

For mild coughs, I find that a small amount of milk (1/4 cup) warmed, to which a little salt and a teaspoon of turmeric has been added, helps. It tastes foul, but the results are almost immediate! GERMANY

To get rid of your child's cough, wrap some Aniseed (ajwain) in a piece of cloth and make it into a ball. Heat the ball of cloth with an iron or 'tawa' and place it gently on your child's chest. Move it back and forth. Make sure the cloth isn't so hot, that it would burn your baby's skin! Your child will feel better. Do this for two days, and you will see results. Another tip is to crush tulsi paan and add a few drops of honey to this paste. Feed it to your baby. I have tried this on my ten-month-old son, and it really works! You can also give your child some hot milk mixed with a pinch of turmeric to drink. This will sooth your child's throat. PAKISTAN

If you are hesitant about feeding your baby any of these home remedies, try this: To a pinch of saffron add a few drops of water and grind. Apply this paste on your child's forehead, chest, back, hands and soles of feet.
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I have used this effective remedy for my 14 month old when he had a cold.
Heat some coconut oil with powdered camphor and allow it to cool down to a lukewarm state. Once there, apply the oil to the chest, back, nose, throat and forehead. The cold usually subsides after continuous application twice a day for about 2 days. HONG KONG
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If you have cough/congestion, add a tablespoon of honey and the juice of half a lemon to a glass of warm water. Drink up, the first thing in the morning. Kids should take a teaspoon of honey. Whenever my 4 year old has a cough, I give her ginger juice and honey and then some warm milk. It really helps. Humidifiers help too, but if you don't have one, place a wide pot filled with water in your child's bedroom. BANGLADESH