Prepare an herbal bath by putting a few drops of eucalyptus, sage, or thyme oil into a warm bath for your child. Breathing in the herbal vapors will soothe an irritated throat.

Homeopathy
Choose an appropriate symptom-specific homeopathic remedy from the list below. Please note that if you are also treating your child with an aromatic herbal treatment (such as menthol lozenges, osha root tea, or an herbal rub with eucalyptus and/or peppermint), you should allow one hour between the two. Otherwise, the strong smell of the herbal treatment may interfere with the action of the homeopathic remedy.

Use Antimonium tartaricum if your child is pale and tired and complains of a tight, burning sensation in her chest and of feeling "breathless." She has a rattling cough, due to a respiratory tract filled with thick mucus that is difficult to cough up. To loosen the congestion, give her one dose of Antimonium tartaricum 30x or 9c, three times daily, for twenty-four to thirty-six hours.

Note: Antimonium tartaricum should not be used in the presence of fever. If your child has a fever, select a different remedy.

If your child has a high fever with her cough and is sweating copiously, give her one dose of Belladonna 30x or 9c, three times daily, for one day.

If your child has a dry, painful cough and feels better resting and worse with activity, give her one dose of Bryonia 30x or 9c, three times daily, for two days.

Give a child with a dry and spasmodic cough Drosera 12x or 6c. This is for a child who usually feels worse at night and when lying down. Give one dose, three times daily, for two days.

If your child has a loose, rattling cough, has a yellow-green nasal discharge, and is tearful, give her one dose of Pulsatilla 30x or 9c, three times a day, for two days.

Spongia is for the child with a dry, barking cough. The Spongia child typically feels better sipping a hot drink. One dose of Spongia 12x or 6c, given three times daily, for two days, will help. If your child has this type of cough, she should also be examined for croup.

If none of the remedies above seems right for your child, a homeopathic combination cough remedy, available in homeopathic pharmacies and larger health food stores, may be helpful.

General Recommendations
Make a tea from osha root, slippery elm bark, coltsfoot, and/or marshmallow root, and give it to your child three to four times daily.

Choose and administer a suitable homeopathic remedy.

Give your child menthol or zinc and herbal lozenges.

Prepare an herbal bath or herbal chest rub for your child.

Avoid exposing your child to cold winds and changes in temperature, which can aggravate a cough.