Most baby sore throats are caused by common viruses like colds or flu, and they typically clear up on their own within a week. In the meantime, your main job is keeping your baby comfortable and hydrated. There are several safe, effective ways to do that at home, along with a few important safety rules to keep in mind.
Why Babies Get Sore Throats
Viruses cause the vast majority of sore throats in babies. The same bugs behind the common cold, flu, and other respiratory infections irritate the throat lining, making it red, swollen, and painful. Because babies can’t tell you their throat hurts, you’ll usually notice indirect signs: fussiness during feeding, refusing the breast or bottle, excess drooling, or a raspy-sounding cry.
Bacterial infections like strep throat are less common in babies and toddlers than in older children, but they do happen. Strep tends to come on suddenly and often causes a higher fever. A viral sore throat, by contrast, usually arrives alongside other cold symptoms like a runny nose or cough. Either way, the comfort measures below will help while your baby recovers.
Keep Fluids Going
A sore throat makes swallowing uncomfortable, so many babies start refusing feeds. That’s the single biggest concern, because even mild dehydration can make a sick baby feel much worse. Your approach depends on age:
- Under 6 months: Continue breastfeeding or formula feeding as often as your baby will accept it. Breast milk and properly mixed formula are the only fluids babies this young need. If your baby is losing fluids from fever or vomiting, an oral rehydration solution like Pedialyte can help, but check with your pediatrician first at this age.
- 6 to 12 months: Breast milk, formula, and an oral rehydration solution are all appropriate. Small sips of water are fine too, since your baby has likely started solids. Cool or slightly cold liquids can feel soothing on an inflamed throat.
- Over 12 months: In addition to milk and rehydration solutions, you can offer water, clear juices like apple or cranberry, and frozen popsicles made from an oral rehydration solution. These frozen options double as both hydration and throat relief.
Offer fluids in smaller, more frequent amounts rather than waiting for a full feeding. A baby who refuses a full bottle might still take an ounce or two every 20 to 30 minutes.
Watch for Dehydration
Because sore throats reduce how much a baby drinks, dehydration is a real risk. The clearest early warning sign is fewer wet diapers. If your baby goes three or more hours without a wet diaper, that’s a red flag. Other signs include a dry mouth, no tears when crying, sunken eyes or a sunken soft spot on top of the head, skin that stays pinched instead of flattening right back, and unusual crankiness or low energy. A rapid heart rate is another indicator, though it’s harder to spot without experience. If you notice several of these signs together, your baby needs medical attention promptly.
Use a Cool Mist Humidifier
Dry air irritates an already sore throat and makes congestion worse. Adding moisture to your baby’s room can ease both problems. The American Academy of Pediatrics specifically recommends cool mist humidifiers over warm mist vaporizers for children. Vaporizers boil water to produce steam, which creates a burn risk if a child gets too close or tips the device over. A cool mist humidifier produces the same throat-soothing humidity without any hot water involved.
Place the humidifier near (but not directly next to) where your baby sleeps. Clean it daily to prevent mold and bacteria from building up in the water reservoir, which would defeat the purpose.
Cold Foods for Older Babies
If your baby is old enough to eat solids (typically 6 months and up), cold or chilled foods can numb throat pain naturally. Refrigerated fruit purees, cold yogurt, or chilled applesauce are gentle on the throat and easy to swallow. For babies over 12 months, frozen fruit pops or small pieces of frozen banana can provide extra relief.
Warm foods work for some babies too. Lukewarm broth or warm (not hot) cereal can feel comforting and also count toward fluid intake. Follow your baby’s lead on temperature preference.
Pain Relief With Medication
When a sore throat is clearly making your baby miserable, infant acetaminophen can help reduce pain and bring down a fever. It’s available in liquid drops designed for babies. Ibuprofen is another option, but only for babies 6 months and older. Below that age, ibuprofen is not recommended unless specifically directed by your pediatrician.
Dosing for both medications is based on your baby’s weight, not age. The packaging includes weight-based charts, but if your baby is very young or you’re unsure, a quick call to your pediatrician’s office will get you the right dose. Never give aspirin to a baby or child of any age.
The Honey Rule
Honey is a popular sore throat remedy for adults and older kids, but it is not safe for any baby under 12 months. Honey can contain spores of a bacterium that causes infant botulism, a serious form of food poisoning. This applies to all forms of honey: raw, pasteurized, baked into foods, mixed into drinks, or spread on a pacifier. After your child’s first birthday, honey becomes a safe and effective throat soother. Before that, skip it entirely.
Other Comfort Measures
Saline nose drops can help if congestion is forcing your baby to breathe through the mouth, which dries out and further irritates the throat. A few drops in each nostril followed by gentle suction with a bulb syringe or nasal aspirator can make a noticeable difference, especially before feedings and sleep.
Keeping your baby upright for a while after feeding can also reduce throat irritation, since lying flat allows mucus to pool in the back of the throat. You don’t need a special device for this. Simply holding your baby against your chest at a slight incline works fine. Extra skin-to-skin contact and a calm, quiet environment help too. Sick babies are often overstimulated more easily, and reducing noise and activity can help them rest and recover faster.
Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most viral sore throats resolve within a few days to a week without any specific treatment. But certain symptoms signal something more serious. Call your pediatrician if the sore throat doesn’t improve after a few days, or if it comes with a fever. A persistent high fever alongside throat pain raises the possibility of a bacterial infection like strep, which requires antibiotics.
Call 911 or go to the emergency room if your baby has trouble breathing, severe difficulty swallowing, excessive drooling that’s new and unusual, a stiff neck, or visible swelling in the neck. These can indicate a dangerous obstruction or infection that needs immediate treatment. Trust your instincts on this. If something looks wrong beyond a typical cold, it probably warrants a call.