For a 10-month-old with a cough, over-the-counter cough medicines are not safe. The FDA warns against giving any OTC cough and cold products to children under 2 because they can cause serious, potentially life-threatening side effects like slowed breathing. Manufacturers voluntarily label these products with a stricter warning: “Do not use in children under 4 years of age.” Instead, you can rely on a handful of simple, effective strategies to ease your baby’s discomfort while the illness runs its course.
Why Most Infant Coughs Happen
Most coughs in babies under 12 months are part of a common cold that reaches the lower airways, a condition called viral bronchitis. The bronchi are the tubes that carry air into the lungs, and when a virus inflames them, coughing is the body’s way of clearing mucus. Cold viruses, influenza, and croup are the usual culprits. These infections typically resolve on their own within one to two weeks.
Environmental irritants can also trigger or worsen a cough. Tobacco smoke is the most common offender, but auto exhaust, paint fumes, and dry indoor air all irritate a baby’s airways. If anyone in your household smokes, keeping smoke completely away from your baby is one of the most effective things you can do to reduce coughing.
Saline Drops and Nasal Suctioning
Babies this age breathe primarily through their noses, so clearing nasal congestion often reduces coughing, especially the kind caused by mucus dripping down the back of the throat. Saline nasal drops are the safest and most effective tool you have. To use them, sit your baby upright or lay them on their back with their head slightly tipped back. Place the tip of the dropper just inside one nostril and gently squeeze a few drops in. Repeat on the other side.
After the saline has had a moment to loosen the mucus (about 30 seconds), you can use a bulb syringe or a newer nasal aspirator to gently suction out what’s loosened. This works especially well before feedings and before sleep, the two times congestion causes the most trouble. Wipe the dropper with a clean cloth or tissue after each use to keep it sanitary.
Keep Fluids Up
A coughing baby often doesn’t want to eat or drink as much, but staying hydrated keeps mucus thin and easier to clear. Continue offering breast milk or formula as your baby’s primary fluid source. If your baby is having trouble breathing while feeding, try offering smaller amounts more frequently, roughly every half hour. This lets your baby rest between feedings without falling behind on fluids. For babies under 1, an oral rehydration solution like Pedialyte is also an option if your baby seems to be drinking less than usual.
At 10 months, your baby may already be drinking small amounts of water with meals. That’s fine to continue, but breast milk or formula should remain the main source of hydration during illness.
Use a Cool Mist Humidifier
Dry air makes coughs worse. Running a cool mist humidifier in your baby’s room adds moisture to the air and can soothe irritated airways. The American Academy of Pediatrics specifically recommends cool mist models over warm mist vaporizers because vaporizers pose a burn risk if a child gets too close to the steam or knocks over the device.
Place the humidifier near (but not directly next to) the crib and clean it regularly to prevent mold and bacteria from building up in the water tank. A dirty humidifier can actually make respiratory symptoms worse.
Why Honey Is Not Safe Yet
Honey is a well-known cough remedy for older children, but it is not safe for any baby under 12 months. The CDC warns that honey given to children younger than 12 months can cause infant botulism, a severe form of food poisoning. This applies to honey in all forms: don’t add it to food, water, formula, or a pacifier. Your baby is only two months away from the safe threshold, but those two months matter. Once your child turns 1, a small amount of honey (about half a teaspoon) becomes an option for soothing coughs.
Safe Sleep With a Cough
It’s tempting to prop your baby up at night so they can breathe more easily, but this is not safe. The AAP recommends that babies always sleep flat on their backs on a firm, even surface, free of pillows, blankets, rolled towels, or any other props. When a baby’s head is elevated on an incline, their neck can flex forward or fall to the side, creating a bend in the airway that actually makes breathing harder. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has gone so far as to ban the sale of inclined sleepers for this reason.
Instead of elevating the crib, clear your baby’s nose with saline drops and gentle suctioning right before bedtime. Running a cool mist humidifier in the room can also help your baby breathe more comfortably through the night.
Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most infant coughs are caused by viruses and will improve on their own, but certain signs indicate your baby is struggling to breathe and needs immediate help. Watch for:
- Skin color changes: lips, skin, or nail beds turning pale, blue, or gray (on darker skin, check the palms and lips)
- Stomach pulling in under the ribcage with each breath
- Throat tugging: the skin at the base of the throat pulls inward, making the windpipe look more prominent
- Grunting sounds at the end of each breath
- See-saw breathing: the chest sucks in when your baby inhales and puffs out when they exhale, the opposite of normal
- Very fast breathing or pauses in breathing
Any of these signs means your baby is working much harder than normal to get air and needs emergency care right away. A cough that lasts longer than two weeks, comes with a fever that won’t come down, or seems to be getting worse rather than better also warrants a call to your baby’s pediatrician.