1. Coughs requiring immediate medical attention
1. If a child suddenly coughs severely and has difficulty breathing, there may be a foreign object blocking their trachea. Commonly swallowed items include peanuts, pencil caps, pills, buttons, and coins. This situation is extremely dangerous and requires immediate medical attention.
2. If a patient develops a high fever, cough, wheezing, and difficulty breathing, they should be taken to the hospital immediately for emergency treatment.
3. Infants are prone to bronchiolitis, a type of pneumonia. Symptoms include a pale, often cyanotic complexion, rapid breathing, shoulder retraction, and lower chest wall retraction during inhalation. These signs require immediate medical attention.
Second, parents can observe the cough first and not rush to the hospital.
1. Although there is cough and fever, the patient is in good spirits, which is mostly due to a cold or tonsillitis.
2. Coughing persists even after catching a cold, having a fever, and coughing.
3. Cough with phlegm, but no fever, and good spirits.
4. Coughing that only occurs in the early morning.
5. A slight cough when nervous or after exercise.
Because coughs can be categorized into external and internal causes, and external coughs are further divided into wind-cold and wind-heat coughs, the medications and dietary therapies for these different types of coughs are completely different. Here's a simple way for parents to distinguish between them: observe your child's tongue coating. If the tongue coating is white, it indicates a wind-cold cough, meaning the child has a severe cold, and the phlegm is thin, white, and sticky, accompanied by nasal congestion and runny nose. In this case, the child should eat warm foods that help resolve phlegm and stop coughing. If the child's tongue coating is yellow or red, it indicates a wind-heat cough, meaning the child has significant internal heat, and the phlegm is yellow, thick, and difficult to cough up, accompanied by a sore throat. In this case, the child should eat foods that clear the lungs, resolve phlegm, and stop coughing. Internal causes are often chronic and recurring coughs. In this case, parents should focus on giving the child foods that regulate the spleen and stomach, nourish the kidneys, and replenish lung qi. Specific methods are as follows:
Baby's dietary therapy for colds and coughs
1. Ginger + Brown Sugar + Garlic
If a child has a cold, drinking warm ginger and brown sugar water can be very effective. If the child also has a cough, you can add 2-3 cloves of garlic to the ginger and brown sugar water and boil it over low heat for 10 minutes to remove the spiciness of the garlic so that the child will be willing to drink it.
2. Garlic water
Take 2-3 cloves of garlic, crush them, put them in a bowl, add half a bowl of water and a piece of rock sugar. Cover the bowl and steam it in a pot. After bringing it to a boil over high heat, reduce to low heat and steam for 15 minutes. Feed the child the garlic water when it is warm. The garlic itself does not need to be eaten. Generally, give it to the child 2-3 times a day, about half a small bowl each time. Garlic is warm in nature and enters the spleen, stomach, and lung meridians. It is very effective in treating cold-type coughs and coughs due to kidney deficiency. It is also convenient and simple, and children are willing to drink it.
3. Roasted oranges
Roast the oranges directly over a low flame, turning them constantly, until the peel turns black and steam rises from the oranges. Let the oranges cool slightly, then peel them and let the child eat the warm segments. If it's a large orange, 2-3 segments are enough for a child at a time; if it's a small mandarin orange, the child can eat one. It's best to eat it with garlic water, 2-3 times a day. Oranges are warming in nature and have the effect of resolving phlegm and relieving coughs. After eating roasted oranges, the amount of phlegm will be significantly reduced, the cough-suppressing effect is very obvious, and children are willing to eat them.
4. Scrambled eggs with sesame oil and minced ginger
Put a small spoonful of sesame oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, add minced ginger and sauté briefly. Then, crack in an egg and stir-fry until combined. For children with colds, coughs, or coughs due to weakness, give this to them before bedtime each night while it's still warm. Continue this for a few days to see noticeable results.
5. Pear + Sichuan peppercorns + rock sugar
Take a fresh pear, wash it, cut it in half horizontally, remove the core, put in 20 peppercorns and 2 rock sugar pieces, put the pear halves back together in a bowl, and steam for about half an hour. One pear can be eaten in two servings. Steamed pear with peppercorns and rock sugar is very effective in treating coughs caused by wind and cold, but some children do not like the taste of peppercorns, so parents can choose to accept the peppercorns themselves.
6. Pear + Rock Sugar + Fritillaria Cirrhosa
Cut the pear horizontally near the stem, remove the core, and place 2-3 rock sugar pieces and 5-6 pieces of Sichuan fritillary bulb (crushed into powder) inside. Put the pear back together, place it in a bowl, and steam for about 30 minutes. Give it to your baby in two portions. This recipe has the effect of moisturizing the lungs, relieving cough, and resolving phlegm. Because babies nowadays generally prefer cool things, using air conditioning when it's hot, and eating cold fruits all year round, the number of babies suffering from wind-heat cough has significantly decreased.
7. Fish mint and pork lung soup
Take 30 grams of houttuynia cordata and 250 grams of pig lung; wash them thoroughly and cut the pig lung into pieces. Stir-fry the pig lung in an iron pot until cooked through, then rinse with clean water and drain. Put the above ingredients, along with 1/4 of a monk fruit, into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours, reducing to 2-3 bowls. Season with salt and drink in 2-3 servings. This soup has the effects of clearing heat, resolving phlegm, and relieving cough, and is particularly effective in treating wind-heat cough.
8. You can also give your baby the following foods:
① Persimmon: It is very cold in nature and can clear heat, resolve phlegm, and stop coughing. However, babies can only eat one at a time, as eating too many will cause stomach discomfort.
② Watermelon: It is cooling in nature and can treat all heat-related illnesses. If a baby has a wind-heat cough in the summer, give him more watermelon and plenty of water.
③ Loquat: It has a cooling nature and can moisten the lungs, resolve phlegm, and relieve cough. It is suitable for babies with heat-related coughs and yellow purulent sputum.
④ Water chestnuts: Water chestnuts are cooling in nature. Water chestnut water can resolve phlegm and clear heat. Take 2-3 water chestnuts, peel them, slice them thinly, put them in a pot, add a bowl of water, and boil for 5 minutes. This remedy is effective for those with heat-related coughs and purulent sputum.
When a baby has a cough due to wind-heat, you can give him/her winter melon soup, stir-fried loofah, stir-fried lotus root slices, and stir-fried bitter melon, which can also help clear internal heat, reduce inflammation, and stop coughing. Spicy and heat-inducing foods should be avoided, such as mutton, dog meat, black-boned chicken, fish, shrimp, dates, longan pulp, lychee, walnuts, chili peppers, cherries, and silkworm pupae.
9. Ginger + Brown Sugar + Garlic
If a child has a cold, drinking warm ginger and brown sugar water can be very effective. If the child also has a cough, you can add 2-3 cloves of garlic to the ginger and brown sugar water and boil it over low heat for 10 minutes to remove the spiciness of the garlic so that the child will be willing to drink it.
10. Yam porridge
Peel the yam, cut it into small pieces, and put it in a food processor with half a bowl of water. Process the yam into a thin paste. Then pour it into a pot, bring it to a boil, stirring constantly. It's best for babies to eat this on an empty stomach. One bowl of yam porridge can be divided into 2-3 servings. Yam strengthens the spleen and stomach, nourishes lung qi, and benefits kidney essence. This recipe is most suitable for infants and young children. It not only relieves coughs and treats asthma, but also has a good therapeutic effect on children's anorexia, excessive sweating, drooling, qi deficiency, and timidity. It is important to note that the yam should not be cooked for too long, otherwise the amylase it contains will break down, losing its nourishing effects.
11. Red dates + ginkgo nuts
This recipe is suitable for children over 2 years old. Place 3 red dates and 3 ginkgo nuts in a small pot, add about half a bowl of water, and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Give this to your child before bedtime each night. Red dates are warm in nature, replenish qi, and strengthen the spleen and stomach; ginkgo nuts are neutral in nature, astringe lung qi, relieve coughs and asthma, and have a kidney-strengthening effect. Therefore, it is very effective for children with persistent coughs, recurrent colds, coughs, and fevers. It can also treat bedwetting. It is important to note that the amount of red dates and ginkgo nuts must be carefully controlled, limited to 3 nuts. Too much can cause the child to experience internal heat and qi stagnation.
12. Walnuts + Sesame Seeds + Red Dates + Honey
Take half a pound of walnuts, 2 ounces of black sesame seeds, and half a pound of red dates. Crush them and put them in a large bowl, stirring well. Then add 1 tablespoon of honey and 3 tablespoons of water (because honey is difficult to mix evenly, you can heat the honey and water on the stove first). Cover the bowl and place it in a large pot to steam. After bringing it to a boil over high heat, reduce to low heat and steam for 40 minutes. Give your baby one spoonful every morning and evening. This formula is most suitable for children, not only treating chronic cough, bronchitis, and asthma in children, but also having a very good effect on constipation. Long-term use of this formula can strengthen your baby's constitution.
13. Black Bean and Persimmon Porridge
Take 25 grams of black-skinned green soybeans, 5 large black dates, 1 dried persimmon, and 30 grams of glutinous rice. Roast the black-skinned green soybeans over low heat until the skins crack. Remove the pits from the black dates, slice the dried persimmon, and wash the glutinous rice. First, put the black soybeans, black dates, and dried persimmon into a pot, add an appropriate amount of water, and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Then add the glutinous rice and cook into porridge. The porridge is ready to eat. Infants and young children should drink the porridge water and not eat the solids. This porridge can nourish the spleen and lungs, and treat chronic cough due to lung deficiency.
14. French Summer Almond and Partridge Soup
Clean and gut one partridge, cut it into large pieces, and blanch it to remove any fishy smell. Peel 15 grams of southern apricot kernels and 10 grams of northern apricot kernels. Add 12 grams of Pinellia ternata, 2 jujubes, and 3 grams of dried tangerine peel to a pot, add enough water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Season with a little salt before serving. For infants, divide the soup into two portions and serve over two days. This soup is beneficial for lung health, phlegm removal, and cough relief.
15. Fig, lotus seed, lily bulb, and pork tendon soup
Blanch 200g of pork shank to remove the gamey smell. Place 30g of sugar-free pork shank, 25g of lotus seeds, and 25g of lily bulbs in a pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 1-2 hours. Season with a little salt before serving. This soup can invigorate qi and strengthen the spleen, as well as moisten the lungs and relieve coughs.
