A baby only breathes through his nose, so congestion is a cause for concern as he doesn't have an open sinus passageway from nose to throat. Giving a baby medications is tricky, as getting the dose right is difficult, and the medicine might not even be effective. Several home remedies can be tried as a first line of response to help relieve mucus in a baby's chest.
Run the shower to make the bathroom steamy. Carry your baby into the steamy bathroom, staying there for about 10 to 15 minutes. Supervise the baby at all times during the steaming, and make sure the baby is clear of the direct path of the steam, which should loosen congestion, making it easier for the baby to spit it out.
Give the baby a soothing bath in warm water. Make sure the water will not burn the baby. The hot water will loosen the baby's mucus, making it easier for her to spit it out.
Run a vaporizer in the baby's room to create steam. Supervise the baby while the vaporizer is running, ensuring none of the baby's limbs are exposed to the steam. The vapors will loosen the baby's mucus, allowing him to spit it out more easily.
Get a chest rub from the local drugstore that's formulated for mucus removal for babies. Massage the rub into the chest, and the aromatherapy, combined with the massaging action, should help loosen the mucus so the baby can spit it out.
Drop one or two drops of infant saline spray you can buy at a local drugstore into the baby's nostrils. Do one nostril at a time, and insert the liquid with a dropper, while the baby is lying down or gently tilted backward. The liquid will help soften hard mucus. Gently remove loosened mucus with a bulb syringe.
Irrigate the baby's nasal passages using breastmilk. You can put a few drops of breastmilk on a cotton ball and, with the baby lying down or gently tilted backward, you can irrigate one nostril at a time. This method softens the mucus in a manner similar to the baby saline. Gently remove loosened mucus with a bulb syringe.
Warnings
Monitor the baby's condition over time. If your baby develops a fever, vomiting develops into diarrhea or if she is having persistent difficulty breathing, contact a physician.