While your baby can’t speak up and tell you that he has a sore throat, you’ll probably be able to tell when his throat hurts him by its bright red color and by changes in his behavior. Since it hurts to swallow, he may not want to eat or may cry when you try to feed him. Most sore throats in infants are caused a cold or the flu, although some babies may have allergies, tonsillitis, or in rare cases, strep throat.
Warm Liquid
Give your baby a few sips of chicken broth, which can help fight inflammation. The warmth of the broth can also help ease your baby’s pain. You can also try giving him a few sips of hot tea or water with lemon juice. Leave out the honey if he’s younger than 1, and make sure the liquid is not too hot. You don’t want to burn his mouth accidentally.
Pain Relievers
Ask your doctor about giving your baby a pain reliever, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, to ease his pain. Only give him the dose of pain reliever indicated on the package or as your doctor directs.
Iced Treats
Ice cold fruit pops can help relieve your baby’s sore throat pain as well. If you don’t have fruit pops on hand, place a sippy cup or bottle of juice in the freezer for a few minutes to get it very cold. You can also give him ice chips to soothe the pain.
Humidifier
Place a humidifier in your infant’s room while he sleeps to add moisture to the air and soothe a sore throat caused by overly dry air. A humidifier will come in especially handy if your baby is the type to sleep with his mouth open, which causes it to dry out and makes a sore throat feel worse.
Antibiotics
If your doctor confirms that your infant has strep throat, a course of antibiotics will clear up the infection and cure the sore throat. Don’t give him antibiotics unless prescribed by your doctor, though. When prescribed antibiotics, make sure you give your baby the full course, even if he seems to get better after a few days. Stopping the medication too early can lead to serious problems, such as rheumatic fever, according to MayoClinic.com.
