Question
For several days now, the child has been constantly coughing, but it’s not severe. The coughing is occasional during the day, but it gets worse at night, lasting longer. It’s been going on for several days, and we haven’t seen a doctor yet. Yesterday, the child started running a nose, and the mucus looks purulent.
Answer
Boiling water is an effective measure to prevent the further expansion of the illness when the baby first starts running a nose. I’ve seen on some parenting forums that if a baby drinks scallion white water for a day, they stop running a nose, and of course, the fever stops as well. The preparation is simple; just use a piece of scallion white from the root, about the length of a finger, and boil it in water for about half an hour to make about 300cc. You can add rock sugar for flavor. If there’s coughing, Shuibe pear water or steamed Shuibe pear are both good food therapy methods. It’s best to drink more pear water when the illness hasn’t escalated yet, as it generally has a noticeable effect. You can even boil both types of water together. I usually add a piece of scallion white to the Shuibe pear water, and it can also prevent fever and provide nutrition.