If your child has a cold, the main goals of treatment are to ensure they get plenty of rest and are drinking enough fluids. For infants under the age of 2, medications, even over-the-counter ones, shouldn’t be given without a doctor’s recommendation or prescription. To ease symptoms, here’s what you can try: Apply saline solution to your child’s nostril 15 minutes before feeding to loosen mucus. After a few minutes, use a rubber bulb to pull everything out. Use petroleum jelly to help with sore or irritated nostrils. Increase humidity in your child’s bedroom with a humidifier or vaporizer. Sit with your child in a homemade steam-room: your bathroom with doors closed and the shower on.