Hayfever Help for Toddlers and Young Children

It’s not just adults who can suffer from hayfever symptoms. Summer can bring rubbed red eyes and a runny nose for little ones too.

Although hayfever symptoms are still rare for children under the age of two, it is becoming more common among older children, with the numbers of young hayfever sufferers trebling over the past three decades.

But, just following some simple steps can help little ones feel more comfortable and avoid keeping them stuck indoors when the summer comes:

• Help protect children’s eyes and discourage rubbing with a pair of wraparound sunglasses.


• If you fancy a day out then check the pollen forecast and try to choose seaside trips or visits into town. These places usually have lower pollen counts than places such as the park (especially if the grass has just been cut).


• When you have been out for the day, change your child’s clothes and your own as soon as you come back into the house. Pollen attaches to the fibre of clothes and can contribute to hayfever symptoms.


• Spread some petroleum jelly around your child’s nostrils to help catch pollen before it is breathed in.


• Ask your local Boots pharmacist about suitable remedies since many antihistamines are not suitable for children under the age of 12.


• Use air conditioning in your car when travelling, rather than opening windows.


• Wipe pets down with a damp towel when they come in from the outside to remove pollen from fur.


• Wash your baby’s hands and face after being outdoors.


• Don’t dry your baby’s clothes and bedsheets outside on high pollen days as the fibres can capture pollen to be released later.


• If you want to help your child’s symptoms with a hayfever remedy, syrups can often be the easiest treatment to give your little ones, although as Boots pharmacist Angela Chalmers advises: “If you have children, remember to keep medicines out of their reach.”

Some hayfever remedy options you may want to consider include:

Boots Allergy Relief 1 Year Plus Antihistamine 2mg/5ml Syrup (suitable for children aged 1 year and over, contains Chlorphenamine Maleate always read the label)

Benadryl Allergy Oral Syrup contains cetirizine, suitable for children aged 2 and above, always read the label

Piriton Syrup 150ml suitable for children 1 year and over, contains Chlorphenamine Maleate, always read the label

HayMax Pure Organic Drug-Free Balm – 5ml suitable for adults and children

Related Categories:
Allergy & Hayfever
Itchy Eyes
Runny Nose
Nasal Congestion
Allergies Health Centre at Boots WebMD