What medicine can pregnant women take for cold cough?
Pregnant women have relatively low immunity during pregnancy and are prone to colds and coughs. Since medication during pregnancy requires extra caution, many expectant mothers are confused about “what medicine to take when coughing.” This article will combine hot topics and medical advice from the entire Internet in the past 10 days to provide safe and effective relief solutions for pregnant women.
1. Common causes of cold and cough in pregnant women

Cold cough is mostly caused by exogenous wind-cold and manifests as cough, nasal congestion, runny nose and other symptoms. During pregnancy, hormonal changes cause the respiratory mucosa to become congested and more susceptible to irritation.
| Symptom type | Features | duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cold cough | Coughing white phlegm and feeling chills | 3-7 days |
| Wind-heat cough | Coughing yellow phlegm and sore throat | 5-10 days |
2. Safe Medication Guide
The U.S. FDA divides drugs used during pregnancy into five categories: A/B/C/D/X. Pregnant women should give priority to drugs in category A/B:
| Drug name | Classification | Applicable symptoms | Things to note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dextromethorphan | Category C | dry cough | Use with caution in early pregnancy |
| honey | natural food | night cough | Disabled under 1 year old |
| Chuanbei loquat paste | Chinese patent medicine | Cough with phlegm | Contains trace amounts of poppy shells |
3. Dietary therapy recommendations
5 safe dietary remedies that have been hotly discussed on social platforms in the past 10 days:
| Dietary therapy | Preparation method | Efficacy | heat index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock sugar snow pear | Pears + rock sugar steamed in water | Moisten the lungs and relieve cough | ★★★★★ |
| ginger syrup | Ginger + brown sugar boiled | Warm the stomach and dispel cold | ★★★★☆ |
| Luo Han Guo tea | Monk fruit soaked in water | Clear away heat and resolve phlegm | ★★★☆☆ |
4. Special reminder from experts
1.avoid usingCompound cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine may affect the blood supply to the placenta
2. If the cough lasts for more than 2 weeks, you need to check for allergies or asthma.
3. The "onion cough remedy" popular on Douyin has no scientific basis.
4. Weibo Super Chat data shows: 87% of pregnant women prefer physical therapy
5. Non-drug relief methods
Based on nearly 10,000 pregnancy notes in Xiaohongshu:
| method | Operational points | effectiveness |
|---|---|---|
| steam inhalation | 40℃ hot water + towel covering | Relieve nasal congestion |
| acupressure | Press Tiantu point | Relieve cough and asthma |
| raise pillow | 15-20 degree tilt | Reduce night cough |
Summary:Pregnant women with cold cough should follow the principle of "don't take medicine if you can". When the symptoms are mild, it is recommended to try dietary therapy. If medication is needed, be sure to choose drugs with clear pregnancy classification under the guidance of a doctor. Recent Baidu search data shows that the number of consultations related to "pregnant women's cough" increased by 23% month-on-month, indicating that this is a common health issue of concern in winter.
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