Cough in a baby
When an adult coughs, it’s a nuisance, but when a baby coughs, it’s a real tragedy. The child cannot say that it hurts, he just cries. Parents do not understand what to do and what to grab onto.
Table of contents:
- Cough in a baby
- Causes of cough in infants
- Types of cough in infants
- The baby has a dry cough
- Wet cough in a baby
- Infant cough without fever
- Cough and runny nose in infants
- Cough and wheezing in infants
- How to treat a cough in a baby
- Folk remedies for cough in infants
- Why does a newborn cough?
- How exactly does a newborn cough?
- Why does a newborn baby cough?
- Cough in newborns: treatment
- Your baby is coughing: should you worry?
- Why does my baby cough?
- Coughing is a normal, protective reaction of the body.
- Baby teething as a test of endurance
- Low air humidity
- Contaminated air
- Intrauterine infection - infection of the baby before birth
- The baby is sneezing and coughing
- What to do if your baby coughs in the morning?
- Cough after feeding
- Treatment of cough in infants
- Actions for a runny nose during ARVI
- If the air in the room is dry
- Mucolytics allowed in infancy
- The baby is coughing: what is the reason, how to treat the newborn?
- Why does an infant cough?
- If your baby coughs in his sleep
- How to treat cough in a newborn?
- Cough preparations for infants
- Expectorants
- Mucaltic drugs
- Antitussives
- An infant is coughing - what should parents do?
- When does a newborn baby cough?
- Why might a newborn baby cough?
- What is the danger of a cough in a baby?
- How to treat the disease in newborns?
- Why does a newborn cough in his sleep?
- The baby is coughing
- Types of cough in infants
- Duration of infant cough
- The baby is coughing - what to do?
- Do not delay in seeing a doctor if:
- Comments (2):
- Cough in a baby
- Causes of cough in infants
- How to help a baby if he is coughing?
- How to prevent cough in an infant?
- Cough in a newborn
- Causes of cough in a newborn
- Methods for treating cough in an infant
- Is prevention possible?
In order to help your child, you first need to calm down. Then you need to visit a pediatrician, preferably one who has a good reputation. And then - strictly follow the doctor’s instructions and monitor the child’s condition.
Causes of cough in infants
Cough is a pathological condition that often occurs in childhood. A cough does not always need to be eliminated with pills. In order to begin treatment, you need to show the child to a specialist, and only then resort to medication. Respiratory infections cause pathological processes in the upper or lower respiratory tract, as a result of which the baby begins to cough.
Airway inflammation usually begins with a dry cough that becomes wet over time. If the nature of the cough does not change for a long time, it means that the child has developed a complication.
Causes of cough in seemingly healthy infants: foreign body entering the respiratory tract, excessively dry air, cigarette smoke.
Types of cough in infants
Cough can be pathological and physiological. In any case, it is needed to clear the airways. If the cough is caused by excessive crying or the baby choking on milk, there is no need to treat it. Clearing the airways and a calm environment will help.
A pathological cough must be treated, as it indicates an infection has entered the respiratory tract. Types of cough in infants: dry and wet. With a dry cough, no mucus is produced. This type of cough can be a sign of pharyngitis, tracheitis and bronchitis. When phlegm begins to move through the respiratory tract, the cough becomes wet, which means that recovery is near.
The baby has a dry cough
Acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections, bronchitis, influenza, adenoids, sore throat, sinusitis - all these and many other diseases are accompanied by cough. A sudden cough without signs of a cold indicates that a foreign body has entered the respiratory tract. If you cannot remove it yourself, you must call an ambulance; surgery may be required.
If your baby has a dry cough, you should visit a pediatrician. If you have an allergy, you must remove from the room everything that can cause an allergy. Cough can be a reaction to dust, smoke, wool, pollen and food.
Wet cough in a baby
During the off-season, coughs visit almost every home. Cold air and temperature changes make the respiratory tract vulnerable and defenseless. Any infection that feels at ease in the slush clings to the respiratory organs, which are unprepared for the cold.
A wet cough in an infant is a good cough in which sputum along with pathogenic microorganisms comes out. Under no circumstances should such a cough be suppressed; anything that interferes with breathing must be evacuated. At this time, it is more advisable to use expectorants and mucolytics of plant and synthetic origin. The most common are “Doctor Mom”, “Bronchicum”, “Pectusin”, “Prospan”, “Mukaltin” and others.
Infant cough without fever
A cough is not always accompanied by a high fever. With ARVI, the nose becomes blocked, the child begins to breathe through the mouth and his airways dry out, as a result of which a cough begins.
A baby's cough without fever may be a consequence of poor environmental conditions. Stale air, gas pollution and tobacco smoke can provoke not only a cough, but also an attack of suffocation. Parents should monitor not only the cleanliness of the air in the room in which the child is located, but also the level of humidity in it.
Cough and runny nose in infants
Every year the environment becomes more unpredictable and aggressive. Sometimes the immune system simply cannot cope with all the attacks that it faces.
Cough and runny nose in infants can occur due to pathogens and bacteria. When a person breathes, he constantly swallows a large number of microbes, which are just waiting for at least a slight weakening of the immune system in order to colonize and multiply in the body. The weaker the immune system, the longer a person is sick. If treatment is not started in time, the cough will become chronic and then it will be almost impossible to get rid of it.
Cough and wheezing in infants
Newborns are sensitive to air quality, so the cause of cough is not easy to find. It can arise from anything. Because young children have narrow nasal passages, dust accumulates in them much faster than in adults. If an adult understands that his nose is clogged and needs to be cleared, then the child does not understand this and only begins to cry. Coughing and wheezing in a baby may occur due to the fact that a clogged nose does not allow air to pass through normally. In order to solve the problem, you need to install a humidifier, frequently do wet cleaning, ventilate the room and spend a lot of time outdoors.
How to treat a cough in a baby
Almost all parents, sooner or later, are faced with the question: “How to treat a cough in a baby?”
The fact is that cough is a natural continuation of acute respiratory infections, from which it is extremely difficult to protect yourself. First, the mucous surfaces swell and a dry cough occurs, then, in response to this, the baby’s body begins to produce more sputum (mucus) and the cough becomes wet. Mucus protects the baby from a dry cough, but the sputum itself needs to be removed away from the respiratory tract, which is done with a wet cough.
To relieve a baby's dry cough at night, a spoonful of sweetened warm milk before bed is enough.
Cough in infants can last longer than a week, especially in the morning. If we are talking about residual cough, then its duration depends little on the measures taken.
Folk remedies for cough in infants
Traditional medicine is good, but not for newborns. It is only at first glance that it seems that traditional medicine is absolutely safe. In fact, medicinal plants are real medicines that must be given strictly according to the prescription, and without violating the preparation technology.
Traditional medicine can be used only with the permission of a doctor. If parents like a recipe, they should first ask the doctor whether it is possible to give such a homemade mixture to the child or not.
Folk remedies for cough in infants: egg mixture, linden tea, chamomile decoction with honey and others. In order to prepare the egg mixture, you need to take a glass of milk, a tablespoon of butter, a tablespoon of honey, an egg yolk and ¼ teaspoon of soda. Heat everything, mix and take three times a day. The dose depends on the patient's age. If we are talking about an infant, then first you need to ask your pediatrician how harmless this medicine is in your particular case.
Source: http://grudnichki.com/zdorove/227-kashel-u-grudnichka
Why does a newborn cough?
Cough is usually perceived as a sign of illness. And if a newborn coughs, it can create the impression of a catastrophe: the baby is not even a month old, but he already has a cold?! Mothers begin to search in their memory for the moment when they did not protect their child, seasoning their self-flagellation with a storm of emotions. However, before you beat yourself up and panic, it will be much better to understand why a newborn is coughing and identify the main features of a particular case.
How exactly does a newborn cough?
The first step is to determine how a newborn baby coughs. Of course, analysis of the situation is complicated not only by the emotional experiences of the parents, but also by the characteristics of children of this age. After all, it can be very difficult to characterize the behavior of an infant’s body, which is still noticeably different from adults. However, the seriousness of the situation can be judged by the simplest indicators: how often the newborn coughs and whether there are accompanying symptoms.
Indeed, against the background of coughing, an increase in temperature, the appearance of nasal discharge, tearfulness or souring of the eyes, as well as other manifestations that can be regarded as symptoms of an illness should be alarming. An unsupported, single cough is rarely an indicator of illness. If a newborn coughs literally once or twice, then there is nothing to worry about at all. This happens very often with babies, but it does not at all indicate any malaise. But a prolonged and hysterical cough requires an immediate call to a specialist’s home.
Why does a newborn baby cough?
- The kid just choked. This can be during feeding or immediately after it. It is also common for newborns to cough before burping. In addition, in small children, salivation is still poorly regulated - it is often excessive. In infants, cough for this reason is most often observed in the morning. This problem later returns during teething. However, it is important to be absolutely sure that the child choked on milk or saliva, and not on some foreign object. If there is no such confidence, it is necessary to check whether there are crumbs of anything extra in the mouth or neck, and, of course, remove it if found. But it is better to anticipate such situations and prevent small objects from appearing within the baby’s reach;
- Reaction to air composition. The room where a small child is located must be regularly ventilated. The humidity of the air also matters - often a newborn coughs because the air is too dry, but excess moisture will not do him any good. There should also be no unnecessary odors or substances - perfumes, tobacco smoke or kitchen aromas. It is also better not to resort to essential oils and incense for now; use fragrances very carefully and in measured doses when washing things, as well as room air fresheners. You should carefully select household chemicals;
- Upper respiratory tract infection. Colds in infants can be caused by both hypothermia and contact with infection. Moreover, for children of this age, even a small amount of bacteria or viral organisms is enough to get sick. So, unfortunately, a newborn does not always cough without special reasons and consequences. Therefore, in the first month of life, it is strongly recommended to limit the access of strangers to the children's territory and directly to the child himself. Parents should also temporarily minimize all kinds of meetings and being in particularly crowded places, where the risk of contracting an infection increases many times over. It is important to be careful regardless of the time of year or weather conditions - although “cold” epidemics are less common in winter, microorganisms feel great in the warmth. Increased hygiene measures and regular ventilation of premises will help prevent many problems. And, of course, the baby shouldn’t be cold;
- Congenital pneumonia. According to sad medical statistics, it increasingly happens that a newborn coughs due to a congenital disease. In this case, the cough is usually wet, even gurgling, long and painful. With such symptoms, it is necessary to begin treatment as soon as possible.
Cough in newborns: treatment
The first question parents have when their precious newborn coughs is what to do? During this very difficult period for both the baby and older family members, in any potentially dangerous situation it is necessary to seek help from a specialist. Even the most observant and caring mothers and fathers in the first weeks still do not understand their baby well enough, see changes in his well-being and behavior, and can correctly evaluate them. Therefore, when a newborn coughs, it is better to overestimate the situation than to underestimate it. Changes in the body of a little person do not always manifest themselves in exactly the same way as in adults, and the speed of these processes is sometimes amazing in its speed and consequences.
If you suspect a cold or there are associated complications, it is best to call emergency pediatric medical care. You shouldn’t rely on improvised remedies and folk methods - they are good for adults, teenagers and even preschool children, but if a newborn coughs, you should at least consult a doctor. If necessary, the specialist will prescribe appropriate treatment, taking into account the characteristics of the disease, as well as the age of the little man.
Text: Elena Yasakova
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Your baby is coughing: should you worry?
An infant is a defenseless and tender creature. Even minor illnesses on his part plunge adults into panic. So why does a baby cough, and what to do if such a nuisance happens in your family, we will tell you further.
Why does my baby cough?
Coughing is a normal, protective reaction of the body.
Until the age of two months, the child coughs because his respiratory system adapts to the new environment. The baby’s behavior does not change, he eats actively and sleeps enough. Over time, such coughing disappears.
Baby teething as a test of endurance
Photo 1. During teething, the child becomes capricious.
The appearance of denticles is a painful process. The baby reacts to it with an increase in temperature, sleep disturbances, refusal to eat, and secretion of a large amount of saliva, which he coughs out (wet cough) or spits.
This phenomenon can be mistakenly mistaken for ARVI. But swollen and reddened gums in the beginnings of baby teeth inform frightened parents that the child is growing up.
Otitis media inflammation of the middle ear. The cough is associated with irritation of the nerve, which innervates the oropharynx and ear cavity with its branches. Therefore, the impulse reflexively passes from the damaged organ to the healthy one, and symptoms of both otitis and pharyngitis (inflammation of the pharynx) appear.
Low air humidity
Parents try to create a warm, cozy environment for their child, even in the summer, and can overdo it. The child is bothered by a dry, hacking cough. And all because of the too dry indoor climate. Dry air irritates the mucous membrane of the back of the throat.
Advice! Parents, remember that maintaining sufficient air humidity is necessary for both adults and children. After all, water is life. And it is also needed for the functioning of the respiratory system. Be careful!
Contaminated air
Air has a detrimental effect on a small family member. Therefore, stop smoking at least around your child. If a baby coughs in a yard where there is industrial smoke or the result of burning autumn leaves, then it is better to choose a more suitable place for a walk.
Intrauterine infection - infection of the baby before birth
The child faces congenital pneumonia, which is difficult to treat. This happens when a mother suffers from infectious diseases during pregnancy and does not receive adequate treatment.
The baby is sneezing and coughing
Often these are symptoms of a common cold or ARVI. As a rule, the disease is accompanied by fever and copious mucous discharge from the nasal cavity. The same secretions provoke a wet cough when they fall on the back wall of the throat (the sensitive cough zone of the upper respiratory tract), and sneezing.
If the baby wheezes and coughs, this is an alarm for parents. These may be symptoms of acute laryngotracheitis or, as it is popularly called, false croup, which is accompanied by shortness of breath, a specific barking cough (see Barking cough in a child without fever: possible causes), noisy breathing and, if assistance is not provided in a timely manner, can end sadly.
In this case, it is also necessary to humidify the air. Hot steam from a working kettle or a bath with plenty of water (sauna effect), distraction therapy in the form of a back massage or patting the buttocks will help.
Congenital heart disease is accompanied by a dry, frequent cough, shortness of breath, paleness, and blue discoloration of the skin. The baby is restless, the intercostal spaces and fontanelles are intensely retracted when the baby cries.
Advice! Suspicion of a pathology of heart development is a reason to contact a pediatric cardiologist. It is also important to know that infants have a normal heart rate - beats / min at rest, and, for comparison, adults.
What to do if your baby coughs in the morning?
Morning is the time for the reign of the vagus. In other words, physiological activation of the vagus nerve, which causes the bronchi to narrow.
Shortness of breath combined with wheezing are symptoms of acute obstructive bronchitis or bronchial asthma. The latter ailment is hereditary, associated with allergies (see How to recognize an allergic cough in a child) and requires particularly careful examination and treatment. Children whose mothers are accustomed to smoking cigarettes are at risk for developing bronchitis.
Cough after feeding
Occurs for several reasons:
- Inappropriate position for breastfeeding
- A large amount of milk in the mother's breast
- Increased pressure inside the stomach.
Advice! To better regurgitate excess milk, the mother should lift the baby and gently press her to her, put a warm diaper on the tummy, in a word, relax the intestinal muscles. This way you can also stop an attack of intestinal colic, which is manifested by the child’s agitation when he cries after feeding due to bloating and gas not passing.
Treatment of cough in infants
You need to contact a specialist. A doctor who examines and treats newborns is a neonatologist. A pediatrician cares for babies older than one month.
Actions for a runny nose during ARVI
In this case, the baby’s nose should be washed with an antiseptic solution. The best option is drops. Then, using a rubber bulb, the contents of each nasal cavity are removed in turn.
Advice! During this unpleasant procedure, it is necessary to close the entrance to the baby’s ear with your finger to prevent mucus from entering the ear cavity behind the pressure gradient. In this way, you will prevent the development of otitis media.
If the air in the room is dry
Simple ways to increase air humidity in your home:
- If it is cool outside, it is enough to open the window in the room for a short time.
- Place a bowl of water near the hot radiator. You can make a simple device from a plastic bottle and secure it in a warm place. The water will evaporate and the climate in the room will improve significantly.
- Shake the wet towel several times.
- Hang wet bedding around the perimeter of the room.
When the cause of cough is confirmed bronchial asthma or bronchitis, the doctor prescribes inhalation of saline solution, bronchodilators (bronchodilators) through a nebulizer - a modern device for converting liquid into fine particles that easily enter even the most distant and narrow branches of the bronchial tree.
Instructions for pulmicort:
- The active substance is budesonide.
- Group of drugs: hormonal bronchodilator.
Pulmicort is a drug that dilates the bronchi.
- The effect occurs 1 hour after administration, but lasts a long time.
- Release form: suspension for inhalation, 0.25 ml/kg.
- Indication: bronchial asthma.
- Price: about 400 UAH.
- for babies under 6 months, with caution and according to strict indications - 0.25 mg/kg/day, diluted with 0.9% saline before use;
- children over 6 months - 0.25-0.5 mg/kg/day.
Advice! The solution for inhalation must be prepared strictly according to the instructions and used within 30 minutes.
If there is no nebulizer at home, use inhalations (see How to carry out inhalations for a dry cough at home) over a bowl of steaming tea made from rose hips, sage herb or chamomile flowers. The method is cheap but effective. Dried plants cost pennies in pharmacies, and do not cause side effects when used in moderation.
Mucolytics—medicines that reduce the viscosity of sputum—help turn a dry cough into a wet one.
Mucolytics allowed in infancy
To prevent coughing attacks, traditional medicine advises placing sage leaves in the corners of the nursery.
- use special toys for biting, which must first be cooled; they relax the gums well and relieve pain due to their distracting effect;
- grandmother's method - lubricating the gums with a thin layer of honey, but provided that there is no allergy;
- Dentol 7.5% is an anesthetic ointment approved for children over 4 months of age.
The video in this article will introduce parents to the basic information about physiological coughs and those that indicate illness.
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The information is provided for general information only and cannot be used for self-medication.
You should not self-medicate, it can be dangerous. Always consult your doctor.
Source: http://kashel.su/prichiny/grudnichka-prichiny/grudnichok-kashlyaet-77
The baby is coughing: what is the reason, how to treat the newborn?
In infants, cough can be physiological in nature or be a symptom of one of the upper respiratory tract diseases. Before treating a cough in an infant, it is necessary to identify the cause of its occurrence. Treatment should only be prescribed by a doctor, so you need to consult a pediatrician. But it is important for parents to know what causes a child’s cough and how to help the child get rid of it.
Why does an infant cough?
Normally, a baby can cough up to 10 times per day, since coughing and sneezing are a protective reflex of the body. When cleansing the bronchi in newborns, mucus flows down the back wall of the nasopharynx, which becomes irritated and causes coughing. In addition, natural causes of the symptom are:
- expectoration of milk;
- the baby does not yet know how to swallow saliva;
- lying on your back for a long time;
- There are elements in the air that irritate the mucous membranes in the form of dust, chemicals, and tobacco smoke.
Cough can be a symptom of the disease and has several varieties:
- A dry cough in an infant can occur either due to natural causes or signal the onset of an acute respiratory viral infection. It can be a symptom of allergies, whooping cough, bronchial asthma. In some cases, the cough may appear dry when it is actually wet. It’s just that a newborn does not spit out phlegm, but swallows it.
- A dry barking cough requires calling an ambulance, as it indicates the development of laryngitis. This disease can cause suffocation in a small child, since the structure of his pharynx and respiratory tract differs from the structure of these organs in an adult.
- A wet cough without fever indicates the stage of recovery after ARVI. If the symptom continues for a long time, then this may indicate pneumonia, tracheitis, or bronchitis. Yellowish and greenish sputum indicates that there is a bacterial infection in the upper respiratory tract.
In recent years, cases of newborns being born with congenital pneumonia have increased. If a baby develops a debilitating, prolonged wet gurgling cough, you should immediately consult your doctor.
If your baby coughs in his sleep
During the heating season, dry air forms in the room, which can cause coughing. In this case, it is recommended to keep wet rags or towels on the batteries at all times. You can use a special humidifier and place it in your baby's room.
The period of teething is characterized by copious secretion of saliva. At this time, saliva flows down the throat and causes itching. This causes coughing.
A horizontal position with a runny nose can cause coughing. Both symptoms indicate the onset of the disease, so you need to contact your pediatrician.
Dust, fur, or lint in a newborn's room or bed can cause an allergic reaction. Harmful substances in washing powder and even toys can become allergens. The cough will go away if the allergen is identified and eliminated.
How to treat cough in a newborn?
Treatment should be prescribed by a doctor, making a diagnosis based on examination and tests:
- Immunomodulatory antiviral drugs. Prescribed for ARVI. Viferon suppositories, which have no age restrictions, are best suited for infants.
- Antipyretic. If the disease is accompanied by a high temperature, then infants are prescribed syrups based on Ibuprofen or Paracetamol.
- Nasal rinsing. When a child has a clogged nose, he begins to breathe through his mouth, which dries out the mucous membranes and causes coughing. Therefore, before going to bed, it is necessary to rinse your nose with saline solutions. After using them, it is recommended to instill a drop of Ectericide oil solution. It will cover the mucous membranes with a thin protective layer. Instead of saline solutions, ordinary saline solution works well. It is used every hour, dripping three drops into each nostril. Sometimes the attending physician prescribes vasoconstrictor drugs. The use of antibacterial drops is strictly prohibited.
- Homeopathic medicines. Today, these drugs have become widely used in pediatrics. Stodal syrup, which has an antitussive, bronchodilator and expectorant effect, has a good effect. It can help with wet and dry coughs, as well as relieve bronchospasms.
Cough preparations for infants
For children under one year of age, cough medicines are prescribed in the form of drops or syrups. There are three groups of drugs for treatment.
Expectorants
Used for wet coughs to facilitate the removal of viscous mucus. The most effective and popular are:
- Prospan syrup - for children from four months of age;
- Bronchicum - for babies from 7 months;
- Dr. Theis;
- Doctor Mom;
- Gedelix.
Mucaltic drugs
These are medications that help thin the thick mucus accumulated in the respiratory organs. You can remove phlegm and strengthen the baby’s immune system in the first months of life with the help of the mucaltic drug Ambrohexal. Popular and effective means are:
Antitussives
Used for obsessive, dry cough, suppressing the cough reflex. Often used for whooping cough, when a child coughs paroxysmally. Most cough medicines can only be used from the age of two. Suitable for younger children:
- for children from 2 months - the central non-narcotic drug Sinecot;
- for babies from 6 months - Panatus syrup.
Their dosage is prescribed by the doctor and depends on body weight. These types of medications must be taken strictly under the supervision of a doctor.
An infant is coughing - what should parents do?
Newborns should not be given anything other than breast milk and water. At high temperatures, dehydration can occur and must be monitored closely. This should be done according to the frequency of urination. The baby needs to be given more water if the diaper is filled only once in four hours. Eight-month-old children can be given linden decoctions, non-concentrated juices, compotes of dried fruits, raisins, and rose hips.
An important condition for recovery is the temperature and humidity in the baby’s room. When the room temperature is above +22 degrees, the mucus becomes viscous and thick. Ideal conditions for a child are considered to be an air temperature of +18 degrees and humidity from 50 to 70%.
If a newborn has a cough without fever, and there is no severe frost outside, then walks are simply necessary. And if even after them the baby begins to cough more strongly, this means that sputum is coming out.
Inhalations. It is dangerous to do steam inhalations for infants, as it can burn the delicate mucous membrane. To improve well-being and treat cough, it is recommended to use a procedure in which the baby will breathe in the vapors coming from a bathtub filled with hot water in the bathroom. For a dry cough, you can add soda to the water.
Massage. If the cough is wet and sputum is difficult to clear, the infant is prescribed a drainage massage. If possible, this procedure should be performed by a professional massage therapist. But parents can do some manipulations themselves:
- Place the child on his back.
- Grab your chest with your palms and stroke it gently from bottom to top.
- Turn the baby onto his stomach.
- Without touching the spine, stroke your back with light circular movements.
- Using upward movements, perform intense pats on the back.
In order for sputum to drain, the baby should lie so that his buttocks are higher than his head.
Bathing. The use of water procedures depends on the nature of the disease. At high temperatures, the baby can only be wiped with a damp towel. At normal temperature and good health, the child should take medicinal baths, adding sea salt or decoctions of wild rosemary, chamomile, eucalyptus, pine needles or other medicinal plants to the water. After such procedures, the remaining sputum is coughed up very well.
Folk recipes. Attending doctors have a very negative attitude towards the use of folk remedies for treating infants. Various compresses made from mustard, vinegar, and vodka can not only burn the baby’s delicate skin, but also cause spasms in the larynx, bronchi, and poisoning. Breast preparations, infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs should be used with great caution. They should absolutely not be given to newborns, and in older children the body’s reaction must first be checked, since medicinal plants can cause allergies.
Under no circumstances should a baby start coughing, otherwise complications may arise. You should not give medications right away. It is necessary to first identify the cause of coughing. It is recommended to consult a pediatrician already in the first days. Only he must decide whether treatment is necessary or whether certain procedures are sufficient to eliminate the cough.
When does a newborn baby cough?
Why might a newborn baby cough?
Cough interferes with normal growth and development. The baby loses his appetite and sleep is disturbed.
- In a newborn baby, the work of the salivary glands is much more active, so coughing can be observed during or after feeding, as well as during teething. It is at this time that a lot of saliva appears in the mouth.
A runny nose, allergies, laryngitis, otitis media, parasites and many other diseases can provoke an unpleasant symptom.
The condition of infants should be monitored closely. Any alarming symptoms should prompt you to contact the clinic.
What is the danger of a cough in a baby?
When something bothers your child, you should definitely show it to the pediatrician.
- If it is an infection, it can quickly spread throughout all internal organs. Complications arise: bronchitis, pneumonia.
How to treat the disease in newborns?
The most common cause of cough is a cold. Newborns are more susceptible to infections. This is due to the adaptation of the respiratory tract to the new environment and the structural features of the internal organs. In this case, you should definitely call a doctor. He may prescribe additional examination methods (x-rays, blood tests, urine tests) and appropriate treatment.
- If it is wet, then expectorants are prescribed to help remove sputum.
Any treatment is prescribed only by a doctor. He prescribes the dosage according to the age and condition of the baby.
Why does a newborn cough in his sleep?
Sometimes mothers notice that the baby is active during the day, eats well, and sleeps poorly at night due to coughing. The reasons may be as follows.
- When a newborn lies on his back, drool flows down the larynx and can provoke coughing tremors. This can often be observed during teething.
To understand the cause of a constant night cough, you can try to eliminate the listed causes. If moisturizing or changing clothes does not help, you should consult a doctor.
Source: http://miksturka.info/s/kashel/229-kogda-novorozhdennyy-rebenok-kashlyaet.html
The baby is coughing
If your child coughs, this is not an independent disease, but usually indicates the protective state of the body, showing cough as a symptom. It removes particles inhaled along with oxygen from the body, as well as phlegm and mucus. The main cause of cough is a respiratory tract infection. In order to find out the cause of a cough, you must first listen to it. There are the following types of cough: dry, barking, wet, painful.
Types of cough in infants
- A dry cough most often indicates an allergic reaction of the body. Because the child's gastric sphincter (closing mechanism) function has not yet fully developed, a dry cough often causes vomiting.
- A barking cough may develop an inflammation called Croup. It leads to a narrowing of the larynx and upper respiratory tract, resulting in a barking cough.
- A wet cough may indicate an accumulation of mucus in the respiratory tract. The cause of a wet cough most often lies in a respiratory tract infection. However, the cause can also be excessive mucus (secret) production.
- A painful cough may cause pneumonia (pneumonia). Most often, in this case, the pain is localized in the abdomen or lungs.
Duration of infant cough
If the cause of the cough was not an infection, it will last for several days, after which it will subside.
If the cause is an infection, then in addition to a cough, the child will also have other symptoms, such as fever or fatigue, but after about 6-7 days this cough will also subside.
If coughing attacks appear with a certain frequency, or do not stop for several weeks, then it is likely that this is a manifestation of immunodeficiency or the onset of incipient asthma.
The baby is coughing - what to do?
A cough is most often an indicator that there is a source of irritation in the respiratory tract, it could be a microbe, mucus or something else. Accordingly, to get rid of a cough, we need to get rid of the irritant.
If the cough is severe, the child needs to drink plenty of fluids to keep the airways moist. The liquid also helps to dilute mucus and, as a result, simplify its removal from the body. In order to humidify the air, you can leave wet laundry in the room.
Also, if you have a wet cough, it will be useful to inhale a solution of table salt, in this way you will directly moisturize the respiratory tract. Inhalations should be done 3-4 times a day. It is also possible to use an isotonic solution for inhalation.
If the cough is not long-lasting, you can drink expectorant solutions of plant origin, for example, mucaltin is suitable.
However, cough syrups should not be given to a child without a doctor's prescription. They only suppress a coughing attack, interfering with the cleansing of the bronchi.
For a dry cough, you can use a soothing syrup to prevent throat irritation.
Please note that codeine-containing mixtures can only be used after a doctor prescribes it.
In case of severe cough or if the child has bronchitis, various inhalations using anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed. In case of bacterial cough, antibiotic treatment is prescribed.
If a child coughs in winter, this may be due to insufficient air humidity in the room. To prevent this, in winter you need to frequently ventilate the room, hang wet clothes in the room, and so on. There are coughing attacks in a child - during such attacks you should hold your head and upper body high, that is, stand.
If your child's cough is accompanied by noisy breathing, you should immediately see a doctor.
If the cause of the cough is a common cold, then folk remedies for cough treatment are quite suitable.
Some advice from pediatrician Martin Lang:
Prepare tea from a mixture of anise, cumin, primrose and linden, all of these plants have a beneficial effect on cough treatment.
If the cough is dry, warm milk with a spoon of honey is perfect.
You cannot treat a child’s cough with medications containing eucalyptus or menthol, as this can lead to acute respiratory failure. Essential oils should also be included here.
Do not delay in seeing a doctor if:
- A child’s cough is accompanied by a rise in temperature above 38.5 degrees;
- The cough is dry and does not go away for more than 3-4 days;
- The child has rapid breathing;
- Breathing is difficult and there is pain;
- Breathing is noisy;
- Blood is released when coughing;
- If the child refuses food and water;
- The cough is sudden and does not stop;
- The general condition of the child is unsatisfactory;
- Barking cough with shortness of breath and loud breathing.
Author of the publication: Eduard Belousov
Comments (2):
I agree that only a doctor can prescribe treatment for such babies. Mine also caught a cold in the winter and started coughing. They did warm-ups, and gave Prospan in syrup for coughs. She didn’t spit, she drank without whims. The main thing is that it helped. There was no cough after a week.
A cough is generally not a good thing, and even more so in a baby. It’s so hard to fight him, he’s just a mess. My daughter had it when she was six months old, they walked too far in the cold, or someone sneezed with an infection. They couldn't cope for a long time. And there’s a problem with medications—even liquid ones are spitting out. So I had to give injections
Source: http://beremennost-po-nedelyam.com/grudnichok-kashlyaet/
Cough in a baby
For every mother, the health of her child comes first. The mother's worries are especially strong when it comes to the health of her infant. If a baby develops a cough, this should not be ignored. It is necessary to recognize the causes of cough and promptly take measures to eliminate it. After all, if appropriate assistance is not provided in time, complications may arise, and the baby’s health will be under serious threat.
Cough, as you know, is divided into dry and wet. It is necessary to track how often the baby coughs and how exactly he coughs. Usually, by the sound of a cough, you can determine whether a child has a cold or whether something is preventing his respiratory tract from functioning normally. In addition, an important role is played by whether the infant’s cough is accompanied by an increase in body temperature or not. If the mother cannot independently determine the nature of the cough and identify its causes, then she should resort to outside help, namely the help of a pediatrician.
Causes of cough in infants
In fact, besides a common cold, there are many reasons why a baby may develop a cough. The main causes of cough in an infant:
- Inflammation of the respiratory tract. Inflammatory processes in the upper respiratory tract lead to the child having difficulty breathing, and the baby begins to wheeze and cough. And if help is not provided in time, the child may even suffocate.
- Inflammation of the middle ear. Cough in this case is the body’s reaction to this type of inflammation. It is very simple to determine that your baby has inflammation of the middle ear: you need to press your finger on the earlobe. A healthy child will react to this action completely calmly, while a child who is worried about ear pain will scream and cry.
— Polluted or dry air in the apartment. Excessively dry air can cause a baby to constantly have a sore throat, resulting in the baby constantly coughing. In addition, the air in the apartment must be clean. It is necessary to exclude all repair work around the house until the baby grows up - the child should not inhale the smell of industrial paint. In addition, it is strictly forbidden to smoke in the apartment if there is a baby in the family, because inhaling harmful substances is very dangerous for his health. Therefore, if, apart from coughing, no other symptoms of illness are observed, before sounding the alarm, you should pay attention to the air quality not only in the baby’s room, but throughout the entire apartment.
— Foreign body stuck in the throat. This is perhaps one of the most dangerous causes of cough in an infant, no less dangerous than inflammation of the respiratory tract and middle ear. In this case, you should act very quickly, because the child’s life is at risk.
— An incipient cold or viral infection. This is perhaps the most common reason why a baby coughs, indicating that the baby is starting to get sick with a cold or flu. With colds and acute respiratory viral infections, the child’s cough practically does not bother him during the day, but it worsens in the morning, after waking up, and in the evening, before going to bed. Sometimes even at night a cough prevents the baby from sleeping peacefully. At the same time, the baby's throat becomes inflamed. An increase in body temperature is often observed.
How to help a baby if he is coughing?
It is possible to take any measures to treat and prevent cough only after the true causes of its occurrence have been established. Thus, in case of inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, surgical intervention by experienced doctors is necessary. If there is a suspicion that the cause of the baby’s cough is inflammation of the middle ear, it is also necessary to urgently take the baby to the hospital.
If a foreign body is stuck in the throat, you need to immediately call an ambulance, or take the child to the hospital yourself. You can only trust a specialist doctor to remove an object stuck in your throat. It is unacceptable to try to pull it out at home, and even more so to knock the child on the back so that the object comes out on its own. Such actions can lead to the fact that the foreign body, on the contrary, will go even deeper and block the child’s breathing.
If the cough is the result of an incipient cold or acute respiratory viral infection, then you can provide the baby with medical care at home, provided that the baby does not have complications or high fever. You can, for example, rub your baby’s chest and legs with baby warming balm. How to help a baby clear his throat? To alleviate the baby's condition, children's drinking paracetamol should be given at night. It will have a calming effect, so your baby will sleep peacefully at night. However, before treating an infant’s cough at home, even with a seemingly harmless cold, you should consult a doctor, and he will tell you what to give the infant for a cough (after all, most medications are contraindicated for infants). Perhaps, at the initial stage of the disease, it will be enough for the baby to take cough syrups made from medicinal herbs. During illness, you need to give your child more to drink - juices, water, mother's milk.
How to prevent cough in an infant?
As a rule, in the autumn-spring period, all people are most susceptible to colds. During this period, infants have the hardest time, since their immunity is still developing, and the child’s body is not yet able to independently fight all bacteria and viruses.
To prevent frequent illnesses and coughs in an infant, parents should adhere to the following recommendations:
- Monitor the baby's personal hygiene. You should bathe your baby every day until he reaches six months, and change diapers and nappies in a timely manner.
- Follow the baby’s daily routine appropriate for his age. The baby must have a certain sleep and wakefulness schedule (the child must always be put to bed at the same time) and a meal schedule (breakfast, lunch, dinner, as well as two additional snacks are required).
- If possible, take your baby for a walk every day in the fresh air. Walking outside plays a significant role in strengthening the immune system in children.
- Feed the baby only warm food. Drinking and food for the baby should not be cold or hot - you should always taste the food before giving it to the baby.
- Breastfeed your baby more often, including at night. Breastfeeding helps to naturally strengthen the child’s immunity - the longer the baby feeds on mother’s milk, the less often he will get sick, because breast milk contains all the nutrients and elements necessary for the child’s body.
- Ventilate the children's room daily, even in the cold season. It is recommended to ventilate the apartment twice a day - best in the morning and evening.
- If necessary, humidify the air in the apartment. This can be done using a special air humidifier, which can be purchased in the store. If there is none, then during the heating season you can hang wet laundry on hot radiators, and in the warm season, simply spray the room with clean water using your hand or a spray bottle.
- Maintain a constant temperature in the apartment. There is no need to hover your child, but you should not allow him to become hypothermic. The optimal temperature for an infant is degrees.
- Maintain cleanliness in the apartment. This is especially true for the baby’s room; it needs to be wet cleaned twice a week.
- Protect your child from contact with soft toys, as they carry germs.
- Wash your child's toys regularly with soap. You should purchase rubber or plastic toys for your child. Firstly, they are safer for the baby (the child cannot get hurt), and secondly, they are easy to wash. In addition, the baby should not be allowed to play with small toys and objects. The danger lies in the fact that a child can easily put it in his mouth and choke. Also, a foreign object may become stuck in the throat, and the child may choke.
Exercises and massages have a positive effect on improving the baby’s health. They have a strengthening effect on the baby’s body as a whole. You should choose a simple type of massage that the mother can do to the baby on her own at home. The same goes for charging.
Thus, it is within the power of loving parents to do everything so that the baby develops a strong immune system and the child is exposed to various diseases as little as possible. And if the baby does get sick with something and starts coughing, don’t panic. The main thing is to take timely measures and provide assistance to the baby so that the illness does not last too long!
Source: http://nashkarapuzik.ru/zdorovye/simptomy/grudnichok-kashlyaet.html
Cough in a newborn
Coughing at any age is a natural reaction to the fact that the patency of the respiratory tract is impaired. But we will look at cough in a newborn, its causes, as well as methods of effective treatment. We will also try to find out whether measures to prevent cough in a newborn are possible.
The baby can make all kinds of sounds - sniffling, smacking, grunting, and he can also cough. Parents are always very worried at the slightest sign that something is wrong with their baby’s health. But a cough is not a reason to panic. Most likely, due to the fact that the baby spends most of his time lying on his back, mucus from the nose began to fall into the throat. Without waiting for outside help, the baby independently clears its airways. Another reason for coughing may be the baby’s simple desire to communicate with others. In these cases, it will be enough to shift the baby onto its side and lightly pat it on the back. It is generally safer for a newborn to lie alternately, on one side or the other. This way, even if he regurgitates, he won’t choke.
But there are also more serious cases. If you hear that your baby is coughing at night, and you hear that his breathing is difficult, and you notice that there is discharge from his nose, then most likely a disease is beginning. It is very important that parents, at the first sign that their newborn baby is experiencing health problems, consult a doctor as soon as possible. It is important not to waste time. After all, every hour the disease affects the fragile body on an increasingly larger scale. In addition, a cough can be either quite harmless or a manifestation of serious diseases that can lead to various complications.
Causes of cough in a newborn
Most often, a cough in an infant indicates that an infectious-inflammatory process has begun in the body. It may involve the upper or lower respiratory tract. Notice how wet the cough is. An infant develops a wet cough when the mucous membrane of the tracheobronchial tree becomes inflamed. At the same time, quite a lot of sputum is formed and accumulated, which is why the cough takes on a peculiar timbre.
Cases in which coughing with sputum is possible:
- Broncho-obstructive syndrome (resolution stage)
- Pneumonia
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diaphragmatic hernia
- Congenital bronchiectasis
A newborn may also have a dry cough. In this case, the secret is not released. This is a clear symptom of quite serious diseases:
- Acute tracheitis
- Acute laryngitis
- Initial stage of broncho-obstructive syndrome
- Pleurisy
- Initial stage of pneumonia
- Spontaneous pneumothorax
- Esophagotracheal fistula (In this case, the baby suddenly begins to cough when feeding, when taking liquid. Cyanosis and attacks of asphyxia may be observed).
- Entry of a foreign body into the respiratory tract (Immediately after aspiration, suffocation and cyanosis appear, then the baby suffers for a long time from a tiresome, often paroxysmal cough).
Sometimes parents may observe a so-called “barking” cough. This is also a type of dry cough. Its cause is the swollen mucous membrane of the larynx, as well as damage to the vocal cords. Another cause is false croup (acute laryngitis). At the same time, the baby’s voice becomes hoarse.
So, a cough can indicate not only colds, but also more serious problems. In addition to being wet, dry and barking, it can be suffocating. Sometimes it can cause vomiting. Experts identify the following main causes of cough in a newborn:
- Bronchial asthma
- Inflammation of the respiratory organs, lower respiratory tract
- Allergy
- Foreign object in the respiratory tract
- Adenoids
- Whooping cough
Sometimes the cough may not be related to the respiratory system. It may indicate problems with the gastrointestinal tract and heart. Oddly enough, even too dry air in a child's room can provoke a cough. The fact is that when the air is dry, the baby’s throat mucosa dries out and soreness occurs. In this case, it is enough to simply provide the necessary humidity in the children's room.
Most often, a dry cough is a sign of inflammation of the larynx, pharynx, and trachea. Unfortunately, the cough often becomes painful, intrusive, and exhausts the child.
If the trachea becomes inflamed, the cough becomes dull and rough. The so-called “barking” cough is a symptom of laryngitis. In this case, parents need to call an ambulance, as inflammation in the throat can cause suffocation.
Which cough is easier to cure - wet or dry? In fact, a wet cough is easier to cure. At the same time, sputum is released, and all treatment is aimed at speeding up expectoration. A cough may also accompany a runny nose. Then it will be observed in the morning, since while the baby is sleeping, accumulated mucus will flow down the back wall of the throat.
If the baby suffers from bronchitis or ARVI, then at the beginning of the disease the cough will be dry, and after 3 days sputum will begin to appear. At the same time, mucolytic agents help to thin and remove mucus from the respiratory tract.
Methods for treating cough in an infant
It is important that parents understand that only a pediatrician can diagnose and treat a young patient. Even if it seems to you that your baby’s cough is not permanent, it is never a bad idea to consult a doctor. Self-medication in this case is unacceptable! But at the same time, it will not be superfluous for parents to understand the causes and types of cough, as well as to master the principles of combating it. We will also find out how to treat a cough in a baby. If the cough is associated with a disease, the doctor may prescribe drugs from the following groups of drugs:
- Mucolytics. These pharmaceutical drugs can thin phlegm. It is important to remember that they absolutely cannot be combined with antitussive drugs. This once again emphasizes that an experienced doctor should prescribe treatment.
- Expectorants. They will help quickly remove phlegm from the bronchi. But there are limitations here too. The fact is that drugs from the group of expectorants can be prescribed only from the age of one year.
- Antitussives. Their goal is to suppress the functioning of the cough center in the brain. They are quite capable of reducing the number of attacks. At the same time, mucolytic drugs are absolutely incompatible with cough suppressants.
- Combined drugs. They combine the properties of all the drugs listed above.
But everything must be done under the strict supervision of a doctor. If a newborn has a cough (2 months), the child may be allergic to certain medications and folk remedies. In addition, not all medications can be used right from birth. Syrups and tablets are used to treat cough. Also, their action can be supported by inhalation. When inhaled, small particles of the drug penetrate deep into the site of infection. In this case, you can use not only medicines, but also folk remedies. Ambrobene has a very beneficial effect on the bronchi. This drug can be not only in the form of syrup, but also in the form of a solution for inhalation. Decoctions of coltsfoot, calendula, chamomile, and eucalyptus have also proven positive. A weak decoction of one of these herbs is prepared for the baby, and they begin to use them only after checking whether the baby has allergies. To moisturize the mucous membrane, it is useful to use mineral alkaline water. A newborn patient will begin to recover much more quickly if he is given just warm drinks in sufficient quantities. An infusion of rose hips, lingonberries, viburnum, and a weak decoction of chamomile are suitable for a baby. If the newborn's temperature is within normal limits, parents can rub his back and chest with Doctor Mom ointment or essential oils of thuja, juniper, and fir.
It is also important to maintain the overall well-being of the baby. Parents should ensure that the temperature in the children's room does not exceed 25 ° C so that the air in the room is not dry. Nowadays, almost any electronics store sells all kinds of humidifiers. They make the life of parents much easier and help the baby. If for some reason you cannot purchase it, you can hang a couple of wet, clean towels on the radiator in the room. Be sure to ventilate the nursery regularly. This will eliminate pathogens. You also need to turn the baby from side to side between bouts of annoying coughing. This way you can prevent mucus stagnation. If your newborn coughs, do not panic. Lift it, turning it slightly on its side, and lightly tap on the back. This will make it easier for the mucus to separate. The baby’s treatment may take a little longer, but if the doctor correctly diagnosed and prescribed adequate treatment, he will soon recover.
It is very dangerous for a baby when the cough appears at night, with wheezing and attacks, barking and lingering. There may be greenish sputum, and even some blood. In any of the cases listed, parents should immediately call an ambulance or their pediatrician. Only a specialist can prescribe effective and safe treatment. Treatment should be started immediately so that the baby’s condition does not worsen. This way you will avoid a number of dangerous complications. Also provide your child with a gentle daily routine. If the newborn moves a lot, you should not limit him in this. An active newborn will recover faster. The main thing is that his temperature is normal.
Is prevention possible?
Many newborn health problems can be avoided if you take care of their prevention. Cough prevention is also possible. Preventive measures often help either completely protect the baby from the disease or minimize its negative consequences. The main thing is to strengthen the little man’s immunity. To do this you need to follow these simple rules:
- Until six months of age, the best food for a baby is mother's milk. Recent studies have confirmed that mother's milk contains all the components necessary for the health of the baby. There is even evidence that breastfed babies get sick much less than those who are bottle-fed or mixed. If you have the opportunity to breastfeed, try not to refuse this opportunity. Milk contains immunoglobulins, which protect the small body from diseases and also improve its overall resistance.
- Temper your baby in the first days of his life. It is very important not to overheat it. Babies tolerate overheating much worse than hypothermia. Already in the second week of life, the baby can be left undressed for 3-5 minutes. Such air baths are a fairly effective way to harden and strengthen the immune system. He must take baths every day. It is very useful if at the end of bathing you rinse your baby with water whose temperature is 1 degree lower than the one in which you bathed him. When going for a walk, think carefully about what you will dress your child in. Take care not to overheat.
- If someone in your family has a cold, try to protect your baby from contact with him as much as possible. Only after complete recovery should he have access to the child. If for some reason it is impossible for it to be completely protected, then the patient must constantly wear a thick gauze bandage.
- Make sure that your child receives a nutritious diet rich in vitamins until he is one year old. This is especially important in autumn and winter. During the cold period, you can give your baby multivitamins, but only with the permission of a doctor. Herbal preparations that can have a modulating effect on the immune system will also not be superfluous.
It is quite possible to follow these simple rules. Remember that the baby's health is in your hands. If coughing cannot be avoided, do not risk your child’s health and contact an experienced doctor as soon as possible.