This is one of the most common symptoms for which a child is presented for evaluation and treatment. It is a protective reflex that works to clear the airways in the lungs and to prevent us from breathing things into the lungs that will later cause problems. Cough can be dry or heavy/wet, can be mild and intermittent, or persistent and hacking

Causes

The causes of cough can include infection, foreign body stuck in the airway, inflammation, and obstruction of the airway as in asthma or a hyperreactive airway disease. Abnormality in the way the lung works is usually because of the condition the child is born with or even habit.

Intervention / Common Home Remedies

To help soothe a cough, it is recommended to drink plenty of warm fluids as opposed to very cold liquids. Use of a humidifier while sleeping; cool mist if the room is warm and vaporizer if the room is cold. Try to avoid the use of cough and cold medicines available over the counter, especially for the very young and avoid the use of aspirin unless prescribed by the doctor.

Call the office for a consultation if these conditions occur

• Coughing exists in an infant, especially if younger than 6 months
• Difficulty breathing
• Irritable or not able to feed
• Coughing develops after a choking incident
• Coughing that produces blood, yellow or green phlegm with or without chest pain
• Fever Cough that causes the child to throw up
• Cough that has lasted more than 5 days