With their immune systems not yet fully developed, babies can be even more vulnerable to illness than older children and adults. Coughing that is not accompanied by other serious symptoms of illness can typically be handled at home. However, in very young babies, a cough may signal a serious medical condition and need medical attention right away. If your baby already has a medical condition, her pediatrician may want to attend to her cough immediately.
Coughing Causes
Babies begin coughing for several reasons, beginning with a cold. Respiratory syncytial virus strikes babies, too. For older children, RSV may appear to be a cold; for small babies, particularly those born prematurely, RSV poses some real health risks. Environmental irritants, such as cigarette smoke, can lead to cough in a baby. Allergies and asthma lead to irritation of the airways of the lungs, which causes coughing. Postnasal drip irritates the throat, which also makes the baby cough. If your baby's cough sounds like a dog's bark, she may have come down with croup. Pneumonia, an infection of the lungs, causes persistent cough and breathing difficulty. If your baby has had a runny nose and cough lasting for almost two weeks, meanwhile, her doctor may diagnose sinusitis. Cough with no related signs of cold such as fever, runny nose or lethargy may indicate that your baby has inhaled a small object that is now lodged in the lungs or throat. If the baby coughs for up to 30 seconds and struggles to breathe, she may have whooping cough or pertussis. In a child under 1 year old, this is potentially serious. If your child coughs constantly and produces a thick green or yellow mucus, she may have cystic fibrosis, the BabyCenter reports.
Home Treatments
Give your baby plenty of fluids, such as breast milk, formula or plain water to help thin out the mucus so he can cough it up more easily. If anyone in your family smokes, keep the baby away from this person. Fill a cool-mist humidifier and place it in the baby's room so he can breathe a little more easily. Run hot water in the bathroom, take the baby in with you and close the door. The resulting steam can help soothe his cough. While it is safe for children older than 3 years and adults to suck on lozenges and hard candy, this is not the case for infants and children under age 3. The risk of choking is too high, the University of Maryland Medical Center warns. As you treat your baby, document his symptoms in case you need to call the doctor.
Call the Doctor
If your baby has been coughing for longer than seven days, call the doctor. He will need to know about the coughing, particularly if the baby is younger than 3 months, breathes more rapidly or if she is struggling to breathe. If she is wheezing, the doctor needs to know. If she is able to cough up mucus and it is streaked with blood, call the doctor immediately. Call him if the baby is between 3 and 6 months and has a fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If she is older than 6 months and has a fever of 103 F, call the doctor. If your baby suffers from a chronic condition, such as lung or heart disease, tell the doctor.
No OTC Medications
In a 2007 ruling, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised medical professionals and parents not to give over-the-counter cough medications, decongestants, expectorants or antihistamine medications. These medications might not be effective in children younger than 6 years of age; worse, they can also be dangerous. Give such medications to your baby only with doctor's approval; make sure you give him a dosage appropriate to his age and weight. Measure each dose carefully and use a calibrated medication syringe.
