Coughing can be very annoying especially if they do not go away after a while. This could be caused by a prolonged medical condition or could be more serious. If your infant is having a cough, it becomes more troubling.
Is coughing serious for babies?
Coughing is usually caused by some form of irritation along the throat or the airways. If you have a toddler, a mild cough is common but it goes on for a day or two, you should refer him to the doctor in the soonest time possible. In fact, you should call the doctor if:
- if your baby is less than 3 months old
- breathing rapidly than normal
- seems to be finding it hard to breathe
- wheezing
- coughing up mucus
- is coughing and experiencing fever
- has a medical condition with the lung or heart
- vomits after coughing
Is medicine helpful?
In most cases, if it is a cough caused by a common cold, the doctor should be able to prescribe standard cough medicine. Although most doctors do not really encourage giving medicine to children who are too young, it would help to relieve the irritation. Most cases will recover after a day or two. You may want to feed your baby a few spoons of fresh orange juice in order to boost his or her immunity.
What are the common causes of cough?
The most common cause of cough among children is when your baby has a cold. With runny nose, watery eyes and maybe a little bit of fever, it would be normal for the baby to develop a cough. This needs some form of monitoring before the situation worsens.
When is a cough serious?
One of the biggest culprits of coughing among babies is the RSV or respiratory syncytial virus. It is a more serious condition of a cold and could lead to problems like pneumonia and bronchiolitis. You must take note of what goes on with your baby if this virus attack so that it does not lead to a serious health issue.
Another condition is known as the croup. This is when the baby cough very deeply, sounding much like a dog’s bark. It gets worse at night. However, croup might not be very serious and could usually be cured easily. It is crucial that you ensure that your baby gets the treatment needed if he is coughing because it could lead to serious conditions like asthma or an allergy attack. If that happens, you will need a whole new set of problems to deal with.