Monday 5 October 2009

What Does Your Baby Cough Mean?

What does that baby cough mean?
When your baby gets a cough it could mean something minor like a common cold or runny nose or it could mean something more serious. The medical care your baby needs also depends of the severity of her cough.

Types of baby coughs:

Dry: A dry cough with no mucus sounds kind of raspy and usually means an irritation of some sort in the throat caused by smoke, dust, pollen, or infection. Treat with plenty of fluids. nose drops, and call the doctor if it doesn’t improve in a few days.

Repetitive barking cough: This usually means croup which is not too serious but can be scary because the coughing is so loud and frequent. See croup treatments.

Any cough with wheezing: Wheezing is serious business in young kids. It could mean asthma or an infection (sometimes serious infection). With wheezing the airways of your child are constricted or possibly inflamed so you should make a doctor’s appointment stat to find out what’s up.

Wet: We all know a wet cough - lots of mucus and a productive sound, like your baby is trying to cough something up. Wet coughs are common during runny nose season but can mean a number of issues - allergy, a cold, sinus infection, and more. You can sooth a wet cough at home with plenty of fluids and plain old saline nose drops. If it doesn’t go away in a few days call the doc.

Whooping cough: Whooping cough actually does sound like, “Whoop!” - Your baby will cough and cough then make a “Whoop” sound at the end. This means she’s grabbing a big breath at the end because she was not breathing well during the coughing fit. This is serious and you need to call your doctor right away. Your baby may need antibiotics. Whooping cough is a serious illness for babies and if you want to lower your baby’s risk she needs the TDaP vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) or pertussis-only vaccine on schedule.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

•If your baby has any of the coughs above plus a fever, call the doctor right away. A fever usually means it’s more serious than just a little cough.
•Never treat your baby’s cough with medications for cough or cold without direct orders from a doctor.
•You may have heard that honey or alcohol will sooth a cough. However NEVER give a baby honey or alcohol ever, as both can cause serious complications and even death.

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