A month-old baby is a helpless crumb who is just starting to smile at mom and dad and rejoice at their appearance. Doctors say that a baby who has received colostrum in the first hours after giving birth is protected from most of the most common diseases for up to six months. But parents still remain vigilant and if they notice a cough in their monthly children, they immediately call a doctor. In fact, this phenomenon does not always indicate pathology. Sometimes it just talks about growing up your crumbs.
Doctor consultation shown
Indeed, coughing in monthly children is a reason for increased attention to his health. The fears are fully justified, against the background of such a symptom, the risk of developing respiratory failure increases. In a small child, all pathological processes proceed faster, and loss of time is unacceptable. Yes, any doctor will say that coughing in monthly children can be a normal option. But even so, it will never be superfluous to show the child to the doctor. And let the specialist already determine whether the baby needs treatment.
Physiological reasons
This is the first group that is most often diagnosed in babies. In this case, the child is not in danger and does not need any treatment. But to calm down, it is best to consult with a specialist. A cough in a month-old baby can be a consequence of:
- Accumulations of excess secret. The kid at this age spends a lot of time on his back. The mucus that is produced in the nasal cavity drains into the respiratory tract. In this case, the cough will appear after a long sleep. Turn the child on its side and pat lightly on the back. After that, everything will pass.
- If the symptom appears during the day, irritating mucous membranes can provoke sharp odors or dust particles.
- Allergic reactions also often lead to coughing. In this case, you need to analyze what the mother ate, what medicines she or the baby took. Pay attention to care products, washing powder and creams, the quality of diapers. If the baby is breast-fed, this may be a reaction to the mixture.
- Dry air in the room. Most often this happens in the winter, when the windows are closed and the room has heating batteries.
Any of these cases is accompanied by a normal general condition of the baby. He has fun walking, eating well. A cough in a month-old baby without a temperature is usually not too strong, it happens periodically, not constantly.
Pathology of the respiratory system
Despite the fact that the baby is protected by mother's breast milk and the antibodies contained in it, ARVI or ARI cannot be excluded. If a bacterial or viral infection occurs, then the cough is accompanied by a runny nose and fever. In this case, you can’t delay with a doctor’s request. Usually, the mother immediately notices changes in the condition of the child. He is lethargic and sleepy, refuses food. Often he has difficulty in nasal breathing.
The cause of the cough may be a foreign body in the airways. For a month-old baby this is not a typical picture, since within reach of him there can only be what her mother put in the crib. And he still does not know how to manipulate objects. But nevertheless, with the accidental inhalation of small parts, insects, powder, the child takes his breath away, he looks scared, frantically grabs the air. A cough in a child can occur during feeding, that is, he simply may choke. In this case, you just need to let the baby catch his breath and continue feeding.
How does a cough start?
It can start in different ways. If we are talking about the appearance of foreign bodies in the airways, then coughing occurs suddenly in the form of seizures. If we are talking about a respiratory infection, then in this case the cough appears gradually. First, small coughs, which gradually become stronger. Soon runny nose and high fever are added. If the problem is ignored, then the symptoms will only intensify.
What is a cough
It is very important to determine the presence of sputum in the lungs. To do this, pay attention to the nature of the cough. It is of two types, so it is not difficult for a doctor to distinguish between them.
- Wet. It is considered more favorable and easier to treat. Such a cough develops due to the accumulation of liquid sputum in the bronchi. After the attack, expectoration of mucus is observed, which is accompanied by relief of breathing. Mom can hear wheezing and chest vibration.
- Dry cough of a month old baby is more painful. It is characterized by the presence of very thick and viscous sputum in the bronchi, or swelling of the mucous membranes. The cough begins with a severe attack, while expectoration of mucus is not observed.
Diagnostics
If the nature of the cough can be determined by the parents, then a doctor’s consultation is needed, who will find out the cause and recommend the optimal treatment. In this case, he carries out a chest listening with a stethoscope, after which he can prescribe an additional examination. This is a general urine and blood test. Remember that only a specialist can tell a monthly baby to cough. Refrain from self-medication, this will only harm the child.
Treatment
Based on the characteristics of the situation, the condition of the baby and the observed symptoms, the doctor can prescribe drugs in the following groups:
- Antiviral drugs and antibiotics. Today, they are sold over-the-counter, and parents sometimes begin to give them for any symptom that they thought was suspicious. In fact, prescribing an antibiotic requires a lot of experience. After all, with viral infections, it will not only not help, but also do harm, as it will seriously reduce the body's defenses.
- Mucolytics and expectorant drugs. Choosing what you can give a monthly child from coughing, you need to navigate - a dry or wet cough.
- Antipyretic in the presence of temperature.
- Antihistamines and other drugs that may have an auxiliary effect.
Medicines and dosage are selected only by the pediatrician. Even if family friends vying with each other tell you that a month-old baby can cough, you do not need to try to experiment. What came up with one could harm another.
Herbal medicine
Many parents do not want to give their baby strong medicines, preferring to do with herbs. On the one hand, this position is justified. But decoctions and tinctures very often cause an allergic reaction. That is why doctors insist that parents do not look in different sources of information that can give a month-old child cough. In addition, choosing a herbal treatment, you will not know which active substance and in what quantity the baby received. Accordingly, it is impossible to say for sure whether such treatment will help. It is often better to resort to pharmaceutical therapy. Improvement will come more guaranteed and faster.
What can not be done
If a month old baby has a cough, this is not a reason to give him antibiotics. Without examination and analysis, it is impossible to say for sure whether a bacterial infection actually takes place. It is strongly not recommended to give the baby drugs that inhibit the cough centers. An example is glaucin. Do not postpone a visit to the doctor so as not to start the disease. All kinds of rubbing with ointments, alcohol, inhalation and other actions can be not only ineffective, but also dangerous. An allergic reaction and a burn of the mucous membranes are not excluded.