The causes of coughing in an infant can be different. If a cough occurs suddenly, this may be a signal of a foreign body entering the trachea or bronchi. In this case, immediate medical attention is required. A child’s cough can be caused by harmful substances in the air, such as gas or tobacco smoke. It can also be caused by dry and overheated air in the room. Reflex cough in a nursing infant is a rare psychogenic cause and occurs with inflammation of the middle ear or the presence of sulfur plugs. Sometimes coughing occurs in children with heart defects, suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or having adenoids.
A cough can accompany a large number of various diseases, and in a baby it can cause hoarseness, vomiting, may be accompanied by some anxiety and even disturb sleep.
Coughing in an infant can cause a runny nose. It is accompanied by short coughs that occur in the child in the morning. These coughs should not cause concern for parents, as they arise due to the fact that mucus from the nose flows into the lower parts of the respiratory tract. ENT diseases can also be accompanied by a cough. Coughing is a sign of bronchial asthma and can cause asthma attacks. But most often, coughing in an infant causes acute respiratory viral infections, abbreviated as SARS. In this case, both the upper respiratory tract, the nasopharynx and oropharynx, and the lower ones, the larynx, trachea, lungs, and bronchi, become inflamed. Inflammation of the upper respiratory tract is usually accompanied by a dry, painful cough. With diseases of the trachea, the cough is rough and deaf, like in a barrel. With inflammation of the larynx - laryngitis - a dry, barking cough may occur .
This disease is fraught with serious complications, one of which may be stenosis of the larynx, that is, narrowing, and sharp, of the lumen of the respiratory tract (upper), which causes swelling of the mucous membrane lining them. At the same time, the child breathes with difficulty, so a prolonged barking dry cough and hoarseness should alert parents, and it is advisable to immediately consult a doctor.
When sputum appears, the child’s cough becomes wet. This usually happens on the third day. The accumulation of sputum causes an attack of coughing, which stops after its release. Cough clears the airways. This course of the disease is natural, after which recovery occurs. If during this period the condition of the child worsens, you should immediately consult a doctor to avoid possible complications.
Treatment of cough in a nursing infant should begin at the first symptoms and should only be carried out under the supervision of a physician. In order for the bronchi to be better cleared of accumulated mucus, the child should be picked up more often and gently patted on the back. The motor activity of the baby should not be limited, as the movement also contributes to a quick recovery. When coughing, it is useful to massage the baby. Treatment of cough in an infant must be accompanied by a sparing diet. Only in no case should you force a baby to eat if he refuses. It is better to offer him jelly, jelly or a milkshake - this food is light, but still quite high-calorie. Fruit puree for baby food is also suitable. If the child eats a little less, it's not scary. Just drink as much as possible. The fact is that toxins are well removed from the body with the fluid, the fluid can help thin and remove sputum. In order for the little one not to refuse to drink a lot, you need to prepare your favorite drinks for him, and give the drink from a non-spill mug, fun and funny, or through a pipe, so that everything is perceived as a fun game.
If the baby suffers from a cough on the background of acute respiratory viral infections, then all treatment is directed to liquefaction and subsequent removal of sputum. The best result can be achieved by humidifying the air in the room. In winter, for these purposes, you can put a wet sheet or towel on the central heating battery or use a special humidifier, which is even better.
For the treatment of cough on the background of acute respiratory viral infections, there are many various drugs, but tried and tested folk remedies can be used.