Cough in baby
introduction
Almost every baby will suffer from a cough in addition to a cold in the baby, which understandably worries many parents. However, coughing is not a disease in and of itself, but a symptom that can occur as part of many diseases.
There are completely harmless types of cough, but there are also some types that you should definitely see a doctor with your child. But how do you differentiate between the different types of cough and what can you do about it yourself?
Also, read our article on the subject Cough in child
When should I see a doctor with my baby?
When a baby coughs, there can be many causes. Depending on the cause, a different speed of medical treatment makes sense. In general, a cough in the baby that lasts longer than approx. 2 days should be clarified by a doctor. Certain diseases are often not as pronounced in babies as they are in later life. Therefore, symptoms in the baby must be taken very seriously.
First of all, coughing in babies should be seen as a protective reflex. This ensures that potentially foreign and dangerous substances do not get into the child's lungs. If the cough is dry, typically barking, this may be a sign of laryngitis. Squeaky breathing and a hoarse voice are key symptoms. This should be clarified by a doctor. If the cough is damp, it is more of an infection of the lungs. If there are no further complaints this can subside within a few days, but should be kept in mind. For example, if you have a fever and shortness of breath, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.
therapy
The therapy for cough is always based on the underlying cause.
However, since most of the triggers cannot be treated causally and the use of many medications should not be safe, especially with small children (the use of essential oils such as menthol or eucalyptus is strictly forbidden in babies, because this can cause shortness of breath), is often Treated purely symptomatically. In general, it helps to ensure adequate hydration in babies with a cough. This liquefies the mucus in the airways and makes it easier to cough up. Also tapping massages, special positioning and fresh air (except with a high fever, children with a cough are usually good.
Many cough suppressants are freely available in pharmacies. When choosing, you have to distinguish between a productive cough, which is noticeable through the secretion of phlegm (the goal here is to liquefy the phlegm, which makes it easier to cough up - this can be achieved, for example, with the help of cough syrups with ivy extract) and an unproductive cough that has not yet formed phlegm that can be suppressed with medication to stop the excruciating cough. However, a cough suppressant must never be given without a doctor's express prescription. Some home remedies such as cough teas, hot milk with honey, or breast compresses can also help relieve a baby's cough.
Since coughs are usually triggered by viruses as part of respiratory infections, there is no specific therapy; these babies can only be treated symptomatically. Antipyretic agents or nasal sprays are used, for example. However, if bacteria are the cause of the cough, an antibiotic may be prescribed and taken as directed by the doctor.
Home remedies for coughs in babies
Typical home remedies that help prevent coughs in babies include lots of drinking, walks in the fresh air, steam baths and curd compresses.
For this, 50 to 100 grams of low-fat quark are warmed to body temperature in a water bath and placed in two cotton towels. After a short wait, the quark wrap is placed on the baby's breast for about 20 minutes and left there. The quark has an expectorant, relaxing and decongestant effect. In addition to water, teas are also particularly suitable for drinking. Elderberry tea and fennel tea in particular, which can be sweetened with honey, have a decongestant and soothing effect on the bronchi.
Another well-tried home remedy is onion juice with honey or rock candy, which is easy to prepare and which has an anti-inflammatory effect due to its essential and antibacterial ingredients. Inhalations with an infusion of sage also have a calming effect on the bronchi and liquefy thick mucus, which occurs especially when coughing is productive.
Inhaling essential oils in babies and small children should be avoided as a matter of urgency, as the substances contained in them can cause respiratory failure. Another way to relieve coughs in babies is to raise their heads when they sleep. With an additional pillow or towels that lift the top of the mattress and the baby's head, tough secretions can drain off better and clear the airways.
Read more on this topic at: Home remedies for coughs
Homeopathy for coughing in babies
Especially with babies, many parents are reluctant to give antibiotics and other purely chemical drugs. Many parents therefore prefer to use conventional home remedies or homeopathy that are plant-based.
Unless otherwise prescribed, babies and toddlers should be given 3 to 5 globules in a power of 6.
The dose is then reduced to 2-4 globules per day. Typical plants that can help against coughs in babies include Thyme, ivy, anise, cowslip and ribwort. Due to their expectorant and cough suppressant effect, they help the baby to cough up and at the same time calm the bronchi. If there is no improvement or even worsening of the condition after a few days, a pediatrician should be consulted.
Read more on this topic at: Homeopathy for coughs
causes
In principle, coughing is a beneficial response from the body. It is a reflex that occurs when substances have entered the airways that cannot be removed by the cilia on the mucous membrane cells and thus hinder breathing. This can be mucus, leftover food or inhaled foreign bodies.
Most often, a cough in young children is an expression of a respiratory infection. There are almost 200 pathogens that could be the cause.
Some other diseases that are associated with coughing include bronchitis (acute or chronic), bronchiolitis, pneumonia, (pseudo-) croup and many others that are associated with increased mucus formation. The cough is usually dry at first, but then becomes moist as the infection progresses.
Asthma or dry room air can also lead to coughing, especially at night.
Whooping cough in the baby
Nowadays it rarely happens that the baby's cough is caused by whooping cough. It is also known as diphtheria disease. This is a bacterial infection against which vaccination is standard in Germany. As a result, it rarely occurs these days.
With this disease there is typically a barking cough, the voice becomes hoarse and the scream often gets stuck in the throat of the children, so to speak. In addition, the lymph nodes in the neck area are severely swollen, which is also known as the "neck of the Caesar". Diphtheria can also lead to inflammation of the heart muscle, paralysis and kidney damage and must therefore be treated as quickly as possible. There is an effective drug for this which acts as an antitoxin and fights the toxic substances of the bacteria and thus reduces the spread.
Read more on this topic at: diphtheria
Dry cough in the baby
The typical dry cough occurs in babies especially at night and is aggravated by lying flat in bed. The dry cough can be caused by various causes. Here it is important to pay attention to a possible allergic asthma and to recognize this. If the dry cough occurs in connection with contact with certain substances, such as animal hair and pollen, or in the cold, this can be a sign of asthma. This should be clarified by a doctor, and various allergy tests are usually carried out. The dry cough can also be caused by another allergic reaction, for example to food such as peanuts.
But flu-like infections can also lead to dry coughs. Here, the babies usually also have headaches, runny nose and fever. If there is a rapid and significant increase in temperature, a doctor should always be consulted.
Nocturnal cough
If the baby only coughs during sleep, this can be a sign of what is known as pseudo croup. Nowadays one speaks of the pseudo-croup syndrome, under which various diseases are summarized. This always leads to a narrowing of the airways, especially in the area of the throat and larynx. This occurs above all from the 2nd month of life and can be observed particularly in boys and in winter months. If you experience shortness of breath, you should consult a doctor immediately.
Read more on this topic at: Pseudo croup in the baby
Symptoms
As I said, the cough is a symptom in itself. However, depending on what caused it, it can be accompanied by other (disease-specific) symptoms.
In (pseudo-) croup, the cough sounds characteristic “barking”, but it can also be dry (in the case of allergies and asthma), damp (in the course of a respiratory infection) or rattling.
Any type of cough can be accompanied by vomiting, especially in babies, because the stomach's closing mechanism is not yet fully developed and the stomach contents can also be pressed upwards by the coughing. In addition, a prolonged cough is extremely stressful for young children, which can quickly show signs of exhaustion.
As soon as the cough leads to clear breathing difficulties, is accompanied by a fever (indication of pneumonia), bloody expectoration with it, is accompanied by a strongly changed behavior and a reduced general condition of the toddler and / or cannot be controlled with home remedies, it is It is very important to see a pediatrician quickly in order to receive an exact diagnosis and to be able to initiate specific therapy as quickly as possible.
If in doubt, it is better to go to the doctor once too often than to overlook a serious illness!
Also read our topic: Cough - a complex of symptoms
Rattling / wheezing breath
The baby may also make a wheezing or rattling noise when breathing, related to a cough. Depending on the time of the noise, different causes can be inferred. If the whistling occurs mainly when breathing in, it can be a so-called pseudo croup. This is a narrowing of the airways above the larynx and should be monitored. If the symptoms worsen, a doctor should be consulted.
mucus
When a baby coughs and mucus comes out of the mouth, it is called a wet or productive cough. This is often a sign of inflammation of the lungs that has been going on for a long time. In addition, there is often an increase in temperature and rhinitis. If there is a suspicion of pneumonia in the baby, this should always be clarified by a doctor, as otherwise dangerous consequences for the baby can arise.
Read more on this topic at: Pneumonia in the baby
diagnosis
Diagnosing a disease associated with coughing is usually relatively easy for a pediatrician. If the parents can report exactly on the type, frequency and severity of the symptoms and the child presents itself as typical of an illness, the diagnosis can usually be made as a visual or hearing diagnosis (in the case of a barking cough, for example, the doctor knows directly that it must be a (pseudo-) croup).
Depending on what the doctor suspects, other diagnostic means can be used in addition to the physical examination (in this case, looking at the mouth and throat and auscultation of the lungs with a stethoscope).
If a respiratory tract infection is suspected, a mucus sample can be taken in order to identify the exact pathogen, if a foreign body aspiration or pneumonia is suspected, an X-ray image can provide information.
also read: A cold in the baby
Cough and runny nose in the baby
Coughing in babies is often a sign of infection, whether caused by bacteria or viruses. With a viral infection, the classic symptoms such as runny nose, cough, fatigue and fever often occur.
Therefore, a cold in the baby in combination with a cough need not necessarily have a serious cause. It is important to watch the symptoms closely. Caution should be exercised if the cough or runny nose worsens. If the mucus that comes out when runny nose changes its color and possibly becomes bloody, a doctor should always be consulted. If the temperature rises quickly, this should also be clarified by a doctor.
Sufficient drinking and fresh air are very helpful in counteracting the cold in babies. With nasal drops, however, care should be taken and these should only be used in consultation with a doctor.
Read more on this topic at: Runny nose in baby
Coughing and vomiting in the baby
When a baby coughs and vomits, it can have several causes. If the cough has been around for a long time, the vomiting may have been triggered by this and the associated gag reflex. Attention should be paid to whether vomiting occurs in time with certain foods. This may have to be clarified. But other causes, such as digestive problems or an infection, should also be considered.
Read more on this topic at: Vomiting in the baby
Summary
Coughing in young children and babies is a common symptom and in most cases is harmless.
As in adults, the baby's cough serves as a protective reflex that clears the airways of foreign bodies (e.g. Leftovers) or secretion released. As babies in particular have a very weak immune system, they more often suffer from viral or bacterial diseases, which mainly affect the airways. The pathogens lead to increased secretion formation on the respiratory tract, which leads to irritation of the bronchi, which in turn causes a coughing stimulus. Since bacteria and viruses in particular can collect and multiply in the tough secretion, it is important to cough up and remove the pathogens.
The cough is not a disease, so to speak, but rather an attempt by the body to rid itself of annoying pathogens. However, since coughing leads to interrupted sleep and thus weakness, babies can be given home remedies, especially at night antitussivei.e. have a cough-relieving effect. If you have a persistent cough, fever, shortness of breath or bloody sputum, it is important to consult a pediatrician immediately. These can indicate serious illnesses that require drug or perhaps antibiotic therapy.
Read more on this topic at: to cough
