Strong cough in a newborn what to do. These include. When to see a doctor immediately

To help your child cope with a coughing fit, you need to know the causes of its occurrence. The doctor can help you choose effective means, including inhalations and drugs allowed from birth.

A cough that occurs in a baby brings him and his parents a lot of trouble. Sleep is disturbed, the baby's appetite is disturbed. In addition, the risk of transmission of the disease to the lower respiratory tract increases. Therefore, at the very first stages, it is important to understand why the child is coughing in order to start proper treatment. But you should not do this on your own, you definitely need to contact a specialist. by the most effective way cough control are inhalations. The doctor will help you choose the medicine and exact dosage for the nebulizer.

Characteristics of cough

The cough is defensive reaction organism. Thus, he tries to get rid of the irritant or infection. Normally, a baby may have several coughs a day.

Why can an infant cough? The reasons can be both the most harmless and very serious. Therefore, it is necessary to undergo an examination in time, establish a diagnosis in order to help the child alleviate the condition.

Young children may show physiological cough not associated with pathology. Mom observes that after sleep, in the morning, he begins to cough. In a dream, babies sleep only on their backs, as they cannot roll over on their own. Mucus can accumulate in the nasopharynx, which begins to irritate the walls of the trachea. Treatment in this case is not required.

During teething, a lot of saliva begins to be produced, which causes coughing, especially during sleep or in the morning. At night, the child does not have time to swallow saliva, and a cough reflex occurs. Treatment should begin with the use of special gels and ointments for the gums.

Other causes of cough in a child include:

• viral infection;
• diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
• allergy;
• otitis;
• foreign body in respiratory tract;
• dry, polluted air.

Coughing can be caused by a reflex when food from the esophagus enters the nasopharynx. The child begins to vomit after feeding while awake and coughs in the morning after sleep.

Why unpleasant symptom can a child pass with and without a temperature? If a runny nose appeared along with a cough, the temperature rose, most likely, the baby had ARVI. Cough develops during sleep. If these symptoms are not present, but it continues long time, then you can suspect an allergy or whooping cough. Even if the child occasionally coughs, it still needs to be shown to the doctor. In children under one year old, the respiratory system is not fully formed, and viscous mucus stagnates in lower sections respiratory system. And this leads to bronchitis or pneumonia.

With ARVI, the child begins violent attack in a dream, symptoms such as fever, sore throat and head, runny nose join.

Cough is dry and wet

Dry cough causes irritation of the mucous surface of the respiratory system, does not bring relief. There are many reasons for its occurrence. With this type of cough, any colds. Most often, cough develops in the morning, after sleep. At the same time, body temperature rises. As he recovers, the cough turns into a wet one.

Dry cough in a child may occur due to an allergic irritant (food, dust, animal hair), bronchial asthma or whooping cough. If the cause is an allergy to bedding or dust in the room, then the cough most often intensifies in the morning.

Why can a child cough intensified in morning time? If a child coughs heavily in the morning, while it is difficult for him to cough, take a breath, bronchitis and asthma should be ruled out. At night, the spasm of muscle muscles intensifies, a cough appears during sleep and after sleep.

A wet cough is not accompanied by an increase in body temperature and brings relief. The color of sputum can also be used to judge the processes occurring in the body. If the mucus is clear, then there are no complications. If it has a greenish or yellowish tint, then it is inflammatory process in the bronchi or lungs.

The child urgently needs to be shown to the doctor and treatment should be started if other symptoms appear against the background of coughing:

• coughing fits become stronger at night interfere with sleep;
• the baby refuses to feed, vomiting is observed;
• coughing attacks are getting worse every day.

Wet cough does not always indicate the stage of recovery. If it is prolonged, does not decrease every day, but, on the contrary, the amount of sputum increases, increases in sleep, then tracheitis, pneumonia, bronchitis should be excluded.

Therapeutic procedures and medicines

If it is established that the baby has ARVI, then the doctor can begin treatment according to the following scheme.

• Antivirals.
• Nasal lavage saline solutions. Sometimes vasoconstrictor drops may be prescribed.
• Antipyretics.
• Homeopathic remedies are often prescribed for infants, as they have natural basis. For example, "Stodal". The medicine helps with cough of any nature, relieves inflammation, thins and removes sputum.

The most popular cough medicines used in pediatrics for infants are divided into three groups: expectorants, mucolytics and antitussives.

Treatment with expectorants is started at wet cough when mucus is poorly excreted. They will come to the rescue vegetable syrups based on, for example, herbs such as plantain, thyme, thyme. But they can cause allergies in a child. Due to the activation of the ciliated epithelium, sputum begins to separate from the mucosa.

1. "Gedelix". Syrup can be used from birth. It should be given a lot of liquid at the same time, it is allowed to dilute in the diet.
2. Syrup based on licorice root.
3. "Linkas". The syrup has an anti-inflammatory and mild analgesic effect, liquefies and removes sputum. The syrup is approved for use from 6 months.

Mucolytic drugs are designed to thin viscous sputum in the respiratory system. These are drugs based on bromhexine, ambroxol. Among them, the most famous are "Ambrobene", "Lazolvan". Effective inhalation with these drugs.

Pediatricians for cough are prescribed the following expectorant drugs for babies:

1. "Ambrobene". The syrup is allowed for children from birth - 2.5 ml each. Facilitates breathing, thins mucus and removes phlegm. Known for its effectiveness solution for inhalation.
2. "Bronhikum". Syrup based on thyme is allowed for use from six months of age, ½ teaspoon. You can use this syrup for up to two weeks.
3. "Ambroxol". The syrup is effective for viscous sputum, it is prescribed from birth in 2.5 ml. Do not drink syrup for more than 5 days.
4. "Bromhexine". Syrup and solution for inhalation for children from birth.

Treatment with antitussive drugs is necessary to suppress cough reflex. They are prescribed for a strong, dry cough that interferes with sleep and eating. They are also prescribed for whooping cough. Treatment with these drugs is carried out with extreme caution among children under the age of one year.

1. The permitted drug is drops or syrup "Sinekod", you can give it from 2 months.
2. "Stoptussin". The drug is presented in the form of drops that can be given with a dry cough after 6 months. You need to drink it after feeding.

You can not combine expectorant and antitussive drugs. This leads to the development of pneumonia. Do not exceed the dosage prescribed by the doctor - the risk of developing side effects.

What are adults allowed to do?

When the baby coughs, parents try to help him by all means. Among them there are those that can be harmful to health. With caution, you need to use folk remedies.

How can mom help?

1. As often as possible, put the baby to the breast. If the child is on artificial feeding then give him more fluids. Children after six months can be given a decoction or compote.
2. Do not dress your child too warmly, especially when he has a high fever.
3. When the cough is high temperature allowed to walk on the street. There is better ventilation of the lungs, microbes begin to die faster. Do not be afraid if the child began to cough more after a walk, this is normal.
4. The room where the baby is located should be ventilated more often. Be sure to humidify the air. Dry air provokes a cough even more due to the drying of the mucous membrane.
5. You can do inhalation. Only babies under one year are not recommended to do steam inhalation, as the risk of burning the respiratory tract increases. If the cough is dry, then they go into the bathroom with the baby and fill it with water. You can breathe the steam that comes from hot water with soda.
6. If there is no temperature and the baby feels satisfactory, you can take a bath with sea ​​salt or add a decoction of eucalyptus, chamomile.
7. Chest and back massage.

Do not make compresses with alcohol, vinegar or dry mustard - the risk of poisoning, burns and the development of spasms of the larynx increases. Herbal decoctions and infusions should be given with caution. Allergic reactions often occur.

Folk remedies in the fight against cough are:

• tea with raspberries, chamomile;
• you can give a little honey, putting it on the cheek or under the tongue;
• warm milk with soda on the tip of a knife will help relieve the attack.

Treating a cough in a child with soda has several options.

Treating the throat with soda can help relieve inflammation and irritation in the throat. To do this, gauze soaked in water with soda is wound around the finger, and it is carefully processed. oral cavity child.

Inhalations are effective mineral water"Borjomi" or water with soda. To make a solution with soda, you need to take 3 teaspoons of soda and dilute in 800 ml of water. The water should be warm, but not hot.

Useful are steam inhalations with soda, performed in a different way. Pour a liter of water into the pan, throw in a few cloves of garlic and boil for 5 minutes. Then diluted with soda. You can breathe for about a few minutes.

A liter of hot water is diluted with soda and 2 drops of iodine are added. Baking soda helps loosen mucus and make breathing easier.

Folk effective means are inhalations with eucalyptus. They eliminate wheezing and prolonged cough. Cough treatment for initial stage can be carried out using a nebulizer and saline solution. Inhalations should be done for 5 minutes. Pour 5 ml of the solution into the cup of the device. Helps to moisturize respiratory organs, relieve irritation and dilute thick mucus.

Parents should pay attention to even slight coughs in the baby. Many respiratory diseases are silent and may not be accompanied by fever or other symptoms. Only experienced specialist can sort out the problem.

Parents react to the cough of the baby in different ways - some ignore it, especially if the temperature is normal and there is no runny nose, while others rush to treat both folk and pharmaceutical products. Both options can be called extremes, since when coughing in an infant, both at 3 months and at 6 months or older, one should find out its cause and only then begin any treatment.

What is a cough?

This is the name of a reflex that helps clear the respiratory tract of any foreign matter, for example, dust particles, allergens, viruses, crumbs, accumulated mucus or pathogenic bacteria. In infants, a cough is a sharp, loud exhalation in which air is expelled from the respiratory tract at an increased rate.

Types of cough and causes

Depending on the factors causing cough, it is divided into physiological (needed to cleanse the respiratory tract) and pathological (appearing in many diseases).

Cough is a symptom of such diseases:

• Angina
• Laryngitis
• Pharyngitis
• Bronchitis
• Tracheitis
• Sinusitis
• Pneumonia
• Bronchial asthma
• Tuberculosis
• Whooping cough and other infections
• Allergy
• Helminth infection

There are a lot of reasons for coughing in infants, so examine the child before treatment.

If you pay attention to the expectoration of sputum, then there are such types of cough as dry (sputum is not secreted) and wet (it is also called productive or wet). Normally, a newborn, an infant 2 months old or older, may cough up sputum in the morning, as it accumulates during a night's sleep. Further during the day, the baby will not cough, and general state Will not change.

Assessing the sound of a dry cough baby, you can define it as:

• Barking is a loud, dog-like cough commonly associated with laryngitis.
• Pulmonary - exhausting paroxysmal cough.
• Superficial - characteristic of pharyngitis.

In most cases, the type of cough can be identified by the sound

Cough not associated with sore throat

• An infant may begin to cough due to a foreign object, such as small toys or their parts, getting into the airways. In this case, in addition to the sudden onset of a cough, the child may lose his voice, breathing becomes difficult, the skin may turn blue. This situation should be a reason to immediately call an ambulance.
• The occurrence of cough infant, for example, at the age of 5 months, can also be caused by an allergic reaction. The baby can react with a cough to plant pollen, food allergens, dust, down pillows, and many other substances and objects. To help a child with such a cough, it is important to identify the allergen and eliminate its exposure.
• Another cause of cough without respiratory disease is helminthiasis. Larvae of some types of worms, developing in the body of a child, can pass through the lungs. During coughing, they, along with mucus, pass into the gastrointestinal tract and thus reach the intestines.
• We also note that the cause of dry cough in infants may be excessively dry air in the room. In this case, the problem is easily solved with a humidifier or other sources of moisture (water containers, wet towels).
• Babies can also cough during meals if the milk comes in too quickly. To eliminate such a cough, a change in posture will help breastfeeding or changing nipples in case of bottle feeding.

If you are convinced that the baby does not viral infection then carefully examine it to identify the cause of the cough

Danger symptoms (when coughing is dangerous)

Parents need to be alert and show the baby to the doctor as soon as possible if:

• The cough came on suddenly and didn't stop.
• Simultaneously with the cough, the baby developed wheezing, which can be heard from afar.
• Cough occurs at night in the form of attacks.
• The baby coughs up red or green sputum.
• The cough lasts longer than three weeks.

How to treat?

When a cough of any kind appears in a baby, for example, at 4 months old, you should first determine whether it is a variant of the norm or caused by a disease. To do this, you need to show the crumbs to the doctor, since any cough medicines in children under one year old should be taken only after the appointment of a pediatrician or ENT.

In addition to drugs in the treatment of infants with a cough, they use:

• Inhalations. Depending on the method of carrying out, they are steam and nebulizer. When holding an infant over steam, be very careful to avoid the risk of burns. In a nebulizer for inhalation infancy without the appointment of a pediatrician, only saline or Borjomi should be poured.
• Drainage massage. It is carried out for babies who do not have an elevated body temperature, from the 4th-5th day of illness, in order to improve sputum separation. With this massage, the baby's head is located below the body. First massage the back, and then chest. After the massage, the baby should be wrapped up and put in the crib, regularly changing the position of the body.
• Folk remedies. These include the use herbal decoctions, cakes with honey and rubbing with badger fat.

Inhalation stimulates the secretion of mucus, thereby eliminating coughing.

Massage promotes easy sputum discharge

Folk remedies help with complications and alleviate the condition of the child

Overview of the best funds

Among the drugs that the doctor can prescribe to the baby when coughing, there are drugs of the following groups:

1. Antitussive drugs. They reduce the activity of the cough center and are prescribed only with a debilitating strong dry cough. It is important to remember that drugs of this group are not combined with expectorants.
2. Expectorants. Their action is to improve the expectoration of sputum. At the age of up to a year, babies are prescribed Gedelix, Prospan, Linkas, Gerbion ivy, Bronchipret or Licorice root syrup.
3. Mucolytics. Such agents reduce the viscosity of sputum, which contributes to its better separation. These include ambroxol preparations approved for use in infants.
4. Antihistamines. Such medicines are prescribed in cases of allergic cough.
5. Antibiotics. Their appointment is necessary for bacterial infections manifested by coughing, for example, pneumonia or tonsillitis.

Before giving any medicine to a baby, consult a specialist

Breast fees

Often used to treat cough medicinal herbs, combining them in different combinations in the form chest fees. Such collections may contain marshmallow, anise, mother and stepmother, plantain, licorice, sage, oregano and other herbs. However, in order to avoid allergies and other side effects, experts advise giving babies one-component decoctions.

Is it possible to use chamomile in the treatment of infants?

Such medicinal plant often used before the age of one year, because it has an anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effect. If you have brewed chamomile for a baby for the first time, let's herbal remedy a few drops to check the reaction of the baby's body.

To prepare a decoction, take a tablespoon of dried flowers and a glass of boiled water, cover the container with a lid, and strain after 10 minutes. Giving such chamomile tea advise three times a day half an hour after feeding in an amount of up to 30 ml for children in the first months of life.

Chamomile can also be used for inhalation. Brewed dry flowers need to be infused for 40 minutes, then boil a liter of water and pour the decoction into it, then bring the baby to the container so that the baby breathes steam for 5-10 minutes.

The symptoms of a cold always worries parents, but if a newborn baby develops a cough, it is especially dangerous. Manifestations of cough in young children should not be ignored, even if it is completely mild cough at the breast.

It can be caused by dry air or excess saliva in the mouth, a physiological runny nose, or the first sign of an impending illness.

Cough in the chest

All children get sick during childhood, but diseases in early childhood are especially dangerous. infancy. This is due to weakened immunity and contact with viruses and microbes. One of the common symptoms of a cold, along with a runny nose, is a cough in an infant.

The presence of a cough in a baby, first of all, suggests that the child has caught a cold, but coughing is far from always a sign of only colds.

Coughing in infants may be a sign allergic reactions, diseases of the bronchi, lungs and digestive system, heart and metabolic disorders.

To properly treat a cough in infants, you must always correctly and accurately find out its causes.

Cough in an infant

First of all, cough in an infant is one of the defense mechanisms body that helps naturally protect the body from dust, microbes, foreign particles and mucus from the oral cavity entering the respiratory system.

Therefore, coughing in infants will not always be a sign of pathology or colds.

A cough in a newborn may be due to the accumulation in the tracheal area of ​​\u200b\u200bsecret from the nasopharynx or milk residues caught during feeding.

Cough in newborns can occur if he chokes on saliva or breast milk, as children in early age mostly in a horizontal position.

Such a cough is classified as physiological, it is repeated several times a day, but not long, when coughing up mucus, everything immediately passes. At the same time, it’s even more likely not a cough, but a cough, and with such a cough, the child’s condition is quite normal, there are no signs of a cold or other diseases.

If the baby coughs, while there are no signs of infection, measures are reduced to more frequent keeping of the child in vertical position, airing and humidifying the room, daily wet cleaning. If these measures are not enough, and the cough intensifies, it is worth looking for its cause.

Baby cough: causes

If the baby coughs, there can be many reasons for this. These reasons include:

• inflammatory processes in the upper respiratory tract (tonsillitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis)
• damage to the lower respiratory tract (bronchitis and pneumonia)
• middle ear lesions
• allergy
• entry of foreign bodies into the respiratory tract
• dryness and air pollution,
• regurgitation, digestive disorders.

In this case, cough in infants can be of two types:

• dry cough in infants, hacking, wheezing, painful and without sputum
• wet cough in infants, gurgling, productive, with discharge a large number liquid sputum.

Usually diseases begin with dry severe cough in infants, which, as the disease develops, becomes more humid, with sputum.

Some pathologies, in particular pneumonia, can immediately begin with a wet cough. Before starting the treatment of cough in infants, it is necessary to find out its cause by contacting a doctor.

How to treat a cough in a baby

First of all, before giving any cough medicine to a baby, you need to consult a doctor and make a diagnosis.

Only a doctor will be able to determine whether cough remedies for newborns are needed, which ones will definitely be shown, and which ones are prohibited.

First of all, how to treat cough in newborns? Need to start with medications which are no less important than taking medications. They help to quickly cope with the cough and alleviate the condition.

From coughing the baby helps:

• Maintaining a sufficient level of humidity in the room (humidifier, wet towels, water containers), especially during the heating period.
• Giving the child's head an elevated position so that mucus and sputum can be removed more easily, and it is easier for the child to breathe. In a semi-vertical position, it is easier to breathe when coughing.
• In the presence of a wet cough, postural drainages (the adoption of a special position by the child) are effective with vibration massage(tapping on the back for better sputum discharge).
• When coughing, the baby needs to be given more fluids to expel sputum, especially if there is a fever.
• Airing and walking on fresh air in the absence of temperature. Oxygen deficiency aggravates cough in infants.

Treatment of cough in infants

The question of how to treat a cough in an infant should be decided exclusively by a doctor who will observe the child during the entire period of illness.

It is forbidden to give any cough medicine to a baby on your own, this can lead to negative consequences, delaying treatment and the transition of the infection below with the formation of complications.

Cough for a child is painful, it disrupts the process of eating and sleeping, and it needs to be eliminated as soon as possible.

Used in the treatment of cough various means cough for children under one year old. Mainly:

• at wet cough cough syrup for babies (prospan, gedelix)
• with a dry cough, drugs that thin sputum are shown (from coughing up to a year, you can use ambroxol, ambrobene, bromhexine, mukaltin and some others).

Sometimes with strong, dry and painful cough use antitussives, but only in a short course and under the strict supervision of a physician.

Such drugs are prohibited when sputum appears, otherwise it will lead to swamping of the lungs and the development of pneumonia.

It is also important that cough medicines for babies have many side effects and contraindications.

Cough medicine for babies can be in syrup, drops or inhalation solutions with an ultrasonic device.

The dosage and method of using cough medicines for an infant is chosen by a doctor; it is forbidden to ask neighbors, friends and traditional medicine for advice on what can be given to a baby for coughing.

Extreme caution should be used and folk remedies cough for an infant. They can lead to the development of allergies, complications and delay in treatment. All prescriptions should be discussed with the doctor in advance.

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Each mother reacts to a cough in an infant in her own way. Some try not to pay attention to him, especially if he has no elevated temperature, others begin to treat everyone accessible ways. Both options are extreme, since when coughing in infants, both at 1 month and at 6 months, it is necessary to determine the cause of its occurrence. Only after that start treatment.

This symptom gives parents a lot of problems: a violation of appetite and sleep in a child. In addition, there is a risk of the transition of pathology to other parts of the respiratory tract. Therefore, at the very beginning, you need to understand the cause of the cough and start competent treatment assigned by a specialist.

Causes and types of cough

Cough is a reflex that allows you to clear the airways of allergens, dust, crumbs, pathogenic bacteria and viruses. In infants, this symptom looks like a sharp expiration, in which air from the respiratory tract is expelled with loud sound and great speed.

Cough can be physiological (necessary to clear the airways) and pathological (occurring in some pathologies). These diseases include:

• SARS;
• rhinitis;
• laryngitis;
• sinusitis;
• angina;
• bronchitis;
• tracheitis;
• pharyngitis;
• allergy;
• bronchial asthma;
• whooping cough and other infections;
• tuberculosis.

According to the type of sputum secreted, the cough is divided into dry and wet (productive). It is normal to cough up mucus in the morning in infants aged 2 months and older. This is due to the fact that newborn babies are not able to roll over on their own and sleep on their backs. Mucus accumulates in the nasopharynx and irritates the trachea. There should be no coughing throughout the day. In such a situation, treatment is not required.

A wet cough brings relief. The shade of sputum indicates the development of processes that occur in the child's body. If it is transparent, there is no danger. Green or dark yellow sputum indicates the development of inflammation in the lungs or bronchi.

A productive cough does not always lead to recovery. If it is too long and does not subside, but only intensifies, while the amount of mucus increases, then it is necessary to check the baby for the development of pneumonia, tracheitis or bronchitis.

The sound of coughing in infants varies by:

• superficial (pharyngitis);
• barking - loud, similar to the barking of a dog (laryngitis);
• pulmonary - painful, paroxysmal.

Other reasons

There are a number of factors unrelated to sore throat that cause coughing in infants:

1. The presence of a foreign object in the airways (small objects). In this case, the baby has difficulty breathing, the voice is disturbed, snot appears, the skin becomes bluish. In this situation, you should immediately call the doctors.
2. Allergy. Babies often react with a cough to certain foods, plant pollen, animal dander, and other substances.
3. Helminthiasis. Worm larvae during reproduction in the baby's body often pass through the lungs. At the time of coughing, along with mucus, they fall into gastrointestinal tract and then into the intestines.
4. Too dry air. To solve this problem, it is enough to use special humidifiers in the room.
5. Wrong feeding. infant begins to cough during meals, when milk or formula comes in very quickly. There is a reflex and he burps. To prevent this from happening, you need to change your position when breastfeeding or change the nipple on the bottle.
6. Teething. At this time, there is an intense secretion of saliva, which causes the child to cough. This is especially noticeable during sleep, when he does not have time to swallow saliva. The therapy is to use special ointments and gum gels.

Allocate a row dangerous symptoms, after which parents should be wary and immediately show the child to a specialist:

• sudden onset and cessation of coughing;
• the appearance of obvious wheezing in the baby;
• coughing fits at night;
• refusal to eat;
• vomit;
• green or rusty sputum;
• duration of cough for more than three weeks.

Cough with and without fever

If the baby has a cough, a runny nose and a fever, then he has ARVI. If these symptoms are absent, and the cough does not stop within a few days, we can talk about the development of whooping cough or an allergic reaction.

Even if the baby does not cough so often, it must be shown to a specialist. In infants under 12 months of age, the organs of the respiratory system are not yet fully formed, so sputum stagnates in them, which can lead to the development of pneumonia or bronchitis.

Treatment

To get rid of coughing fits in an infant, you should understand whether it is normal or caused by a disease. To do this, you need to show it to the doctor, since all antitussives in children under one year old should be taken strictly as prescribed by the pediatrician.

Medical treatment

If an ARVI is detected in a baby, the following remedies are prescribed:

• antiviral and vasoconstrictor drugs;
• expectorants and antitussives;
• mucolytics;
• washing with saline solutions;
• antipyretics;
• antihistamines (for allergic cough);
• homeopathic preparations (for any kind of cough);
• antibiotics (for angina or pneumonia).

The most effective for expectoration are syrups, which contain extracts medicinal herbs: thyme, plantain and thyme:

• Linkas is an anti-inflammatory drug recommended for children from 6 months.
• Ambrobene - releases breath, dilutes and removes sputum. Effective for inhalation.
• Gedelix - it is allowed to give to children from birth. Recommended to be taken with large quantity liquids. Can be bred with food. These drugs make it easier to separate sputum, but sometimes contribute to the development of allergies.
• Licorice root syrup - envelops the throat, facilitates the moment of expectoration of sputum.
• Bromhexine - effective as inhalation and oral administration.
• Bronchicum is a drug based on thyme, recommended for children from 6 months. Use no more than 14 days.

With a strong dry cough and whooping cough in infants, antitussives are prescribed. Their reception contributes to the suppression of the cough reflex, because of which the baby sleeps and eats poorly. It is necessary to use drugs in strict accordance with the recommendations of the pediatrician. The most effective are Sinekod (from 2 months), Stoptussin (from 6 months). It is worth taking funds after meals.

The simultaneous use of antitussive and expectorant drugs is strictly prohibited. Otherwise, pneumonia may develop. You can not increase the dosage to avoid complications.

Inhalations

This is the most effective method cough treatment. The specialist must prescribe the medicine and calculate the dosage. There are steam and nebulizer inhalations. Rules for inhalation:

1. Procedures using the drug are carried out no more than 5 minutes. In a nebulizer for babies without a doctor's recommendation, you can only pour mineral water or saline (5 ml).
2. Dr. Komarovsky recommends steam inhalation for babies. To do this, pour into the bath very hot water, add a few drops of eucalyptus oil (in the absence of allergies) and go into this room with the baby for 20 minutes.
3. In the evening before going to bed, this procedure will help. Pour water into a saucepan, boil, add one pinch of sage and thyme herbs to it, close the lid for 5 minutes. Then put the baby in the crib and put a pan next to him so that the steam goes directly to his face.
4. Soda inhalation. Pour 1 liter of water into a large container, add 2-3 cloves of garlic and 1 tbsp. l. soda and boil. You can add 2-3 drops of iodine.

These manipulations help thin the sputum and make it easier for the baby to breathe.

Folk remedies

There are many recipes traditional medicine to eliminate cough in infants. The most effective of them:

All means should be used with extreme caution and only after consulting a pediatrician. It is forbidden to do infants alcohol compresses(vinegar, mustard and alcohol) to avoid possible poisoning, the occurrence of spasms of the larynx and burns.

When coughing in an infant, they are used all sorts of ways treatment, including folk remedies. Among them, there are those that pose a health hazard. Dr. Komarovsky advises mothers to do the following at home:

• Breastfeed more often.
• With artificial feeding, you need to drink more water, and after 6 months - compote or decoction.
• You can not wrap the baby, especially at elevated temperatures.
• Walk regularly (if there is no temperature) to improve lung ventilation.
• Constantly do ventilation and control the humidity in the nursery.
• Bathe the baby in water with sea salt, eucalyptus or chamomile decoction.
• Lay the child so that the head and chest are located above the legs (for the outflow of blood from the respiratory tract).
• You can drip a little on the pillow olive oil and eucalyptus oils for easier breathing during sleep.
• Perform back pats daily (in the morning): put the child on your knees with your stomach down, hold his head, pat his back with your palm, you need to start from the middle. Do no more than five minutes.

As for cough medicines, Komarovsky advises using other methods: plentiful drink and air humidification. In his opinion, they are no less effective for coughing in infants than any other medicine.

cough baby is serious reason for the concern of parents. In order to be able to quickly eliminate the cough, you first need to understand the reasons for its occurrence. Contrary to popular belief, a cough can cause more than just a cold. Therefore, treatment can only be started by establishing the causes of coughing.

Causes of cough in a baby

• SARS, cold. This is the most probable cause cough in infants, because the baby's immunity is not yet able to fight many infections. With the onset of a cold or SARS, coughing causes the greatest discomfort to the baby in the morning and evening time, the child's body temperature may also rise, a runny nose appears.
• The inflammatory process in upper divisions respiratory tract. With such inflammation, it is necessary urgent help doctors: the baby wheezes and coughs, and may suffocate due to lack of oxygen.
• Dry or polluted air in the room. If the air is not humid enough, then there is a chance that the child will constantly scratch his throat, and because of this, the baby will cough regularly. As for the purity of the air - it is contraindicated for babies to inhale the smells of industrial paints, varnish and glue, as well as the smell of cigarettes - the baby's lungs are not able to cope with such a load.
• Foreign object. Stuck in the throat of an infant foreign object can be fatal, so you need to immediately call ambulance, in no case should you try to pull it out yourself.
• Inflammation of the middle ear. If there is a suspicion of this type of inflammation (the child cries when pressure is applied to the earlobe), then you should immediately go to the hospital. Cough in this case- the reaction of the baby's body to inflammation.

When determining the nature of a cough in a baby, the following points should be taken into account: how often the child coughs, whether he has a fever, whether some foreign object interferes with the normal breathing of the child. If you cannot determine the causes of the cough on your own, you need to urgently visit a pediatrician.

How to prevent coughing in babies

It is in the power of caring parents to warn various reasons the occurrence of cough in breast crumbs. For this it is recommended:

• Monitor the cleanliness and humidity of the air in the apartment. To keep the air clean, you need to ventilate the apartment at least once a day. During the heating period and in the hot season, you can humidify the air with a spray bottle.
• Support room temperature in the range of 23-25 ​​degrees. sharp drops temperature, too high and too low temperature in the home negatively affect children's health.
• Monitor cleanliness in the house, personal hygiene of the baby and the sterility of his toys. For the first six months of life, you need to bathe the child every day, change disposable diapers every 4-5 hours. Wet cleaning in the baby's room should be carried out at least 2 times a week. Rattles need to be washed twice a week soapy water, a Stuffed Toys it is better not to give the baby at all, as a lot of microbes gather on them.
• Daily walks with the baby, which will contribute to the natural strengthening of immunity.

Before you start treating a cough in a baby with any medicinal product you need to get a doctor's permission. Among the most effective drugs for a cough that is the result of a cold, the following drugs: Gedelix, Prospan, Stodal.

The above preparations are syrups on medicinal herbs, sweet in taste. There are syrups that are given to a child with a wet cough, as they help to remove sputum, and there are those that can only be given with a dry cough. So Gedelix and Prospan are recommended to be given to a child with a wet cough 2 times a day. And Stodal is used for dry cough.

In addition to syrups, in order for the child to sleep well and rest at night, paracetamol can be given to the baby before bedtime (necessarily for children, drinking, it is sold in pharmacies). For get well soon you can also apply rubbing - rub the chest, back and legs of the baby before bedtime, and then wrap the baby up so that he warms up well. Only the balm should be used for children, which will not cause irritation and will have a gentle effect on the skin. Some resourceful mothers use animal fat instead of balm.

Today, they are popular among young mothers special patches From cough. Such patches are glued to the clothes of the child, as a result of which the baby inhales their smell. Cough patches are effective due to their composition - they are impregnated with extracts of medicinal herbs. There are also various cough sprays, but they are highly discouraged for use in infants, as there is a risk of suffocation.

Particular attention should be paid to the daily routine of a cold baby. You do not need to completely limit his movements, the baby himself will not be in a very playful mood. Games are better to choose more calm. The child will sleep more, and this will only benefit. As a rule, during an illness, children lose their appetite - in this case, you can not force-feed a child. The body of the baby is already assigned huge pressure. It is recommended that the baby drink more, so if the child does not want to eat, you can replace food with a drink: compotes, juices, boiled water and of course breast milk. And be sure to walk with the baby in the fresh air (unless there is a temperature)!

If within 2-3 days of treatment, the baby's well-being does not improve, you need to visit the pediatrician again for a re-examination. Perhaps the course of treatment will have to be slightly adjusted. It is important to immediately respond to every sign of a deterioration in the health of the baby. Indeed, even a harmless cough can be a symptom of an incipient serious illness, and parents should make every effort to ensure that their baby is healthy and cheerful!

Causes of a cough in a child? How can you help a coughing child? – Doctor Komarovsky (video)