Caring for a newborn with a cough?
Listen for wheezing, hacking, or barking first, then read on to find out what's normal and when it's time to worry.
A baby's cough can mean very different things, and it's not as if you can ask your baby what's wrong. Sometimes it's hard to know if you should call your doctor for advice, make an appointment, or head straight to the emergency room.
Coughs are the body's way of protecting itself, explains Howard Balbi, MD, director of pediatric infectious diseases at Nassau County Medical Center in East Meadow, New York. Coughing serves as the method the body uses to keep the airways clear, ridding the throat of phlegm, postnasal drip (nasal mucus that drips down the back of the throat), or a lodged piece of food.
There are two kinds of coughs that serve this purpose:
#1 Dry cough: This occurs when a baby has a cold or allergies. It helps clear postnasal drip or irritation from a sore throat.
#2 Wet cough: This results from a respiratory illness accompanying a bacterial infection. This causes phlegm or mucus (which contains white blood cells to help fight germs) to form in baby's airways. Children younger than 4 months don't cough much, so if they do, it's serious, says Catherine Dundon, M.D., an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical School and a pediatrician in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. In the winter, if an infant is coughing terribly, it could be respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a dangerous viral infection for infants. Once your child is older than age 1, coughs are less alarming. In most cases, chances are your baby's cough is nothing more than a cold. To help you tell a wait-and-see cough from one that demands immediate medical attention, stay calm, listen carefully to the cough, and follow the directions below.
Baby Cough That Indicates a Cold Sounds like: Dry hack Signs and symptoms of a baby cough that may indicate a cold or the flu include a stuffy or runny nose and sore throat. Coughs are usually dry, but depending on the severity of the cold, baby can have rattling mucus and/or a slight fever at night.
Treatment for baby cough from cold: Try your own mother's "lots-of-fluids-and-plenty-of-rest" routine. Although you may be eager to give baby something stronger to quiet the cough, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against using cough and cold medications for kids under 6 years because studies have shown that they don't work in little kids—and they can have potentially fatal side effects. It's better to stick to natural methods such as honey (for babies over a year), saline drops, and a cool-mist humidifier. Acetaminophen is safe to use to reduce a fever, but if your child's temperature is 100.4 degrees or higher and she looks sickly, call your doctor. It's likely that she has the flu. If your baby is 4 months or younger, call your doctor immediately if she has any fever; even a slight fever is serious in infants.
Baby Croup Cough Sounds like: Barking cough The most-telling croup cough symptom is when baby wakes up in the middle of the night with a barking cough (the sound is hard to mistake) and difficulty breathing. Usually caused by a viral infection, croup makes the lining of the trachea swell up and closes the airways, which is why baby has such a hard time breathing. You'll hear the seal-like cough when your child inhales (not on the exhale). Croup typically affects children under age 5 and often begins with a normal cold or sniffle earlier in the day. Croup should clear up in three or four days; if it doesn't, call your doctor.
Treatment for croup: First try to calm your child. Then consider one of the following techniques to ease her breathing: Run the shower, close the bathroom door, and let your child breathe in the steamy air. If it's a mild evening, take him outside; the damp air should make it easier for him to breathe. Have your child breathe the air from a cool-mist humidifier. Baby Cough That Indicates Bronchiolitis Sounds like: Wheezing Bronchiolitis comes on after what seems to be a basic cold, with coughing and a runny nose. According to Ruffin Franklin, M.D. of Capitol Pediatrics and Adolescent Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, many things cause wheezing or constriction of the airways, including environmental factors such as dust. The vast majority of cases of bronchiolitis in babies under age 1 are caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This virus causes a simple cold in kids older than 3, but it can penetrate the lungs of infants and can be potentially life-threatening, warns David Rubin, M.D., chief of pediatrics at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, New York. The cough or wheezing associated with both bronchiolitis and asthma makes them hard to tell apart. However, bronchiolitis is usually seen in the fall and winter and may be accompanied by: Slight fever Loss of appetite Treatment for bronchiolitis: You can treat bronchiolitis at home once baby's breathing is under control. Give baby lots of fluids, plenty of rest, and a cool-mist humidifier, and always keep an eye on your child's respiratory rate. If it gets too high—50 breaths per minute or more -- your child is definitely in respiratory distress. Call 911.
Whooping Cough Sounds like: A loud, rapid whoop This life-threatening bacterial infection was a leading cause of infant illness and death until the DTP vaccine was created in the 1960s and the disease was all but eradicated in the U.S. However, the disease has been making a comeback and there have been outbreaks in many states in recent years. In most cases of whooping cough (pertussis), baby has no cold symptoms or fever. Symptoms of whooping cough include:
Frequent, alarming coughing spasms Tongue sticking out Bulging eyes Face discoloration Treatment for whooping cough: Prevention is key. Make sure your baby has been immunized, but because babies aren't fully protected until they've received three doses of the vaccine, it's essential that you and all of your infants' caregivers get vaccinated with the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) booster. If you suspect your baby is suffering from whooping cough, call 911 immediately. By the time the coughing fits develop, the infant must be hospitalized so he can receive oxygen during coughing spells, according to Ruffin Franklin, M.D., of Capitol Pediatrics and Adolescent Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.Generally, baby—as well as every member of your household -- is also prescribed the antibiotic erythromycin to prevent the spread of this very contagious disease. If the child comes through the initial attack, whooping cough will need to run its course, which can take months.
Baby Cough That Indicates Pneumonia Sounds like: Wet and phlegmy Pneumonia is a viral or bacterial infection of the lungs brought on by a number of conditions, including the common cold. Symptoms and signs that your child has pneumonia is a baby with pneumonia will be very fatigued and will have a very "productive" cough, bringing up everything imaginable in the shades of green and yellow.
Treatment for pneumonia: Treatment depends on whether the cause is viral or bacterial, so call your doctor, especially if baby has a fever. Bacterial pneumonia is usually more dangerous and is most commonly brought on by strep pneumonae.
Baby Cough That Indicates Asthma Sounds like: Wheezing Doctors generally agree that asthma is not common in children younger than 2, unless the baby has had bouts of eczema and there's a family history of allergies and asthma. Until there is an absolute diagnosis of asthma, a tightening of baby's airways resulting in wheezing is referred to as Reactive Airway Disease. In the case of asthma symptoms, your baby will be suffering from retractions (a sucking in and out of the chest and diaphragm). Your infant will also probably start out with:
Cold symptoms Itchy and runny eyes Treatment for asthma: Whatever the case, it's always best to call your doctor when you hear your infant wheezing. Even without a definitive diagnosis of asthma, doctors often use asthma medication to treat a bout of wheezing. Your doctor may prescribe a liquid form of the asthma medicine albuterol to open the airways. If the asthma attacks are very severe, albuterol is administered via a nebulizer—a special device that delivers the medicine in a fine mist—sometimes used with an infant-size face mask so baby can inhale the drug more easily. If a young baby has a terrible cough or one that worsens after a day or two, and her breathing becomes labored, call your pediatrician immediately. As with Bronchiolitis, keep an eye on your child's respiratory rate. If it gets too high—50 breaths per minute or more -- your child is definitely in respiratory distress. Call 911.
#1 Dry cough: This occurs when a baby has a cold or allergies. It helps clear postnasal drip or irritation from a sore throat.
#2 Wet cough: This results from a respiratory illness accompanying a bacterial infection. This causes phlegm or mucus (which contains white blood cells to help fight germs) to form in baby's airways. Children younger than 4 months don't cough much, so if they do, it's serious, says Catherine Dundon, M.D., an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical School and a pediatrician in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. In the winter, if an infant is coughing terribly, it could be respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a dangerous viral infection for infants. Once your child is older than age 1, coughs are less alarming. In most cases, chances are your baby's cough is nothing more than a cold. To help you tell a wait-and-see cough from one that demands immediate medical attention, stay calm, listen carefully to the cough, and follow the directions below.
Baby Cough That Indicates a Cold Sounds like: Dry hack Signs and symptoms of a baby cough that may indicate a cold or the flu include a stuffy or runny nose and sore throat. Coughs are usually dry, but depending on the severity of the cold, baby can have rattling mucus and/or a slight fever at night.
Treatment for baby cough from cold: Try your own mother's "lots-of-fluids-and-plenty-of-rest" routine. Although you may be eager to give baby something stronger to quiet the cough, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises against using cough and cold medications for kids under 6 years because studies have shown that they don't work in little kids—and they can have potentially fatal side effects. It's better to stick to natural methods such as honey (for babies over a year), saline drops, and a cool-mist humidifier. Acetaminophen is safe to use to reduce a fever, but if your child's temperature is 100.4 degrees or higher and she looks sickly, call your doctor. It's likely that she has the flu. If your baby is 4 months or younger, call your doctor immediately if she has any fever; even a slight fever is serious in infants.
Baby Croup Cough Sounds like: Barking cough The most-telling croup cough symptom is when baby wakes up in the middle of the night with a barking cough (the sound is hard to mistake) and difficulty breathing. Usually caused by a viral infection, croup makes the lining of the trachea swell up and closes the airways, which is why baby has such a hard time breathing. You'll hear the seal-like cough when your child inhales (not on the exhale). Croup typically affects children under age 5 and often begins with a normal cold or sniffle earlier in the day. Croup should clear up in three or four days; if it doesn't, call your doctor.
Treatment for croup: First try to calm your child. Then consider one of the following techniques to ease her breathing: Run the shower, close the bathroom door, and let your child breathe in the steamy air. If it's a mild evening, take him outside; the damp air should make it easier for him to breathe. Have your child breathe the air from a cool-mist humidifier. Baby Cough That Indicates Bronchiolitis Sounds like: Wheezing Bronchiolitis comes on after what seems to be a basic cold, with coughing and a runny nose. According to Ruffin Franklin, M.D. of Capitol Pediatrics and Adolescent Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, many things cause wheezing or constriction of the airways, including environmental factors such as dust. The vast majority of cases of bronchiolitis in babies under age 1 are caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This virus causes a simple cold in kids older than 3, but it can penetrate the lungs of infants and can be potentially life-threatening, warns David Rubin, M.D., chief of pediatrics at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, New York. The cough or wheezing associated with both bronchiolitis and asthma makes them hard to tell apart. However, bronchiolitis is usually seen in the fall and winter and may be accompanied by: Slight fever Loss of appetite Treatment for bronchiolitis: You can treat bronchiolitis at home once baby's breathing is under control. Give baby lots of fluids, plenty of rest, and a cool-mist humidifier, and always keep an eye on your child's respiratory rate. If it gets too high—50 breaths per minute or more -- your child is definitely in respiratory distress. Call 911.
Whooping Cough Sounds like: A loud, rapid whoop This life-threatening bacterial infection was a leading cause of infant illness and death until the DTP vaccine was created in the 1960s and the disease was all but eradicated in the U.S. However, the disease has been making a comeback and there have been outbreaks in many states in recent years. In most cases of whooping cough (pertussis), baby has no cold symptoms or fever. Symptoms of whooping cough include:
Frequent, alarming coughing spasms Tongue sticking out Bulging eyes Face discoloration Treatment for whooping cough: Prevention is key. Make sure your baby has been immunized, but because babies aren't fully protected until they've received three doses of the vaccine, it's essential that you and all of your infants' caregivers get vaccinated with the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) booster. If you suspect your baby is suffering from whooping cough, call 911 immediately. By the time the coughing fits develop, the infant must be hospitalized so he can receive oxygen during coughing spells, according to Ruffin Franklin, M.D., of Capitol Pediatrics and Adolescent Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.Generally, baby—as well as every member of your household -- is also prescribed the antibiotic erythromycin to prevent the spread of this very contagious disease. If the child comes through the initial attack, whooping cough will need to run its course, which can take months.
Baby Cough That Indicates Pneumonia Sounds like: Wet and phlegmy Pneumonia is a viral or bacterial infection of the lungs brought on by a number of conditions, including the common cold. Symptoms and signs that your child has pneumonia is a baby with pneumonia will be very fatigued and will have a very "productive" cough, bringing up everything imaginable in the shades of green and yellow.
Treatment for pneumonia: Treatment depends on whether the cause is viral or bacterial, so call your doctor, especially if baby has a fever. Bacterial pneumonia is usually more dangerous and is most commonly brought on by strep pneumonae.
Baby Cough That Indicates Asthma Sounds like: Wheezing Doctors generally agree that asthma is not common in children younger than 2, unless the baby has had bouts of eczema and there's a family history of allergies and asthma. Until there is an absolute diagnosis of asthma, a tightening of baby's airways resulting in wheezing is referred to as Reactive Airway Disease. In the case of asthma symptoms, your baby will be suffering from retractions (a sucking in and out of the chest and diaphragm). Your infant will also probably start out with:
Cold symptoms Itchy and runny eyes Treatment for asthma: Whatever the case, it's always best to call your doctor when you hear your infant wheezing. Even without a definitive diagnosis of asthma, doctors often use asthma medication to treat a bout of wheezing. Your doctor may prescribe a liquid form of the asthma medicine albuterol to open the airways. If the asthma attacks are very severe, albuterol is administered via a nebulizer—a special device that delivers the medicine in a fine mist—sometimes used with an infant-size face mask so baby can inhale the drug more easily. If a young baby has a terrible cough or one that worsens after a day or two, and her breathing becomes labored, call your pediatrician immediately. As with Bronchiolitis, keep an eye on your child's respiratory rate. If it gets too high—50 breaths per minute or more -- your child is definitely in respiratory distress. Call 911.
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