EASY TAB GIST

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 : Th