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The information provided by The Pediatric Group, PLLC website is information of a general nature and is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be relied on for personal medical reasons and should not be relied upon as providing specific medical advice or for diagnosis or treatment. All information contained on this website is presented as is, without any warranties of any kind, express or implied.
Please note that visiting this website alone does not establish a physician-patient relationship with any physician engaged by The Pediatric Group, PLLC. You should consult your own physician for specific advice for your own personal situation.
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Cough Definition: A cough is the sound made when the cough reflex suddenly expels air and secretions from the lungs. A coughing spasm is when your child coughs continuously for more than 5 minutes. Coughing up mucus is very important for protecting the lungs from infections. Most coughs are caused by viral infections, occur during the winter months, and last about 10-14 days. Many times coughs are accompanied by other cold symptoms. Some coughs sound barky and deep and are accompanied by hoarseness. Coughs that sound wheezy are most often due to mucus in the throat, but might be a sign of lung infection (pneumonia or bronchitis) or asthma. Viral bronchitis usually causes a dry tickly cough that lasts more than two weeks. Allergies and exposure to smoke will also cause and/or prolong coughing. (Want to stop smoking? Here's help!) Parents are frequently fooled into thinking their child has chest congestion when they feel a rattle in their child’s chest when they breathe. Mucus in the nose or throat will vibrate all the way down into the chest with breathing, especially in young children, and does not mean the child has bronchitis or pneumonia.
Home Care:
Provide plenty of fluids during a coughing illness. Contrary to common belief, milk does not thicken mucus and should not be restricted, especially in a child who prefers milk. Warm clear fluids are especially helpful in stopping coughing spasms. Run a cool mist humidifier in the bedroom, since dry air tends to make a cough worse.
- Mild Cough: a. For children older than 12 months of age: use 2-5 mL of corn syrup as needed for homemade cough medicine. It may thin the secretions and loosen the cough.
b. For children older than age 6 years: Use cough drops or hard candies.
- Severe Cough – a cough that interferes with sleep, school, or work. Use a cough suppressant that contains dextromethorphan (DM). It is present in most over the counter cough syrups. Try to find a medicine with dextromethorphan as its only ingredient and follow the directions on the package. Multi-symptom cold preparations contain more medicine than is needed (antihistamines, decongestants) and often cause side effects such as sleep problems and crankiness. Expectorants do not work well in children.
Do not use dextromethorphan on children under 6 months of age. Call 911 Emergency if:
- Your child has passed out from coughing.
- Lips or face are bluish when not coughing.
- Your child has severe difficulty breathing: a. Struggling for each breath, may show rib cage as attempts to inhale
b. Unable to speak or cry because of difficultly breathing
c. Makes grunting noises with each breath
b. May have choked on a small object that could be caught in the throat. Call our office urgently if:
- Your child has difficultly getting air in or out from the chest or is breathing fast (panting).
- Your child is less than 6 months old and has a persistent cough.
- Your child’s lips turn blue when coughing.
- Your child complains of severe chest pain.
- Your child has coughed up blood.
- Your child has a fever greater than 105°F.
Call our office during regular hours if:
- The cough has lasted more than two weeks.
- The cough has lasted more than 3 days and your child is less than 3 months old.
- The cough has caused many coughing spasms or episodes of vomiting.
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