Cough in an infant

The causes of coughing in an infant may be different. If a cough arose suddenly, it could be a signal of getting into the trachea or bronchi of a foreign body. In this case, immediate medical attention is required. Coughing in a child can be caused by harmful substances in the air, such as gas contamination or tobacco smoke. It can also be caused by dry and overheated air in the room. Reflex cough in an infant is a rare psychogenic cause and occurs with inflammation of the middle ear or the presence of sulfur plugs. Sometimes cough occurs in children with heart defects, suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or having adenoids.

Cough can accompany a large number of different diseases, and in an infant you can cause hoarseness, vomiting, may be accompanied by some anxiety and even disturb sleep.

Coughing in an infant may cause a runny nose. It is accompanied by short coughs that occur in the baby in the morning. These coughs should not cause concern to the parents, since they arise because the mucus from the nose flows into the lower parts of the respiratory tract. Diseases of the ENT organs can also be accompanied by a cough. Cough is a sign of bronchial asthma and can cause asthma attacks. But most often coughing in an infant causes acute respiratory viral infections, abbreviated ARVI. In this case, inflamed as the upper respiratory tract - the nasopharynx and the oropharynx, and the lower ones - the larynx, trachea, lungs and bronchi. Inflammation of the upper respiratory tract is usually accompanied by a dry, painful cough. In diseases of the trachea, a cough is coarse and deaf, as in a barrel. With inflammation of the larynx - laryngitis - a dry, barking cough may occur .

This disease is fraught with serious complications, one of which may be stenosis of the larynx, that is, narrowing, and a sharp, airway lumen (upper), which causes swelling of the mucous membrane lining them. Thus the child breathes hardly, so long barking dry cough and hoarseness of a voice should alert parents, thus it is desirable immediate reference to the doctor.

When a sputum appears, the child's cough becomes wet. It usually happens on the third day. Accumulation of sputum causes a coughing attack, which stops after it is secreted. Cough clears the airways. This course of the disease is natural, after which recovery occurs. If during this period the child's condition worsens, you should immediately consult a doctor to avoid possible complications.

Treatment of a cough in an infant should be started with the first symptoms and carried out only under the supervision of a doctor. To make the bronchi better cleaned of accumulated mucus, the child should often be taken in hand and gently pat on the back. The motor activity of the baby should not be limited, since movement also contributes to a quick recovery. When you cough, it is useful to do a nursing baby massage. Treatment of cough in an infant should be accompanied by a sparing diet. Only in no case should you force a baby to eat if he refuses. It is better to offer him jelly, jelly or milkshake - this food is easy, but still quite caloric. Fruit puree for baby food is also suitable. If a child eats a little less, it's not scary. But you just need to drink as much as possible. The fact is that with the liquid from the body toxins are excreted well, the liquid can help liquefy and excrete sputum. In order that the crumb did not refuse to drink a lot, you need to prepare for him the most favorite drinks, and drink from a non-spill pot, fun and funny, or through a tube, so that everything is perceived as a fun game.

If the baby suffers a cough against the background of ARVI, then all treatment is directed to liquefaction and the subsequent removal of sputum. The best result can be achieved by moistening the air in the room. In winter, for these purposes, you can put a wet sheet or towel on the central heating battery or use a special air humidifier, which is even better.

To cure a cough against the background of ARVI, there are a lot of various drugs, but you can also use tried and tested folk remedies.