What should I do if my baby is a few months old and coughs?

01 What is Cough? Cough is a protective reflex of the body. Its function is to remove secretions, exudates and foreign matter that invade the respiratory tract. (This way, I wonder if it will make you less worried and anxious next time you hear your baby coughing.) What should I do if my three-month-old baby coughs? Don’t be in a hurry to give cough medicine 02 Why babies are prone to coughing The baby’s larynx, trachea, and bronchi are particularly sensitive to stimuli such as foreign bodies and irritating gases, which can easily cause coughs; the lumen of the baby’s larynx, trachea, and bronchi is relatively narrow and lacks effective The cough reflex and cough strength are weak, and coughing often brings vomiting. It really added fuel to the fire, and the moment I was a little calm was shattered again! When a baby coughs frequently, causes vomiting, and affects sleeping and eating, he or she needs to seek medical attention in time. 03 The distinction between acute cough and chronic cough is based on the duration of the disease. Children\’s cough is divided into acute cough (with a duration of less than 2 weeks), persistent cough (with a duration of 2-4 weeks) and chronic cough (with a duration of more than 4 weeks). When faced with coughs, parents should be patient and don\’t think about any magic medicine that will stop the baby from coughing as soon as he takes it. 04 Common causes of cough There are so many diseases that can cause cough symptoms. Let me give you a list: upper respiratory tract infections such as sinusitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis, etc.; tracheal and bronchial diseases such as acute bronchitis , asthmatic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, cough variant asthma, etc.; lung diseases such as various viral pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, mycoplasma pneumonia, tuberculosis; there are also some other diseases caused by gastroesophageal reflux disease, heart disease, etc. Sexual coughs, as well as coughs caused by inhalation of foreign bodies or inhalation of irritating gases, etc.; therefore, when faced with a cough, drinking a few bowls of pear soup will not cure it. 05 Parents should observe the symptoms of cough and accompanying symptoms. Cough is a manifestation of the disease, and sometimes it is the only manifestation. It may also be accompanied by fever, chest pain, asthma, hemoptysis, jam-colored sputum, vomiting, difficulty breathing and other symptoms. Parents need to pay attention to this. Observation and accurately informing the doctor when seeing a doctor will help the doctor make further judgment on the condition. ● Dry cough has no sputum or very little sputum. It can be a single cough or a paroxysmal cough. It is more common in the early stages of respiratory tract infections, such as pharyngitis and laryngitis, when the upper respiratory tract mucosa is suddenly irritated by foreign bodies or irritating gases. Irritations such as eczema, foreign bodies, and cerumen in the external auditory canal can also cause irritating coughs. Excessive covering of babies can also cause dry cough during sleep. ● Wet cough For wet cough, it depends on whether the phlegm can be coughed up. If it can be coughed up, pay attention to the color, shape and amount of the phlegm, whether it is purulent or bloody, and whether there is a special smell. 06 Identify the cause of the baby’s cough and provide corresponding treatment. When coughing, cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or shoulder when a tissue is not available. Let more people know about it, so that we can all avoid being infected by germs. ● Don’t use antitussives when coughing. Mild coughs do not require antitussive treatment. Especially when there is phlegm, using antitussives alone is not conducive to the discharge of respiratory secretions. Persistent dry cough affects the sleep of children. Antitussive drugs can be considered if necessary. However, it is generally not recommended to use central antitussive drugs for children under 6 years old.Children can choose dextromethorphan to relieve cough (the pharmacopoeia has a dosage for those over 2 years old, and it can only be used under the guidance of a doctor when the doctor deems it necessary); antitussive drugs containing codeine are prohibited for use under 12 years of age. child. So don’t take advice from people who don’t understand medicine. A certain cough medicine is very effective, and the baby will stop coughing after taking it. Not coughing is not necessarily a good thing~! ● What expectorants can be used for coughs? When coughing and producing phlegm, expectorant drugs can be used to facilitate the discharge of sputum. Commonly used drugs include ambroxol hydrochloride oral liquid and ambroxol hydrochloride oral liquid. The main ingredient of mucosolvan is ambroxol hydrochloride, and its main function is to eliminate phlegm. If parents choose drugs for their children, it is best to choose the single-ingredient drug mucosolvan. However, domestic mucosolvan is only available in dosages for those over 1 year old, so Generally used for babies over 1 year old. The main ingredients of Yitanjing are ambroxol hydrochloride and clenbuterol hydrochloride. In addition to eliminating phlegm, they also have bronchodilation and antiasthmatic effects. It is best to use it under the guidance of a doctor. Babies under one year old can also use Yitanjing if necessary, because the instructions recommend the dosage for use within 1 year of age. ● Do I need antibiotics for cough? Antibiotics are not necessarily necessary. Cough is divided into infectious cough and non-infectious cough. In infectious cough, if it is caused by bacterial infection, such as bacterial pneumonia, lung abscess, etc., antibiotics need to be used. Do not use antibiotics if you have a non-infectious cough such as cough variant asthma, allergic cough, or a cough caused by a viral infection such as a cold. Antibiotics also have no antitussive effect. ● Is honey useful for coughs? Some studies have shown that honey may have some effect on coughs, but it should only be used in children over 1 year old. Babies under 1 year old should not consume honey because of the risk of botulism. ● Is nebulization useful for coughs? Nebulization treatment is a common method in the treatment of children\’s respiratory diseases. It can be used for many respiratory diseases such as asthma, acute laryngitis, bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, etc. Doctors will choose different drugs for atomization inhalation according to different diseases. Inhaled hormones are commonly used. Compared with oral drugs, atomized inhaled drugs act directly on the airways and are more effective. Therefore, atomized inhaled drugs are an important auxiliary treatment measure for respiratory diseases. Many parents are worried about the side effects of inhaled hormones. In fact, there is no need to worry too much, because inhaled hormones generally do not cause serious systemic adverse reactions. ● What should I do if my child coughs and vomits? For vomiting caused by severe coughing, please reduce the amount of feeding each time, but increase the frequency of feeding (that is, small amounts and frequent meals); when vomiting, the baby should turn his head to one side to facilitate the discharge of vomit and avoid vomit entering the airway Cause aspiration. ● Prevent baby from coughing? What should parents pay attention to? 1. Promote breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding within 6 months of birth; 2. Properly add complementary foods and receive vaccinations as planned; 3. Appropriate outdoor activities to enhance physical fitness, but avoid places with dense crowds and poor air circulation; 4 .Wash your children\’s hands frequently, keep your home clean, and pay attention to ventilation; 5. In seasons where the air is dry, consider using a humidifier; 6. Do not smoke at homeTo prevent children from inhaling second-hand smoke; 7. For coughs caused by allergies, try to prevent children from being exposed to allergies; 8. Regardless of the cause of the cough, it is a good suggestion to take in more fluids. Note: Babies under 2 months old who have coughs must see a doctor. Don’t waste time by searching for information online. For older infants and young children, if they have cough, difficulty breathing, wheezing, fever, bruising on the skin, inhalation of foreign matter, etc., or any situation where you are unsure and feel something is wrong, it is recommended to seek medical advice in time.