What should I do if my baby coughs and has phlegm?

The biggest concern for mothers is that their babies have phlegm and cannot cough up it. Due to the recent changes in weather, many mothers in the group mentioned that they feel very worried when they see their babies coughing. When a mother finds that her baby is coughing and has phlegm, she must find out the cause. Phlegm is something everyone has, and it is a secretion in our respiratory tract. However, if there are foreign germs or some kind of stimulation, the secretions will increase. The residue left after the body fights the bacteria will mix with the secretions in the original respiratory tract. Therefore, the color of phlegm will change and the amount will increase. After the phlegm changes, there will be discomfort in the respiratory tract. If the baby coughs with phlegm, upper respiratory tract infection or lower respiratory tract infection is mainly considered. Upper respiratory tract infections include rhinitis, sinusitis or pharyngitis; lower respiratory tract infections include bronchitis and pneumonia. We should pay attention to the observation of babies with phlegm when coughing. If your baby has noisy breathing, difficulty in drinking milk, shortness of breath, large chest fluctuations, and frequent coughing, we recommend that you seek medical attention promptly and follow the doctor\’s instructions for medication. Generally, if the cough with phlegm is not severe or mild, a single expectorant medication, or atomization, etc. will be used. However, if the baby coughs and has phlegm without timely and appropriate treatment, the accumulation of phlegm can cause complications such as otitis media and pneumonia. Because sputum contains high levels of protein, it is a breeding ground for bacteria. If phlegm is not eliminated in time, bacteria will spread to the lower respiratory tract. The structure and function of the baby\’s Eustachian tube are not yet perfect, and secretions from the nasopharynx can easily pass through the Eustachian tube to the middle ear cavity, which may cause middle ear hydrops, and some may even cause acute otitis media. Therefore, we must be cautious about this issue and cannot delay it. Babies with this type of disease must pay attention when drinking milk, because accidentally coughing while drinking milk can easily cause aspiration pneumonia. When babies have coughs and phlegm, many mothers will immediately use dietary therapy to solve the problem. For example, boil white radish in water, or stew Sichuan scallops with snow pear, etc. Actually, this is not correct. First of all, for babies, Sichuan clams are not eaten recently. It is generally recommended that Chuanbei is not suitable for children under 12 years old. More importantly, if you find that your baby has phlegm when coughing, you must first distinguish the type to see whether the cough is caused by wind-cold or wind-heat. For different coughs, diets also have different specificities. We have already mentioned wind cold and wind heat in previous articles. Here we briefly talk about the different performances of the two. Cough due to wind-cold: white tongue coating, thin phlegm, and white sticky phlegm. It may also be accompanied by nasal congestion and runny nose. Cough due to wind-heat: yellow or red tongue coating; yellow and thick sputum, which is generally difficult for babies to cough up. An expressive baby may complain of sore throat. For babies who cough and have phlegm, medication must be used with caution. Cough suppressants should not be used casually to avoid inhibiting the cough center and hindering the discharge of phlegm. Expectorants and phlegm-reducing drugs should be used with the knowledge of a doctor. At the same time, you can let your children drink warm and cool drinks. Because if the body is dehydrated, the phlegm will be thicker and more difficult to cough up. Drinking more fluids can help dilute thick throat secretions. It can also improve blood circulation, facilitate the discharge of toxins and waste from urine, and reduce irritation to the respiratory tract. Ventilate the room frequently. Maintain indoor temperature and humidity. When the baby coughs, the mother can help pat the babyback.