Cough in a baby up to a year: is it always a symptom of a dangerous disease? Causes and treatment of cough in infants without fever Infant cough without fever

With the advent of autumn and winter comes the time of colds and infections. Toddlers become especially vulnerable as their immune system only adapts to fight viruses and foreign microorganisms. Hearing a cough from a newborn, a young mother may panic and react incorrectly, although such a symptom is quite serious. What are the causes of cough in children? How to start treating cough in newborns? The most popular cough medicine for babies.

Cough in a newborn

To begin with, it is worth recognizing the nature of the disease.

Cough in infants can be of several varieties at once:

1. Dry.
2. Wet.
3. With and without temperature.

By its intensity and sound accompaniment, one can guess whether the cause of the disease lies or something simply does not allow the respiratory tract of an infant to function normally. The most common symptomatology of the development of cough in an infant.

• SARS.

In more than 90% of cases, coughing is considered the first symptom of an incipient ARVI. The infant coughs very rarely, and the intensity of the cough increases in the evening or at night. The child's throat becomes red and inflamed. The cells of the body begin to actively eliminate sputum. A prolonged cough that lasts more than two weeks is very dangerous for the health of the child. In this case, the immune defense of the body as a whole is weakened, the process can become chronic.

Described by the obsessive spread of the symptom, with a dry cough first. It is very dangerous for the baby. At an advanced stage of development, it can be very complicated. The most serious complication for the child's body is considered false croup. At the same time, the walls of the throat begin to narrow sharply, along with this, the newborn experiences a lack of oxygen and begins to whistle hoarsely, as well as suffocate. With such a disease, the parent of the child should promptly seek help from a treating specialist.

• Dry air in the room.

Dry air can create a tickle in a child's throat. If the baby has a strong cough that does not have any prerequisites for the disease, then you should pay special attention to normalizing the humidity in the room where the child spends most of the time.

• Inflammation of the middle ear.

In the process of inflammation of the nervous ear, the baby develops a reflex cough. This is a kind of reaction of the baby's body to such inflammation. When pressing on the earlobe, the newborn begins to scream - this means that the cause of the disease lies precisely in the ear pain. The best option would be to call an emergency ambulance.

• Foreign body inhalation.

If for some reason a foreign object - any - has entered the baby's airways, you should immediately call an ambulance. At this time, there is a strong threat to the life of the baby, so the time is counted in seconds. You should not knock on the back of the child, and also do not try to knock this object back - by doing this you can ensure that the object gets stuck inside the bronchi or trachea.

• Dirty air all around.

There is a lot of smoke in the room, or there is too much exhaust fumes in the street that pass into the room through an open window. In this case, do not be surprised if the baby begins to cough non-stop. The longer the baby lives in such conditions, the more harmful microorganisms it absorbs into unformed and weak lungs.

How is cough in infants treated?

Treatment of cough symptoms, both with and without a developed temperature, should be carried out only under the supervision of the attending physician. With the development of the first symptoms, it is worth immediately starting the implementation of treatment therapy.

What can a mother do to alleviate the disease process?

A good drug for the prevention and treatment of coughing at the initial stage is a nebulizer. The agent should be poured into a glass of 5 m.o. physical. Solution (sold in pharmacies within 50 rubles) and is given to the baby for 5-7 minutes. So the mucous membranes can be qualitatively moistened, the sputum will become less viscous. This method is good to use at a time when the child develops a cough without an increase in body temperature.

It is better not to joke with the temperature during a cough. During a cough and a temperature of 38.5 in most cases, the child should be hospitalized in a medical facility. Do not be afraid to hospitalize the child, as it is better not to take risks and be under constant supervision by treating specialists. So, the main thing is the health of the child, and inconvenience for a short period of time can be endured.

How to treat a cough in a baby

It should be noted that only a pediatrician can prescribe all medicines.

How to treat cough in infants?

Together with SARS, the baby may experience acute bronchitis or pneumonia, which are secondary to the initial bacterial infection. The baby will have to be treated with antibiotics and other various drugs. They should not be used during the development of immunity in a child. Also, during pneumonia transferred at 2 months or earlier, the alveoli in the lungs are affected, which will continue to remain undeveloped in the future.

Cough in an infant

Whooping cough has many special characteristics. It is for this reason that the attending specialist will immediately tell you whether the child has whooping cough or not. If the baby has a DPT vaccination, then he is able to transfer this disease in an easy stage of development. To date, whooping cough is more common, the diagnosis of the disease occurs late, on the second or third week of a child's life, and in some cases even later.

This can be explained by massive refusals to carry out vaccinations. Severe varieties of whooping cough are very dangerous for newborns. A hysterical cough of a paroxysmal nature can develop in a child a failure in the respiratory system, severe vomiting and nausea, and a lack of respiratory processes. How can you quickly distinguish whooping cough?

1. At the first stage of development, it is more similar to a dry cough during SARS.
2. It has a paroxysmal distribution.
3. With all this, the cough is not able to turn into a productive one, it begins to become more and more obsessive and irritable.
4. Cough shocks are mainly developed at the exit.
5. After a large number of coughing shocks, the newborn most often takes a deep breath (in a different way, a reprise).
6. Inhalation occurs together with a whistle.
7. In most cases, a coughing fit ends with a retching, in some cases a certain amount of sputum is discharged.
8. Whooping cough attacks can occur about 50 times a day.

How and by what means can whooping cough in a newborn be treated? For treatment, most often a course of prophylaxis with antibiotics should be carried out, since whooping cough is a bacterial disease that is caused by whooping cough. Treatment with antibacterial agents is effective only at the initial stage of the development of the disease, at a time when the cough center is not yet very excited and irritated.

Even whooping cough symptoms was discovered only in the third or fourth week of the child's life, then the attending specialist should still prescribe a course of antibiotics so that the child is not contagious. The specialist also prescribes antitussives. They are able to stop a debilitating cough in a child. Whooping cough is a disease that can last for months. The disease is treated over time, and regular fresh air in the room where the baby is located is also useful.

Treatment of a cough of any nature in a child should be under the strict supervision of a treating specialist. Newborns can quickly recover and recover when they are not overheated and given enough water per day. In the treatment of a child, an important place is also occupied by walks with a good health of the baby, humidified and cool air in the room.

Cough in infants without fever treatment

The most common cause of cough is the SARS virus.. It can affect both the area of ​​​​the upper respiratory tract of the newborn and the lower ones. With this disease, the trachea, nasopharynx, lungs and larynx are also affected. The second main infection after the ARVI virus is considered to be inflammation of various ENT organs in a child. This may be the adenoids, the territory of the pharynx and the nasal cavity. Coughing can be a sign of the development of serious disorders in the body, for example, during inflammation or asthma.

Cough can develop in babies in the form of a signal when any foreign body. If the cough does not go away for a long time, then the newborn should be taken to the hospital without fail in order to remove the foreign object by surgical intervention.

In some cases, cough symptoms occur as a result of completely different abnormalities in the body, for example, heart disease, pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.

Cough in infants is a protective reaction of the body, which is aimed at cleansing the respiratory tract of mucus, microorganisms, and dust particles accumulated in them. The coughing act is caused by irritation of nerve receptors located in the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. From here, irritation along the nerve fibers is transmitted to the cough center of the medulla oblongata, which gives the command for the simultaneous contraction of different muscle groups that provide a sharp exhalation through the mouth, that is, a cough push. At the same time, the air stream rushes outward with force and takes out sputum, microbes and dust accumulated in the respiratory tract.

Cough in a newborn and baby: types and causes

In babies of the first year of life, infection with viruses and pathogenic bacteria most often leads to coughing.

A painful and obsessive dry cough, in which there is a slight discharge of sputum, is most often observed against the background of SARS.

A sudden severe attack of dry cough may indicate that foreign objects have entered the respiratory tract (a small toy, a button, a piece of food). In this case, you must immediately seek medical help, as this condition can be complicated by suffocation, the development of bronchitis or pneumonia.

Another cause of cough in infants is often allergy. Therefore, to care for a child, it is recommended to use specially designed products, as well as to refuse to use any aerosols in the baby’s room (deodorants, hair sprays, toilet water).

Thus, the causes that cause a cough in a child can be very different. Only a doctor can understand each specific situation. In this regard, when a cough occurs, even at normal body temperature, parents should immediately call a pediatrician from the clinic at home.

A painful and obsessive dry cough, in which there is a slight discharge of sputum, is most often observed against the background of SARS.

How to treat a cough in a baby without fever and with fever

As mentioned above, cough is just a symptom inherent in a particular pathology. Therefore, therapy should be aimed at eliminating the cause that caused it. Parents should be aware that the treatment of cough in infants should only be carried out by a doctor. At the same time, there are a number of general measures to alleviate the condition of a sick child and reduce coughing:

1. Humidification of the air in the room. Dry air causes drying of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and thus provokes the occurrence of coughing fits. Therefore, doctors recommend that the air temperature in the child's room does not exceed 22-24 ° C. For humidification, it is best to use special humidifiers. If there is no such device, then it is recommended to put a basin of water in the room or hang wet diapers on a hot battery.
2. Plentiful drink. During illness, it is necessary to increase the amount of fluid consumed by the baby. He can be given warm boiled water, children's herbal teas. Drinking plenty of water helps to reduce the manifestations of intoxication (weakness, fever, lack of appetite) and dilutes sputum.
3. Vibration massage. Babies in their first year of life cannot effectively cough up sputum. To facilitate this process, vibration massage is performed - light tapping movements of the palms on the chest. The procedure should be performed no more than 3-5 minutes 3-4 times a day.

With a dry cough, when sputum does not separate at all or is separated with great difficulty, the doctor may prescribe mucolytics - drugs to thin the sputum and facilitate its expectoration. They are available for children in the form of drops or syrup, which is convenient both for dosing and for use by the baby. As soon as the cough turns into a wet form, mucolytics are canceled.

To care for a child, it is recommended to use specially designed products, as well as to refuse to use any aerosols in the baby's room (deodorants, hair sprays, toilet water).

With a strong dry cough in a short course, the doctor may prescribe antitussive drugs, the action of which is aimed at suppressing the cough reflex. These drugs should not be taken simultaneously with mucolytics.

Antihistamines for coughing in babies are used only if there are signs of allergies and at a high risk of developing false croup.

Whether it is necessary to include antibiotics in the cough therapy regimen can only be decided by a doctor. Indications for their appointment are bacterial infections of the respiratory tract. But sometimes (strictly according to indications) antibiotics are also prescribed for viral diseases in order to prevent the addition of a secondary infection.

Folk remedies for cough

Modern medicines prescribed by a doctor allow you to quickly and effectively cure a cough. However, some parents, when their baby wakes up with a cough, prefer to treat it with folk remedies. Is this approach justified? Of course not. Most of the methods recommended by folk medicine for the treatment of cough can bring not good, but harm to the baby.

For children of the first half of life, for example, any irritating agents are contraindicated, including marshmallow root. They increase the gag reflex, due to which the child becomes more likely to spit up. Also, these funds are contraindicated for babies with perinatal encephalopathy, as they stimulate the processes of excitation in the cerebral cortex.

Until the child reaches the age of 6 months, it is not recommended to do rubbing of the chest. Subsequently, this method of treating cough can only be used as part of complex therapy. At the same time, parents should know that children of the first years should not be rubbed with means that include camphor.

A sudden severe attack of dry cough may indicate that foreign objects have entered the respiratory tract.

Do not carry out babies and steam inhalation. Hot steam can burn their delicate mucous membranes, increase coughing, or cause suffocation.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize once again that there is not a single universal cough medicine. Therefore, you should not self-medicate, relying on the advice of a pharmacist, relatives or friends. If your child suddenly began to cough, you need to see a doctor who will conduct an examination, make the correct diagnosis and prescribe the treatment required in this particular situation.

Video

We offer you to watch a video on the topic of the article.

What is the most important thing for a loving mother? Of course, this is the health of her beloved baby, so we mothers, like laying hens, scrupulously and lovingly take care of our children, protecting them from all adversity.

But, unfortunately, even the most loving and courageous mother is sometimes unable to protect the child from illness, especially if he is still very small. However, it is still worth making every effort, therefore, having suspected something was wrong, we must respond in time to the signals of the child's body.

For example, it happens that outwardly healthy and happy baby suddenly begins to cough. Cough in a newborn is not an independent disease, but just a symptom, a signal to parents who must take action in time.

What kind of cough happens and is it always dangerous

It should be said right away that coughing in a child does not always have to cause anxiety for parents. It is worth drawing certain conclusions by observing the child a little.

1. Determine the nature of the cough

It is customary to distinguish the physiological type, dry and wet cough. With a physiological cough reflex, the baby naturally clears mucus from his airways. This can be repeated several times a day and is accompanied by a single cough. In this case, the child behaves as usual, does not experience discomfort, is cheerful and walks with pleasure.

A dry, prolonged cough is considered the most dangerous, since the irritant provokes a contraction of the bronchial and abdominal muscles, but the airways are not cleared. As a result, the larynx itself is also injured, and mucus and sputum remain inside.

Wet cough can also be called residual in the case when the disease itself is already nearing completion. Usually, the urge is accompanied by the release of viscous sputum, which may have a yellowish tint or blood streaks.

If the baby can cough up viscous contents, it is advisable to evaluate its nature. A watery substance, impurities of pus or blood clots are alarming signs in which it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor.

2. Watch for seizure frequency

Occasional coughing during the day is usually nothing to worry about, especially if the baby is feeling well. Tight attacks with increasing intensity, sometimes ending in nausea and accompanied by other signs of the disease (fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, whims, etc.) should alert.

3. Assess the general condition of the baby and observe his activity

Cough in infants without fever can be observed very often, but not only fever is a sign of illness. Runny nose, nasal congestion, reddened throat, wheezing and wheezing when breathing may indicate an onset of the disease.

Causes of cough

The true cause of a cough can only be determined by a pediatrician after examining the child and collecting an anamnesis. Below are the possible causes of a cough in a baby up to a year old, but the exact cause in a particular case is established only by a specialist.

External stimuli

Often the cause of this condition in infants may be too dry air in the room, and the mother may notice cortical formations in the nose during hygiene procedures.

Pungent odors, pungent smoke, dust particles, gas pollution from roads, suspended burning in the air - this can also be classified as an irritant that, getting into the delicate lungs of children, provokes the formation of mucus, and, accordingly, coughing. By the way, allergens can be classified as irritants, and allergic cough is the body's reaction to their presence.

With an allergic cough, a dangerous swelling of the larynx can develop, leading to suffocation. With angioedema (angioedema), a cough is possible, often ending in vomiting.

Foreign body in the airways

Such a case in infants can be called unique, since they are still too small to inadvertently swallow or stick any small object into their nose, as older children do, for example,. But, nevertheless, this happens, and if attempts to cough up are accompanied by signs of suffocation, then it is necessary to immediately provide assistance and call an ambulance.

Viral diseases and acute respiratory infections

At the very beginning, they are accompanied by a cough and a runny nose, although an increase in body temperature may not be observed. An infrequent dry cough may indicate pulmonary tuberculosis, influenza, and other dangerous diseases.

Inflammatory processes

With developing bronchitis, coughing is a typical symptom, but the cough reflex can also be caused by laryngitis, ENT diseases, and otitis media. Inflammation of the middle ear is accompanied by a sharp, pronounced pain, the baby screams piercingly when touching the ear, with any sudden movements of the head. Inflammatory diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract can take place in a latent form, and the usual cough becomes protracted and then chronic. A prolonged inflammatory process in the lungs is fraught with the development of pneumonia, chronic bronchitis and unpleasant complications.

How to help a baby

The most correct decision would be to call a doctor at home or make an appointment. If circumstances do not allow to postpone the visit to the clinic, then immediately call an ambulance. At the same time, before providing qualified assistance, it is important to help the child, but not to harm even more, therefore it is dangerous to self-medicate, especially if the child is still very small.

The physiological cough reflex does not require treatment, since small children up to six months in this way clear the airways of a natural viscous secret.

The situation develops a little differently when there is a characteristic cough in a baby without fever. How to treat a baby, only the doctor determines, having carefully studied the nature of the cough and its features.

The actions of the baby's parents in a given situation are determined by the condition of the child and the exact cause of the development of the cough reflex.

1. If any external factor has become the cause of such a phenomenon, then the obvious solution would be to get rid of it. Dry air in the nursery is humidified with the help of a special device, regular ventilation, through constant ventilation of the room. In winter, you can get by with improvised means if you can’t buy an air humidifier: wet sheets or towels are periodically hung on central heating radiators, a container of water is placed, or it’s enough just to walk around the room with a spray bottle several times a day.

An allergic cough is treated simply: it is enough to get rid of the allergen, if it is known. Often this is dust (in this case, just clean up more often in the nursery), pet hair, vegetation.

It happens that in this way the baby reacts not to the unsatisfactory state of the air in the room. Babies often cough if the house or apartment is located near major highways, factories and factories. Another important factor is passive smoking.

2. A foreign body that has got inside can interfere with the normal breathing of the baby. The case with newborn children is rather exceptional, but after six months, when the child begins to actively explore the world around him, this is quite real. In this case, it is important to act immediately: call an ambulance as soon as possible, provide first aid for signs of suffocation. The main thing is not to try to get the object with your hands or something else, because you can only make it worse by completely blocking the child's airways.

If the baby is sick and the cause of the cough is infectious and inflammatory processes and viral diseases, then in this case the doctor prescribes medication or hospitalization is carried out if the child has a high temperature.

It is in the power of parents to help the child, providing him with proper conditions and not self-medicating. It is important that sputum comes out of the lungs, and parents can contribute to this by giving the baby a drainage massage and providing a drinking regimen. It is necessary to give to drink as often as possible, but it is not worth forcibly drinking. If the child is breastfed, then it is not necessary to drink water separately, but more often apply to the breast.

If the baby does not have a temperature, then walking in the fresh air will only benefit, and frequent airing in the nursery is necessary, especially if there is no way to go out for a walk.

✓ What not to do? The first and most important thing is to self-medicate. For example, the use of medicinal syrups without prescription is fraught with an overdose, worsening of the condition (antitussive drugs and drugs that stimulate sputum excretion cannot be combined). Many syrups and lozenges for children are contraindicated for newborns, and the use of herbal tinctures can cause severe allergies.

✓ Inhalations over hot steam are contraindicated for children under one year old!

✓ Dry heat and warming up can aggravate the course of the inflammatory process!

It is worth mentioning separately the benefits and importance of breastfeeding during the illness of the baby. It is a proven fact that breastfed babies get sick much less often. And even if such a misfortune happened, then it is very stupid to stop breastfeeding in this difficult period for the child. In addition to food and liquid with mother's milk, the baby receives extremely important antibodies, immunity, which allows a weak child's body to quickly cope with the disease.

Conclusion

The cause of coughing in an infant can be many factors, often not related to the disease. For example, in the first 6 months of life, a child can thus get rid of mucus accumulated in the respiratory tract, or may react with a cough to some external irritant.

If, nevertheless, the reason lies in the disease, then only a pediatrician knows how to cure a cough in a child, whose recommendations parents should listen to and fully comply with.

Health to you and your children!

Any change in the behavior or condition of a newborn baby becomes a cause for concern for the mother. One of the serious symptoms that should not be ignored is a wet cough.

What is a wet cough?

Clogged bronchi and trachea become the cause of wet cough in infants.

The baby begins to cough when sputum has accumulated in the lower part of his respiratory tract. With the help of coughing, the body protects itself, cleans the trachea and bronchi, frees them from wet mucus. Thus, breathing becomes easier.

The inner layer of these important organs - the epithelium - is called ciliated by physicians, since it is formed from many microscopic cilia. They are very sensitive to any foreign matter or particle that has entered the respiratory system. Due to their mobility, the cilia remove foreign particles along with a small amount of mucus.

With a minimum amount of foreign particles, excretion can occur almost imperceptibly or with a single cough. If many foreign particles have formed in the respiratory organs, the body protects itself by coughing.

The cough of the baby, in which sputum is discharged, becomes a sign that the newborn has a cough reflex. This indicates important development points:

1. the process of formation of the nervous system of the baby is normal, the body reacts to an increase in mucus in the respiratory tract;
2. the protective reaction of the body is formed, the signal for the need to get rid of sputum is received, the process of clearing the respiratory tract with the help of a cough is started.

However, the parents of the baby should not calm down, as there may be several reasons for the formation of sputum. You should also not be afraid at the first cough that the baby is sick. We will figure out which signs of the condition of the baby should not be alarming, and which require the help of specialists.

When not to worry

Dust is one of the causes of wet cough

The epithelium of the bronchi and trachea reacts to any foreign body, including dust particles that have entered the respiratory system. The child coughs to clear the lower respiratory organs of dust, removes it along with some mucus. In this case, parents should not worry: coughing is not a symptom of the disease.

The condition of the baby and signs that do not cause alarm:

1. the baby coughs once or twice. During the day, there may be about 7-8 such coughs, divided by time;
2. other disturbing moments, for example, temperature, are not observed.

A wet cough and wheezing can be a symptom of teething in an infant. We offer you to watch an interesting video on this topic:

Cough as a manifestation of the disease

Often it is a cough that becomes a signal that the baby is sick. Signs of a painful condition that parents should pay attention to:

1. child's body temperature. If the temperature has risen (37.5 ° or more) and lasts for 2 days or more;
2. cough occurs suddenly and sharply, passes with copious sputum;
3. the baby's breathing is difficult, shortness of breath, suffocation appeared;
4. rash, redness appeared on the skin.

This condition of the baby indicates that he needs the help of a qualified specialist. Therefore, parents should show the baby to the doctor as soon as possible by visiting a children's clinic or inviting a pediatrician home.

Wet cough as a symptom

The help of a specialist is necessary, since sputum and subsequently a wet cough can occur with several different colds or infectious diseases.

Diseases that occur with a wet cough:

• acute respiratory diseases (ARI, SARS (wet cough is accompanied by a runny nose));
• inflammation of the bronchi (bronchitis);
• tonsillitis (tonsillitis);
• sinusitis;
• allergies;
• tuberculosis.

A wet cough can also appear when a baby has problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

It is possible to treat a wet cough in a newborn only after consulting a pediatrician!

The pediatrician will be able to accurately determine the cause of the cough, prescribe timely assistance to the baby. Knowing about the ways to help the baby, parents can also alleviate his condition with a wet cough.

Wet cough without fever

If the baby has more than a single cough, which is repeated several times a day, but a persistent wet cough with mucus, but the temperature does not rise, parents cannot remain calm. The need for examination of the baby remains, since the occurrence of a number of diseases in a newborn passes at normal body temperature.

A cough in a baby without fever can be a symptom of a dangerous disease, or it can indicate poor living conditions for the baby: too dry air in the room, a lot of dust, the presence of tobacco smoke.

Wet cough may appear if the child is allergic to chicken eggs. Such a reaction of the body is a prerequisite for the development of bronchial asthma.

Medical treatment

Medicines for babies are used only after the doctor determines the cause of the cough. After clarifying it, the baby can be prescribed antiallergic drugs, antibiotics, expectorants. Their use should be carried out in strict accordance with the doctor's prescription.

Inhalations

To alleviate the condition, pediatricians carry out a complex effect on the body, reinforcing the effect of drugs with physiotherapy. At home. Even if the pediatrician did not prescribe inhalation, you can consult with him whether inhalation is allowed for your baby.

Indications for inhalation: severe cough, suffocation, but weak sputum discharge.

Device for inhalation: - a modern device that is able to spray a medicinal solution in microscopic fractions, in the form of an aerosol or a fine mist.

Medications for inhalation: special solutions (soda, physiological), alkaline mineral water (Borjomi, etc.). To avoid negative consequences, the solution for inhalation is used only after consulting a doctor.

Inhalation for babies does not require special preparation, nebulizers are easy to use, the procedure is well tolerated by the baby and alleviates his condition.

Wet cough at night due to runny nose

A runny nose that appears during a cold often provokes a baby's nocturnal cough.

Signs confirming the occurrence of a nocturnal cough due to a runny nose:

1. the baby has symptoms of a cold or viral disease (the temperature is elevated, the baby looks lethargic, weak, the appetite disappears, intestinal upset is possible);
2. despite coughing, the baby breathes without wheezing, other noises also do not occur during breathing.

With a prolonged nighttime cough and runny nose that lasts more than 5-7 days, you should contact your pediatrician. It will not be superfluous to seek advice earlier if the coughing fits are acute or severe.

The specialist will prescribe treatment. As a therapeutic drug, the use of special children's nose drops, as well as removing mucus with a rubber bulb.

How to help at night?

1. Additional airing of the nursery before a night's sleep.
2. Additional air humidification in the room. To increase the level of humidity, you can use an inexpensive and safe ultrasonic humidifier. If the device is not at hand, you can make the air more humid by using damp things that are simply hung in the nursery.
3. Use of a small, flat pillow that is placed under the baby's head if he has a runny nose. The pillow will not allow mucus to get into the baby's ears.
4. Clearing the nasal passage, removing crusts. The procedure is carried out immediately before bedtime, after bathing the baby. If the mother finds that the child is breathing heavily at night, and the crusts have formed again, they can be softened and then removed. For this, sea water is used. A small amount (1-2 drops each) of water is instilled into both nasal passages of the baby.

What can help cure a cough?

A wet cough is not only a symptom of an infant’s disease, but also a signal for action for his parents. The baby needs help, and adults have many means to alleviate his condition.

Maintaining a healthy microclimate

The concept of a healthy microclimate includes the following indicators: temperature, humidity, hygienic condition. It is these three factors that Dr. Komarovsky notes.

The children's room should not be too hot, many pediatricians believe that for a baby up to 6 months. + 20 ° is enough in the nursery, and after 6 months. + 22°.

It is especially important to maintain the humidity level necessary for a newborn: from 50 to 70%.

In a clean, ventilated room, the child breathes easier, and the body of a sick baby spends all its strength on overcoming the disease.

Breast-feeding

The immune system of a newborn is in its infancy, so the baby is very susceptible to infections and other diseases. Mother's milk helps to increase the protective capabilities of the infant body. With the help of immune complexes, antibodies, immunoglobulins, activated leukocytes obtained from breast milk, the child is able to quickly and easily cope with the infection or resist it.

Medicines

Medications are of great help to babies.

Treatment of young children is carried out, first of all, with mucolytic agents. They are able to thin the mucus accumulated in the bronchi, facilitate its removal. For infants, drugs such as Mukosol, Flutidek, Ambrobene, Lazolvan, Flavomed.

After a year, doctors also prescribe other medications.

Physiotherapy

Due to the limited possibilities of using medications, physiotherapy is of great importance in the treatment of infants.

Inhalation

One of the main means in the fight against a runny nose and cough of a baby is such a physiotherapy as inhalation. Modern industry produces various types of devices for inhalation for children at home. Ultrasonic and compressor devices are suitable for newborns.

Massage

With the help of massage, an adult helps the baby get rid of accumulated mucus. With a wet cough, massage is carried out in a special drainage position. The baby is placed on the tummy so that his ass is above his head. This is followed by a massage. Direction of movements: from the lumbar zone - to the shoulders and neck. Types of massage movements: weak patting, vibration, stroking, rubbing. When performing a massage, different types of movements alternate.

If necessary, the pediatrician prescribes other physiotherapy procedures that are performed in the clinic: electrophoresis, UHF therapy.

Other means

Many moms use other remedies when coughing in babies that help rid the baby of a wet cough.

Rubbing

The procedure is possible for children older than 6 months, but only after consultation with a doctor. It is not recommended to rub a child with a fever! Perform rubbing in the evening, after bathing, before putting the baby to bed. For the procedure, you can use drugs from a pharmacy or folk remedies (liquid honey, butter). After rubbing, you need to put on socks and cover the baby well.

aromatherapy

A good result is the use of essential oils. Their use is allowed from the 3rd week of the baby's life, after preliminary testing for the reaction of the baby. Oils can be used to scent a room, during a massage or rubbing. Suitable oils for newborns are rose, chamomile, lavender, tea tree, eucalyptus, etc.

With any manifestations of allergic reactions, the use of essential oils is stopped.

Many mothers remember that when they had a cold, their legs were soaring. Mustard foot baths are indeed effective, but it is not recommended for infants under the age of 1 to soar their feet when coughing!

Dr. Komarovsky about wet cough

According to Dr. Komarovsky, the main thing that a mother can do to alleviate the condition of a baby with a wet cough is to provide him with plenty of drink and normal humidity in the room.

Plentiful drink

Due to the increase in fluid volumes, the water balance, disturbed due to high temperature, is restored, blood circulation in the respiratory organs increases, and the composition of mucus normalizes. In between breastfeeding babies can drink baby tea, raisin decoction, mineral water without gas. All fluid must be warmed to body temperature. Dr. Komarovsky believes that you need to water the baby at every opportunity.

Increased humidity combined with air purification

So that the mucous membranes of the baby do not dry out, and the load on the respiratory organs is not excessive, it is very important to maintain clean and humid air in the room. E.O. Komarovsky is convinced that in the nursery of a newborn baby, the humidity level should be increased: 60-70%. The pediatrician also does not recommend using a large amount of textiles, carpets in which dust accumulates, as well as using substances with a pungent odor. But regular airing and constant wet cleaning in the nursery are necessary.

Medicines

All medications (tablets, drops, syrups of a mucal or expectorant nature) are permissible only after the recommendation of a pediatrician!

Conclusion

Wet cough in infants is a serious symptom that requires special attention from adults. The joint efforts of parents and doctors will establish the cause of the cough and help the baby cope with it.