Cough can be a symptom of many diseases, but in early childhood it is most often caused by an acute viral infection. Cough in the baby can be a manifestation of colds, allergies and even heart disease. Determine what all the same cause of coughing can be due to concomitant symptoms. So, for example, a cough and runny nose in the baby, which is accompanied by a rise in temperature, speaks of a cold. In this article, we will consider the causes, types and treatment of a cough in an infant.
How to recognize the cause of a cough in a baby?
As we have already said, in order to recognize the cause of cough, it is necessary to look at the accompanying symptoms, to collect anamnesis from my mother. Most often, in infancy, cough is a viral etiology. It is accompanied by nasal congestion, poor appetite and irritability. Inflammatory process in this case can cover both upper and lower respiratory tract. Such an inflammatory cough in the baby can be without temperature, and with its increase.
The danger of inflammatory damage to the larynx lies in the fact that the baby's mucosa has high hydrophilicity, and swelling can develop very quickly, which leads to suffocation in the absence of medical care.
Dry cough in the baby is a characteristic symptom of inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, which, as the disease progresses, can become wet. Dry cough can also be allergic, usually a long cough that is not accompanied by a runny nose and fever (when inhaled chemicals, house dust, pet hair).
Cough can be a symptom of non-pulmonary diseases, such as heart disease . In this case, any physical load will be manifested by the blueness of the nasolabial triangle. Such children are not gaining much weight and may lag behind in development from their peers.
Cough can become a very dangerous symptom of falling into the vocal chink of a foreign object. In such cases, the baby should immediately be helped to avoid suffocation.
Than to treat a cough to a baby?
To properly relieve your baby of this unpleasant symptom, you should consult a pediatrician. Probably, it is necessary to pass necessary inspections and to hand over analyzes. To treat snot and cough in a babe you need antiviral drugs that can be given orally, dripped into the nose or applied in the form of candles (Laferon, Laferobion).
With extreme caution should be used in infants nasal vasoconstrictive drops (Nazivin, Otrivin), choosing a small dosage and using them 2 times a day. The question of the use of expectorants is very controversial, because the baby can not fully cough up phlegm, and its dilution promotes its accumulation and additional irritation of the upper respiratory tract.
To eliminate allergic cough, you need to calculate the allergen and eliminate it.
If the baby is suspected of a heart disease, then the mother will certainly recommend taking him to an ultrasound examination. Depending on the type of malformation, at a certain age the child will be offered to perform surgical treatment.
Thus, coughing is not an innocuous sign, but perhaps the first symptom of a formidable disease. Do not treat your child herself on the advice of moms from the forums or the advice of girlfriends. It is better to consult a pediatrician to prevent the progression of the disease.