Lingering Cough

Usually if you use the saline/salt water spray that is very helpful ~ you can also try to elevate one side of his bed, I guess depending on how much he moves around at night ~ and try running a humidifier. Good luck

Wow! That one hits home! My son coughs for months at a time. He would have horrible hacking coughing fits every night, every hour. Often he coughed so hard he would throw up. We finally discovered he has asthma and allergies. He has his "cocktail" of medicine that has been working great. He takes singulair, albuterol and flovent. In a few weeks we will be taking him off of everything for the summer to see how he does. Definitely take him to an allergist! Can't hurt! We have a great allergist if you would like the info you can message me. Hope you find some relief soon for your little guy!

K.,
I would call the Doctor and request an allery test. Your little one could be allergic to one or several things that he is eating or coming in contact with.
My granddaughter had the same problem and they took her to an allergist at A. I. Dupont. So far they have found she is allergic to eggs and cats.

Check with a ped alergy specialist. Sounds like my daughters start with asthma.

If you haven't seen your pediatrician about this round of coughing, you should, because it sounds like it could be an asthma attack.

Hey K.

There are a lot of things that can cause a lingering cough, aside from the common cold. Asthma, allergies, reflux, post nasal drip... My guy (9 months) has reflux and has coughed and gagged all night long from the time he was born. We just finally got him on a correct dosage of zantac and don't ya know, coughing and gagging has disappeared. His airway was being continuously irritated by the acid creeping up the esophagus. Some babies are just " airway sensitive" and cough and wheeze at everything. My daughter just turned 2 but her first 12 months were horrible, she was on nebulizer treatments with every cold she had and it stopped as suddenly as it started after she was a year old. I know it is frustrating, have you considered seeing an ENT or pulmonologist? Sometimes you have to go outside the general pediatrician to get a better answer and solution. If you son is constantly having trouble, seek more answers. Mom knows best and there is an answer somewhere.

K.-it absolutely sounds like asthma. Probably being triggered by allergies. Same thing happened to my little boy and that was the case. The classic symptom of asthma in kids that little is nighttime coughing. See your ped. and if that is the diagnosis IMO it is definitely worth it to work with a pediatric allergist for treatment. I much preferred this course rather than my pediatrician. They are much more informed.

My son had similar problems when younger. He was finally diagnosed with asthma and allergies. Fortunately he seems to have outgrown it. This is the first year he hasn't needed an inhaler - yea! Definitely take him to the pediatrician and express your concerns.

I agree with what the other moms are saying...allergies/asthma. Both my kids have them & are treated by a pediatric allergist. I just wanted to add that we recently bought an air purifier to put in their rooms & what a world of difference it made. The cost $100 plus but are well worth it. This has been a terrible season for allergies. Good Luck!

Hi K.,
Yes, my 11 month old has gone through/is going through the same thing. She seems fine otherwise... eating well and in a good mood. I think that she's teething, which is causing a runny nose and post nasal drip at night. The post nasal drip is probably causing her cough. Sometimes the cough sounds a little barky, but she doesn't have croup or any other kind of infection. I was worried too, but it seems to be tapering off now.

Does your baby have any other symptoms?

~C.
http://daisyandpear.blogspot.com

I had the same problem with my kid until I got a good air filter and put it in her room. I also vacuumed curtains, and cleaned the room very deeply. Run the air filter 24/7. When he sleeps, that is when you breath the deepest and will bring in dust and other no-see-ums into the lungs. If he has a mild allergy to some dust or pollen, he will be bringing it into his lungs and the body will be trying to expel it by coughing. If the air filter alone does not work, add a humidafier, a little moister in the air will help him breath better at night. Good luck, please let me know how it goes.

My son of a very similar age had a cough too, but was otherwise fine. The cough was a scary sounding one, but just happened here or there, not a coughing fit. Mostly at night of in his car seat. The dr. took a chest xray to make sure it wasn't pneumonia, and gave us Albuteral breathing treatments. The breathing treatments seemed to clear in up in a few days. Hasn't come back.

may be it is croup. my pediatrician could not identify the issue. i went through a lot of stuff with different antibiotics. my son had an ear infection. he had the croup also. we wound up in the emergency room and had him admitted because the last antibotic gave him severe diarrreha and was compounded by the stomach virus going around at the time. the ER doctor went back to when he was first sick and said it was croup. his doctor happens to work out of the hospital and stopped by. he looked at me like a deer caught in headlights when i told him he had the croup. sometimes when they sleep the mucous gets caught on the larynx and that is what makes them cough. the cough sounds like a barking type of cough. keep them elevated in the crib by putting a matress under the side where they sleep. make sure to keep an eye on the ears and make sure they do not get infected. use steam or go outside in the evening the cool air is sometimes helpful. good luck.

Hi K.,
It may be allergies. They have been really bad this year, and the post nasal drip is probably causing the cough, especially since babies can't blow their nose! As long as there is no fever, it is probably something that will have to run it's course. Don't push the antibiotics. They only help if there is a bacterial infection, not a virus or allergies. Keep track of the pollen/allergy counts and log which days are worse. I don't know if there is anything the doctor can prescribe to dry up the nose for a baby that young, but you should ask. Good Luck!

Rub vix on the bottem of his feet and the cough will stop.
T.