Phlegm When Should I Worry

I have a 7month old daughter. I had the same problem, when she was 3 months old it started for us. right around thanksgiving, she has been on and off sick since with a runny nose, coughing deep (a lot of phlem sounding), 2 ear infections already. we wanna go crazy. the doctor keeps telling us nothing we can do, but I hate it. is ur daughter in daycare cuz that's why I feel my daughter is still sick... she had phenomia in jan (after they finally toook a chest xray) and we kept her out of daycare for 3 weeks after and she was doing great then the runny nose came back again. I dont no what to do anymore...

I would get a humidifier that you can put some menthol in. My son is 9 months old and we've gone through about three of these "colds". It does help, along with vapor baths with the nasal asporator right after. Also you could try running a HOT shower let the room get really steamy and just letting her breathe in the air. Hopefully that will help.

It could be one of 2 things. It could just be a cold that needs to run it's course. Or it could be seasonal allergies. Is she sneezing alot? If she's acting like herself and eating normally and the only symptoms are the phlemg thing and coughing then I wouldn't worry to much. She will be just fine. Babies who are really sick act really sick. When my son gets sick he's very clinging and whiny. I can tell when he's starting to feel better because he'll ask for something to eat and start playing again. When he's sick he won't leave my lap. A couple weekends ago he had a fever and he layed on me for literally hours. If her breathing seems to be tight, you can take her in the bathroom, sit her on the floor and run the shower really hot so she can inhale the steam. Other then that she'll be just fine.

Hi there. My daughter is 2 1/2 yrs. old and i have been dealing with the exact same thing for over a month now. She is perfectly fine and happy. THe dr. told me to give her dimetapp because it has a decongestant and an antihistimine. He also said it could be allergies. I also have been using a himidifier at night when she sleeps. Hope this helps.

Does your daughter exert signs of acid reflux at all. Crying when eating, arching her back while eating or any signs of regurgitation. Babies with reflux more often have excess mucus in there sinuses which can travel into their little chests making breathing uncomfortable and even gurgling sounding. The breathing treatments should help. If you do not see a preductive cough or a decrease in the amount of coughing then a trip to a pulmonologist would be a good idea since it may be settling into her chest. Hope I have helped. Good luck and hope your little one feels better.
T.

Hi O.: I am a single mom with a 17mo old little boy. He has been sick one right after the other since he was born. My son went through the same issues. Try and ride it out. If she starts to act bothered, then take the extra step to see the pneumonologist. But when you feed her, make sure that she is not laying flat, sit her up. If she is laying flat then the fluid can sit in her ears and result in an ear infection. I learned this the hard way.. Sometimes it can be a little allergy or even the change in the weather. I would try something other than the Little Colds. It never worked for my son. I would check with your ped to see if you can give her Infants Tylenol Cold or something similar. Since they are so little, it just can't come out when they cough so it goes into their stomach and comes out in their poop. If you have used the saline drops for her nose (which by far is not fun to administer), that should help push everything down and out. How did the expectorant work that your ped described? I wouldn't wait too long especially if her cough isn't getting any better. If she has had a fever too. One thing that you should watch for is RSV. (They should have tested her when you went in). In my journey of multiple ped visits, I have learned to ask as many questions as possible and even request treatment. Even ask them if a nebulizer may help out. It will get better eventually but know that you can never ask too many questions with a newborn. L. Perez

Hi O.,

She could have allergies. But if it is in the chest I would go for a second opinion. It could turn into bronchitis. My 2 year old has allergies and she always has phlegm. She takes allergy medication.

C.