6 Month Old With Periodic Coughing

[torrenova]

We're off to the doctors if she doesn't get better today but our daughter (6 months) has developed a throaty / chesty cough which doesn't seem to bother her but bothers us greatly. It got worse and then nothing for a day, then a little, then more but infrequent.

It can come when sleeping, sitting, standing or playing but it is then over as soon as it started.

Any ideas from the more experienced parents ? She's fighting fit otherwise but sleeping longer (not really wanting her 2am - 4am feed) but wanting to get up and go at 7am ! (sleeping since circa 6pm).

As I say, off to the docs but just wondered if you guys have any ideas. Thanks.

[MrSquigle]

Both our kids would get coughs like that and while nothing specific could be put to it, it could be allergy, or the start of something worse, or just a tickle.

If it becomes really horse, it can be whats called 'whooping' cough and that can lead to shortness of breath. Our son stayed in hospital one night with it a long time ago, while I think hospital was a little overkill, the doc did say that if the airways swelled and he had troubled breathing, it could be worse.

Each time they put them on the ventilator to ease the lungs airways and they basically got better.

Also the docs like to medicate for anything, whereas I do not. We had a really good doc and bumgrad that would never medicate unless he thought really necessary.

Our daughter also woke up every morning several months ago and sometimes through the night, but 80% of the time in the morning with a cough. Docs said she was likely to have the signs/symptoms of developing asthma as this was a common first sign.

This was the verdict of 2 asthma specialists. We put her on the inhaler and all, morning and evening and it went away, doc said to keep her on it regardless, we did not and she has not had it return, another doc said it could just have been an allergy.

Anyway, the best thing for your own peace of mind, if it is not to bad but persists, take her for checkup.

[torrenova]

Thanks for that. I totally agree that here especially but in countries where you pay for healthcare and medicines, they try and push all kinds of rubbish onto you. In the UK you had to fight to get some !

I also don't like filling kids or myself with pills and potions. Let the immune system develop and for me, not block it with a quick fix. I mean, they give people flu jabs nowadays but i never heard of anyone except the old and frail having a problem with a bout of flu.

Decided to hold off on the doc as she has been a lot better. Perhaps coughed twice today. We have a routine 6 monthly for her injections on 17th so I'll mention it then if we don't have to make the trip beforehand.

[thaiclan]

It may or may not help in your case, but persistent coughs can often be put down to mucus dripping down the back of the throat. Of course babies and small children are not able to blow their noses effectively and the mucus therefore trickles down the back of the throat. You can buy rubber air balls to clear out a babies nostrils, or use some cotton swabs...

I agree with the other posts, careful of the over-medication. The one and only time I took my daughter (then 14months) to the Dr at BPH he prescribed 6 different medicines including antibiotics for a cough/cold symptom. I told him to keep the meds and thanks but no thanks! I've never (thank goodness) had to use antibiotics on my child (she is nearly 6), most child hood ailments are self-limiting and simply require astute parental monitoring and care.

Good luck, I hope your child is cough free soon :-)

[thaiclan]

It may or may not help in your case, but persistent coughs can often be put down to mucus dripping down the back of the throat. Of course babies and small children are not able to blow their noses effectively and the mucus therefore trickles down the back of the throat. You can buy rubber air balls to clear out a babies nostrils, or use some cotton swabs...

I agree with the other posts, careful of the over-medication. The one and only time I took my daughter (then 14months) to the Dr at BPH he prescribed 6 different medicines including antibiotics for a cough/cold symptom. I told him to keep the meds and thanks but no thanks! I've never (thank goodness) had to use antibiotics on my child (she is nearly 6), most child hood ailments are self-limiting and simply require astute parental monitoring and care.

Good luck, I hope your child is cough free soon :-)

[Master Chief]

The house and room where the infant lives, is it free from fungis and wood sporres?

Most houses in Thailand have severe fungis problem, from black to dark spots on walls and ceilings. This is due from moist in the concrete, leaking walls and roofs.

Wood furniture are covered with sporres, irritating the trouth and lungs.

[lordofdelusion]

It may or may not help in your case, but persistent coughs can often be put down to mucus dripping down the back of the throat. Of course babies and small children are not able to blow their noses effectively and the mucus therefore trickles down the back of the throat. You can buy rubber air balls to clear out a babies nostrils, or use some cotton swabs...

I agree with the other posts, careful of the over-medication. The one and only time I took my daughter (then 14months) to the Dr at BPH he prescribed 6 different medicines including antibiotics for a cough/cold symptom. I told him to keep the meds and thanks but no thanks! I've never (thank goodness) had to use antibiotics on my child (she is nearly 6), most child hood ailments are self-limiting and simply require astute parental monitoring and care.

Good luck, I hope your child is cough free soon :-)

Self-limiting and often viral so antibiotics are useless. They are often prescribed to prevent a secondary infection in a patient weakend by the initial virus.

Always hard to give advice without seeing the patient, but when in doubt, get it checked out.

[torrenova]

The house and room where the infant lives, is it free from fungis and wood sporres?

Most houses in Thailand have severe fungis problem, from black to dark spots on walls and ceilings. This is due from moist in the concrete, leaking walls and roofs.

Wood furniture are covered with sporres, irritating the trouth and lungs.

No, house is a couple of years old but in excellent shape. All concrete and wood free from mould or anything similar.

thanks for the suggestion though.

[bina]

Our daughter also woke up every morning several months ago and sometimes through the night, but 80% of the time in the morning with a cough. Docs said she was likely to have the signs/symptoms of developing asthma as this was a common first sign.

This was the verdict of 2 asthma specialists. We put her on the inhaler and all, morning and evening and it went away, doc said to keep her on it regardless, we did not and she has not had it return, another doc said it could just have been an allergy.

which would cause backdrip (the medical term for mucous tickling and irritating the back of the throat), and yes childhood ashtma, which does/can go away, but can also come back at a later time in life... (often called childhood bronchitis/allergic bronchitis, etc)...

and allergies come and go according to seasons, flowers, etc...

so u may never know what it was... but if it comes back for a long time, try to figure out if it is indeed when a certain plant or tree blooms or whatever; and there are various non systematic things to use just for snot running down the throat, and astham meds might be perscribed for a short time cause one thing causes another: the mucous causes a throat and bronchial irritation which in turn causes reactions in teh tubes which make them spasm (asthma) and so on in a circle. break the circle, u get a good night sleep and so does she.... no need for lots of meds: there are good things on the market that are just used in the nose , etc that are age appropriate...

bina

two out of my three kids were nighttime coughers; they are both still asthmatic now but low key with good basic treatment and minimum of meds... good in sports but suffer with allergies and get colds more frequently than others.

[MrSquigle]

Good advice...she stopped the coughing as I said and it never really came back for a long time.

She now has a cough again, but believe this one is more of a cold type cough, keeping an eye on it to see if she starts again each morning.

Both my kids seem to get colds easily here, one, 5yo, goes to school and obviously this is a good source for picking up germs.

General health and fitness for both is very good though, which is the main thing.

I understand asthma can come and go, but I thought that if it came, it would be with the child for years and then grow out of it, my nephew was like this. He had it as a child and it stopped around 11/12 I think.

My old man had it as an adult later in life and caused him lots of problems, he may have even died from it, so this is why I am worried when my child may have it.

[bina]

its always there, just sort of 'remission'... teen years either make it go away, or make it come back, due to hormonal changes, lifestyle changes, etc.... some people remember as children being asthmatic and then at age 40 it starts again... being exposed to a trigger /allergen or pregnancy with women for instance...

people die from asthma but only if it is so severe that there is no controlling it with meds; my kids live with it, they are both sportsman, active, not homebodies, they are now in teen years and the responsibility of controlling it is with them. they make the decision to take/not take meds, when to use them, etc. even if that means ending up in hospital. when we go to the doctor, the doctor talks with them, not me (speaks to me after but is to the kids that he explains everything; for every action there is a reaction in medication or activity.)///

the chance of one of them dieing in a car accident are way higher in this country... but good docs for allergies/and lung diseases are important...

my two satangs worth..

bina

[torrenova]

Had our daughter in today for her 6 months check today and whilst she was only supposed to be getting weighed, my wife and daughter went into the consulting room whilst I was outside waiting. The clown of a doctor has prescribed a load of drugs ranging from anti biotics, cough medcine and paracetamol liquid to some ashmatic drug.

Needless to say I was furious with my wife and am refusing to use the medicine and will go back tomorrow and get some answers or I'll change doctors. I believe one of them, an Ephedine / Ephedrine solution is actually withdrawn by the FDA as there have been some 50+ deaths over the years (there is no dosage on the packet). Others do not have their respective leaflets with them. Utterly incomprehensible.

[MrSquigle]

Which doc and where ?

[bina]

sudafed: used to be available in the states; withdrawn partially since that is what some drugs are made from nowadays which is too bd cause here in israel we still use it and its great stuff for drying out all that nasal shit from noses or when ther is sinisitus...

actually works against backdrip and doesnt make sleepy; my daughter gets nightmares though when she uses sudafed...

E

phedrine (EPH) is a sympathomimetic amine commonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid, decongestant and to treat hypotension associated with regional anaesthesia. Ephedrine is similar in structure to the synthetic derivatives amphetamine and methamphetamine. Chemically, it is an alkaloid derived from various plants in the genus Ephedra (family Ephedraceae). It is most usually marketed in the hydrochloride and sulfate forms.

In traditional Chinese medicines, the herb má huáng (麻黄, Ephedra sinica) contains ephedrine and pseudoephedrine as its principal active constituents

paracetamol is good to have around for when u need it; u keep acamol or tylenol for headaches and stuff, so u need stuff for your child too...

asthmatic medicines: most are none systematic ie. they are used in the mouth (respiratory tract) or nose only so dont get into the whole body system therefore are much safer then oral meds... even the steroids such as butecort and symbicort... and they give good quality of life ... better then a 6 month old with chronic cough leaving her tired and leaving her respiratory tract weakened and susceptible to more infections both viral and bacterial.

its one thing to check out the prescriptions and the reasoning behind them, its an other to not use medication without reason or from fear of medication.

my own personal view... i think u may be overreacting a bit, pop in and ask the doc to explain what each thing is, and why u need it, and do check the pediatric sites on the net, there are some really good ones.

bina

[torrenova]

Went back today but the doc she saw yesterday was off early so I had another one go through things. She was very good and understood my concerns and I actually thought I saw her thinking "what the heck has my colleague done here".

Anyway, some of it has hit the bin and I let her escape without having to make apologies for her drug pusher colleague. The baby has no fever but what the hel_l, give her some antibiotics for fever and two bottles of different concentration paracetamol liquid and some other stuff just to be going on. And some nasal stuff as well.

No thanks.