A Guide to Kids’ Coughs
As miserable as a cough can make your kid — and you — it does serve an important purpose: “That forceful exhalation of air propels mucus, bacteria, and other irritants out of the airways,” explains Thomas Ferkol, M.D., director of pediatric allergy and pulmonary medicine at Washington University, in St. Louis. While that’s all well and good, relief is all anyone really wants. The key to finding it? Knowing what’s causing the hack to
begin with. The chart below can get you on the road to peace. (Visit Child Health Guide to hear what these coughs sound like.) In the meantime, watch out for certain danger signs: If your child’s been coughing for more than two weeks or develops a high fever, take her to the pediatrician. If she has trouble breathing, begins turning blue, or can’t eat or swallow, head straight to the ER. And if you’re tempted to give her an over-the-counter cough medicine, hold up. Studies show they’re not effective, and some may even be harmful.
If your kid’s cough is:
WET AND PRODUCTIVE
It means: she has mucus to clear out of her airways, or she’s got postnasal drip
The likely cause is: an infection (such as a cold, sinusitis, or pneumonia), or allergies
For sweet relief: Use saline nose drops, and offer her lots of fluids to thin the mucus. If she’s got a fever along with the cough, call the doctor to rule out a more serious infection.
