Look at the Causes of Cough in Babies

Coughing on babies often makes parents worried. Conditions that sometimes make your child fussy are generally symptoms that indicate a viral or bacterial infection, depending on the type of cough he is suffering from. Usually, a cough on a baby will subside by itself after two weeks, but that does not mean you can underestimate it. Parents need to know more about the types of cough in infants and the signs if there has been a development of a disease or even complications.

Recognize the type of cough

Like adults, babies can experience a dry cough or cough with phlegm. Dry cough is an effort to eliminate disorders that occur due to itching or irritation in the throat. This occurs because of swelling in the throat and respiratory tract. Dry cough accompanied by a cold usually becomes a symptom of the flu caused by a virus, or because of allergies. Babies have the possibility of experiencing a cold up to eight times in their first year of life. But do not worry, because this frequency can be reduced as your child's immune system increases. Meanwhile, a cough containing phlegm is usually more felt in the chest area, because it is a natural effort to expel phlegm from the lungs. Phlegm cough in infants can be caused by a bacterial infection. Coughing in infants can also be accompanied by other symptoms, such as fever, nasal congestion, sore throat, red eyes, no appetite, and fuss. In addition, swelling can occur in lymph nodes at the bottom of the arm, neck, or at the back of the head.

Simple Ways to Relieve Cough

Now more and more variety of cough and cold medicines that are sold freely. But beware, do not carelessly provide cough and cold medicine for babies without consulting a doctor and reading carefully the information printed on the packaging. Given the risk of side effects, infants to children under six years old are not advised to be given cough or flu medicine without a doctor's prescription. To anticipate, there are some simple steps that can be taken at home to relieve coughing in infants, including:

• Give more breast milk (ASI) to help the body fight infection.
• More time to rest and sleep.
• If the baby has a fever, give a special fever-reducing medication for babies with the right dose after asking the doctor.
• As with cough handling in children, babies can also use hot steam in the room to help relieve their respiratory tract. Make sure you take care of the baby while breathing in steam to avoid injury.

Recognizing the signs of danger

Although it is a natural reaction of the body, there are some coughs in babies to watch out for. Take the baby immediately to the doctor if the coughing is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• Babies refuse to suckle so they become dehydrated. You can see signs of dehydration by checking the diaper. Under normal conditions, babies should urinate every six hours.
• Has a high fever and lasts more than three days, in infants under the age of three months. For babies over this age, be aware if the fever reaches 39 degrees Celsius or more.
• Coughing up causing vomiting.
• Hard to breathe. Also pay attention if your baby makes certain sounds when breathing or making loud noises when sleeping.
• The baby looks pale or bluish.
• The phlegm looks yellow, green or brown.

In addition, there are also dangerous cough conditions that can easily spread, namely whooping cough and diphtheria. Children under 5 years old, including infants, have a high risk for diphtheria. Considering that diphtheria cases are increasing and epidemic in Indonesia, giving immunization to infants and children is very important to prevent serious infections that can be life threatening. Coughing in infants is considered as an attempt by the body to remove mucus or foreign matter from the respiratory tract. Although it is often not a bad sign, parents must still be careful if the baby has a cough. If other symptoms occur that may be dangerous, immediately contact your doctor or nearest health facility for medical assistance.