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Excessive Coughing in Children

Excessive coughing can be a sign that something is wrong with your child's respiratory system. It is quite normal for a child to cough throughout the day. However, a cough accompanied by other symptoms is a sure signal that the child's airways are not functioning as they should be. In order to cure the cough, it is essential that the cause of the cough is treated.

  1. Productive Cough

    • A cough is considered productive when it is accompanied by mucus. If your child is suddenly coughing and has a runny nose, she probably has a common cold. The common cold can become complicated if the lungs bronchial tubes become infected. In this case, your child may have bronchitis or pneumonia. Either of these conditions will cause crackling in the lungs and may cause breathing to become painful. Any productive cough can be helped with humidity. Placing a cool mist humidifier close to where your child is resting can help loosen the phlegm and make coughing easier.

    Non-Productive Cough

    • A non-productive cough, or a cough with no phlegm, may be caused by irritants. Environmental factors that can contribute to cough can be caused by smoke inhalation, chemical exposure or aspirated food. Ask your child if he knows what is causing his cough. If your child does not talk yet, try taking him out of the environment he was in when the coughing began. If you cannot determine the cause of the cough, take your child to the doctor.

    Cough With Fever

    • Fever is one way the body fights infection. The flu is one of these infections. It is important that you keep your child's fever as low as possible while the flu runs its course. No amount of antibiotic will cure the flu. However, if the cough and fever are caused by bacteria such as streptococcus, it needs to be treated with antibiotics before the entire upper respiratory tract become involved.

    Cough With Wheezing

    • If your child has always had a cough, she probably doesn't have a cold. If your child's cough is brought on by activity and followed by episodes of wheezing, she should be checked for asthma. If the cough seems worse during certain times of the year, it may be allergy related. If your infant or child is making a noise that sounds like a bark more than a wheeze, he may have croup. Croup is an infection of the larynx that produces mucus.

    Cough in Infants

    • If your infant coughs excessively, you should ask the pediatrician to test him for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV. According to the Center for Disease Control, RSV is one of the top reasons infants are hospitalized in the U.S. If your child has RSV, he may not be getting enough oxygen. Babies with RSV struggle to breathe. Your baby may need breathing treatments, or even hospitalization to recover.

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