How to treat a severe cough in a 5 month old baby

Causes of cough

Factors that lead to the appearance of a cough symptom can be different, from a cold to a foreign body entering the respiratory organs. How to treat a cough, wet and non-productive (dry) will depend on the cause. The second type of cough symptom is more dangerous for the body. Typically, dry coughs disappear after the development stage of the disease, developing into a wet type. For cough for children 5 months old, complex therapy is used as treatment.

Causes of cough symptoms in children.

1. Allergic reaction of the body. Dust, the presence of pets in the house, or pollen from plants can be an irritating factor. The cough of an allergic breed intensifies when the child comes into contact with an allergen, especially at night. In such a situation, the baby does not suffer from a runny nose or body temperature. There are no standard cold symptoms. The only way out is to prevent the baby from contact with allergens.
2. Some children suffer from cough symptoms for up to 1 year. This phenomenon is considered normal. Physiological coughing helps the lungs clear mucus. No treatment will be required.
3. Dry oxygen in the room. In some cases, this is the cause of the cough symptom. Exacerbation of coughing occurs at the beginning of the heating season. To get rid of this deviation, you should purchase an air humidifier and thoroughly clean the apartment.
4. Presence of a foreign body in the respiratory tract. The baby may choke and swallow part of a toy, hair, or a feather from a pillow. Any of these microscopic things can be inhaled. If the baby coughs sharply and begins to choke, action must be taken. The airways should be cleared, you can put the baby on your knees, tilt his body down, tap on the back with your palm, open the baby’s mouth and try to pull out the object. After you remove the irritant, show the baby to the doctor. A respiratory examination will be necessary.
5. During teething. In rare cases, babies develop a cough at such a moment; it can be dry or wet. The symptoms of such coughing are not dangerous and do not require medical therapy.

Cough causes a lot of trouble for the child and parents. Children have a hard time suffering from illnesses due to underdeveloped immunity. Usually a cough in a five-month-old baby is caused by a cold. Why a newborn is coughing must be addressed immediately. It is best to conduct respiratory examinations and treat the baby with folk and pharmacy medicines. Thus, it is possible to “defeat” a cough in a 5-month-old child within a week. For example, if the cause of an allergic cough is not identified in time, and the baby is constantly in contact with the allergen, a chronic cough symptom may occur. A pediatrician can determine how to treat a cough in a 5-month-old child.

If the cause of the cough is an allergy

When a child is only 5 months old, coughing can be triggered by allergens. Irritating substances may be in your child's clothes and bedding. Can be supplied with food during the introduction of the first complementary foods. May pass through mother's milk. The reason may be the appearance of a pet or poor cleaning of the premises.

A pediatrician or an allergist can diagnose an allergic cough. Only a specialist can make a correct diagnosis and prescribe how to treat a cough in a five-month-old child.

Treatment will combine a set of measures to eliminate allergens and take the necessary medications:

All drugs are prescribed only by a doctor, as are the dosages and duration of use. An allergic cough requires immediate contact with a specialist for immediate treatment, because a simple cough can develop into such serious conditions as false croup or bronchial asthma.

Associated symptoms

If a 5-month-old child is coughing, the first step is to determine the cause and only then take treatment measures. In addition to determining the etiological factor, special attention should be paid to the accompanying symptoms:

• increased body temperature;
• shortness of breath;
• runny nose;
• increased fatigue;
• chest pain;
• wheezing.

When the cause is an allergic reaction, the patient may experience excessive lacrimation, itchy nose, sneezing, and breathing problems. Unlike the bacterial or viral nature of a cough, there is no elevated body temperature with allergies.

How to treat a cough

In situations where a baby has coughing attacks, you should resort to drug therapy. Fever and severe cough that does not go away within 5 days may indicate a serious illness that requires immediate treatment. You can take syrups and drops for cough for 5 months, but they must be prescribed by a doctor.

1. Expectorant medications (prescribed for wet cough). These include “Prospan”, “Gedelix”.
2. Dry coughs are treated with homeopathic medicines - Stodal, Oscillococcinum.
3. At high temperatures, you need to take antipyretic medications, such as Paracetamol, Ibuprofen.

When an infant coughs, note the frequency and nature of the attacks. Each type of cough symptom is cured by certain medications that are effective for a specific type of cough. The pediatrician will be able to find out why the newborn is coughing and whether it is dangerous for the baby’s health.

The use of traditional medicine for cough symptoms should be done with due care. It is necessary to take into account all the nuances and advice of doctors on the Internet. Parents often treat a baby's cough with chamomile infusion. Tea from this plant does not entail any side effects and effectively treats cough.

How to treat a cough in a five-month-old child, how to stop her attacks - the doctor will tell you. Good results can be obtained from the use of chamomile, which helps to have the following effects on the body:

• Provokes coughing;
• Helps restore the body's protective functions.

Sometimes people use chamomile tea as a daily drink. Coltsfoot teas with the addition of chamomile are also effective in eliminating cough symptoms.

Many parents relieve their children from coughing using inhalations. Infants are not advised to do steam activities, as they should not be overheated. For children 5 months of age, it is best to inhale using a nebulizer. The solution for this procedure is usually based on saline solution. A few drops of Lazolvan are added to it, which helps to cough up phlegm.

Correct treatment

Currently, pediatricians prescribe mucolytic drugs to combat cough in 5-month-old children. One of these drugs is Ambrobene. This is a fairly effective remedy in the form of syrup that can be given to babies starting from the first month of their life. The drug thins and removes mucus, helping to get rid of cough.

Another medicine that can be taken by 5-month-old children is Ambroxol. This mucolytic drug thins phlegm in the lungs. It comes in the form of a syrup that tastes very pleasant, so in the vast majority of cases children drink it with pleasure. When taking Ambroxol, the maximum effectiveness of the drug is achieved in combination with plenty of drinking, so it is recommended that sick children be given as much water, juices or compotes as possible. Please note the requirement written in the instructions - the drug is not recommended for use for more than 5 days in a row.

Lazolvan also performed well. This drug helps well with wet coughs, promoting expectoration of sputum. It is also available in the form of syrup - the most suitable form for 5-month-old children. Lazolvan is also recommended for use for no more than 5 days, but there are no such strict restrictions as Ambroxol. Gedelix is ​​prescribed to children for dry cough. It can be given starting from birth. It is advisable that the medication be accompanied by drinking plenty of fluids.

It is used for coughs in babies 5 months of age and inhalation - nebulizer or ultrasound. As a rule, medications are added to saline solution, and the procedure itself is carried out through a mask. This treatment option helps transform the cough from dry to wet and makes it easier to combat.

It is worth noting that the child’s mobility should not be limited. This way you will not allow phlegm to build up. The baby needs to be provided with comfortable conditions and coziness. The room temperature should be within 20-22 degrees, the air itself should be sufficiently humid.

What to do if a 5 month old baby is coughing

Young children often cough for a variety of reasons. The cough symptom is a protective function of the body aimed at cleansing the respiratory tract.

What to do if your baby suffers from cough symptoms:

Don't overdo it with medications. When a baby takes medications that relieve a cough, but do not affect the cause of its appearance, they can harm the baby. If you deprive your child of the ability to cough, every cold can develop into pneumonia. In addition, most cough medicines are not intended for newborn babies. Antitussive drugs are prescribed for debilitating cough.

Identify the cause of the cough symptom. If a 5-month-old baby begins to cough, this may be due to teething. In this case, you cannot take medical therapy. Check when a newborn baby starts coughing and under what circumstances.

A wet cough in a baby without fever usually occurs after a cold. This disease can be treated with expectorants, which will help remove mucus from the respiratory tract.

If you are sure that the above factors are not the case, you need to call a pediatrician. The doctor will need to provide the following information:

• How often does the baby cough?
• how long do cough attacks last?
• what type of cough does the baby have?
• Do cough attacks occur while eating?

Parents usually believe that the treatment prescribed by the pediatrician is not effective enough. They begin to look for additional treatment methods on the Internet, in various forums about what can be given to a 5-month-old child to eliminate cough. There people receive a lot of advice from the same young parents, sometimes without positive effects. Don’t give in to panic and listen to recommendations on the Internet; consult only with specialists. The doctor will best determine how to treat a cough in a 5-month-old child after a detailed examination of the baby.

How to treat a cough in a 5 month old child

In infants, the respiratory muscles are weak, the immune system is underdeveloped, and the lumen of the bronchi is small. They cannot cough up mucus effectively, so they are not prescribed mucolytics to stimulate mucus production. Your pediatrician will tell you what to do if your child has a dry or wet cough.

The basis of therapy is:

• medicines;
• inhalation;
• drainage massage;
• warm drink;
• rubbing.

Irrational treatment of respiratory diseases in infants is dangerous due to complications. Therefore, medications and physical procedures should be prescribed exclusively by a pediatrician.

Medicinal drinks

Cough in a 5-month-old child should be treated with caution. To alleviate his condition, warm drinks are prescribed. Toxins released by bacteria or viruses are removed from the body with fluid. As a result, the symptoms of intoxication disappear - nausea, sweating, headaches, lack of appetite, body aches.

For nonproductive cough, children are given:

• diluted fruit juices;
• boiled water;
• children's tea;
• strained dried fruit compote;
• alkaline mineral water (still).

The drink should be warm, so it is heated to 38-39°C. Otherwise, the baby faces local hypothermia, snot and increased cough.

Drugs

Cough medicine is chosen based on its effectiveness. If sputum is not coughed up, antitussives are prescribed. In pediatrics, oral solutions and syrups based on butamirate are used, a centrally acting drug that suppresses the activity of the cough center in the brain:

• Stoptussin is an antitussive agent with antispasmodic and antitussive properties. Oral drops are prescribed if the child's weight exceeds 7 kg.
• Sinekod is an oral solution that improves respiratory function and relieves paroxysmal cough.
• Panatus forte is a syrup for unproductive coughs that has a relaxing effect on the bronchi.

For difficult to separate sputum, mucolytic and expectorant medications are used.

To prevent side effects, syrups and oral drops based on ambroxol are used:

• Ambrobene is a cough syrup that reduces the viscosity of bronchial mucus and makes it easier to cough up;
• Lazolvan is an oral solution that stimulates the cleansing of phlegm from the bronchi;
• Bronchoval is a syrup that thins mucus and makes coughing easier.

Before giving your child a mucolytic drug, consult your pediatrician.

It is difficult for babies to cough up mucus, so be sure to perform a drainage massage during treatment. Then sputum does not accumulate in the lungs, which prevents pneumonia or the transition of bronchitis to a chronic form.

Rubbing

For a cold cough, rubbing with warming ointments and balms is effective. They stimulate blood flow to the lungs, which leads to:

• increasing the tone of the respiratory muscles;
• increased nutrition of the lungs and bronchi;
• strengthening local immunity;
• reducing the viscosity of sputum.

• Dr. Theiss eucalyptus - ointment with camphor, eucalyptus oil and pine needle extract. It has anti-inflammatory, warming, analgesic and mucus-thinning effects.
• Vicks Active is a warming balm with terpene and eucalyptus oils, which facilitates the passage of bronchial mucus and stimulates local immunity.
• Doctor Mom is a drug based on levomenthol, camphor, turpentine and eucalyptus oil. It has a local irritating, distracting and analgesic effect.
• Pulmex baby is an ointment with balsam tree resin, camphor, rosemary and eucalyptus essential oils. Relieves inflammation, relieves pain during bronchitis, facilitates sputum discharge.

Warming cough ointment is applied only to the chest or back. To prevent allergic reactions and bronchospasms, the wings of the nose and temples are not treated.

If pharmaceuticals are not at hand, use folk recipes. To relieve cough in an infant, the following are suitable:

• Pork fat. 100 g of fat is melted in a water bath. Add 1 tsp. dry mustard, 3-5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil. Apply only to the upper back for 30-40 minutes.
• Goat fat. Add 15 ml of propolis tincture to 100 g of melted fat. Apply to the chest, avoiding the heart area. After half an hour, the remaining product is removed with a napkin.

The procedure is performed up to 3 times a day for 4-5 days. If there is no result, you should contact a pulmonologist.

Drainage massage

To relieve a wet cough in a baby without fever, massage helps a lot. It prevents the stagnation of mucus in the bronchi and lungs, stimulates its expectoration. Physiotherapeutic procedure is indicated for:

• chronic bronchitis;
• viral pneumonia;
• cystic fibrosis;
• tracheitis;
• bronchial asthma.

Massage technique:

• the baby is placed on his stomach so that the head is lower than the body;
• massage oil is applied to the back;
• make circular movements from the lower back to the neck;
• tap on the intercostal and scapular areas.

Chest massage is performed in the same way. After the procedure, a warming ointment is applied and the baby is wrapped in a blanket.

For severe coughs, drainage massage is performed twice a day - morning and evening.

Vibration massage with tapping is contraindicated for children with pulmonary insufficiency, purulent inflammation of the bronchi, and a febrile condition.

Inhalations

Inhalation therapy is one of the methods of physiotherapy that involves inhaling steam or aerosol. Cough in a 5-month-old child without fever is treated with drugs with expectorant and mucolytic effects. Inhalations are recommended for:

Pediatricians advise treating coughs and runny nose only with safe medications:

• Lazolvan;
• Bromhexine;
• Mukaltin;
• Bronchosan.

To prevent burns in an infant, it is better to use a nebulizer.

This is a compressor inhaler that converts liquid into an aerosol. The base used is saline solution – 0.9% sodium chloride solution. A few drops of a mucolytic or expectorant are added to it.

Recommendations for performing inhalations:

• for nasal congestion, pre-use vasoconstrictor nasal drops (Otrivin, Nazol Baby, Nazivin);
• to prevent nausea and vomiting, the procedure is performed 1.5 hours after eating;
• for inflammation of the nasopharynx, use a nasal cannula;
• if the lower parts of the respiratory system are affected, use a mask;
• The procedure is performed for 2-3 minutes up to 3 times a day.

The course of inhalation therapy consists of 10-15 sessions. After the procedure, 25% of children experience a coughing attack caused by sputum production. If it lasts more than 2-3 minutes, you should contact your pediatrician.

Physiotherapy is contraindicated for diseases of the inner ear, abscesses in the bronchi, and disturbances in the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.

Herbs

If a child has a productive cough, herbal medicine is helpful. To remove mucus from the respiratory tract, medicinal plants that have expectorant properties are used:

• common anise;
• marshmallow root;
• mint;
• marsh wild rosemary;
• common oregano;
• tall elecampane;
• calendula;
• roundleaf sundew;
• thyme;
• plantain;
• coltsfoot;
• ivy.

Traditional recipes for expectorants for children:

• Recipe No. 1. Mix coltsfoot, oregano and thyme in equal proportions. 2 tbsp. l. Boil the herbs in 1 liter of water for 5 minutes. The filtered and cooled decoction is given to the child 30-50 ml up to 3-4 times a day.
• Recipe No. 2. Mix 1 tbsp. l. mint and chamomile, add 1 tsp. calendula. Boil the herbs in 1.5 liters of water for 2 minutes. The decoction is given to the child warm, 30 ml 4-5 times a day.

Warm drinks can be given to a child only if there is no allergy to medicinal herbs.

Therefore, before herbal medicine, an allergy test is carried out: the product is applied to the wrist for 30-40 minutes. If there is no rash or redness, the decoction can be given to the baby.

How else can you treat a cough in a 5-month-old baby?

To relieve a strong dry cough, you need to increase the air humidity to 70-75%. If you don't have a humidifier, hang damp blankets, towels or sheets in your room. To prevent cough attacks, you need to do wet cleaning 2-3 times a day, wiping all horizontal surfaces.

To cure a cough, you should:

• remove dust collectors from the room (stuffed toys, carpets);
• temporarily stop using air fresheners;
• Ventilate the room once every 2-3 hours;
• wrap the child warmly;
• maintain the room temperature at 21-23°C.

If a cough in an infant is caused by postnasal drip syndrome, the nasal cavity is cleared of mucus. To do this, use a syringe or a baby aspirator. After the procedure, a vasoconstrictor is instilled - Sanorin, Otrivin, Naphthyzin for children, Vibrocil.

Treatment of cough due to bronchitis takes from 10 to 14 days. To shorten the recovery period, they resort to physiotherapeutic procedures - ultraviolet irradiation, UHF therapy, inductothermy.

Komarovsky's opinion

Dr. Evgeniy Komarovsky notes that the principle of action of drugs for cough symptoms affects the cough center, bronchial mucosa and sputum. The simplest way to eliminate cough symptoms in a child is to “disable” the cough center. For such purposes, medications that reduce the density of sputum and provoke an improvement in the mucous membranes of the respiratory system are suitable.

Komarovsky often advises parents not to resort to medications at the first symptoms of cough, but to try to create favorable conditions for the baby that will help his body cope with the disease faster.

Cough prevention

Every parent wants to see their child healthy. Many measures can be taken to prevent childhood colds.

• Make sure your child does not get hypothermic.
• During outbreaks of respiratory diseases, walk with your baby only wearing a mask, avoid crowds of children.
• Give your baby a chest and back massage.
• Keep the room in which the baby is located clean.
• Avoid drafts.

By taking simple precautions, you can protect your newborn from colds and related symptoms. If the baby’s body is hardened and healthy, treatment of the disease will not take much time, and complications will be avoided.

Source