Why Is My Baby Coughing? 8 Possible Causes and When to Worry
- Baby Dry Cough: This type of cough is unproductive, meaning it doesn't produce mucus. A dry cough might occur when a baby has a cold or allergies, and it helps clear postnasal drip or irritation from a sore throat.
- Baby Wet Cough: A wet cough causes phlegm or mucus (which contains white blood cells to help fight germs) to form in the baby's airways. It often results from a respiratory illness accompanying a bacterial infection.
What About Newborn Coughing?
Children younger than 4 months don't cough much, so if they do, it's serious, says Catherine Dundon, M.D., an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical School and a pediatrician in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. If a newborn is coughing terribly in the winter, for example, it could be respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a dangerous viral infection for infants. Once your child is older than age 1, coughs are less alarming, and they often signal nothing more than a cold.
Baby Cough From a Cold
If your baby has a dry cough along with symptoms like a stuffy nose, it could indicate a cold.
What a cold sounds like
A dry hacking cough
Cold symptoms
Signs of a baby cough that may indicate a cold or the flu include a stuffy or runny nose and sore throat. Coughs are usually dry, but depending on the severity of the cold, your baby can have rattling mucus and/or a slight fever at night.
Baby cough remedies for a cold
Try your own parent's "lots-of-fluids-and-plenty-of-rest" routine. Although you may be eager to give your baby cough medicine or cough syrup, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against using these for kids under 6 years because studies have shown that they don't work—and they can have potentially fatal side effects in those younger than 4. It's better to stick to natural baby cough remedies such as honey (for babies over one year), saline drops, and a cool-mist humidifier. Acetaminophen is safe for reducing a fever.
