Why Is My Baby Coughing? 8 Possible Causes and When to Worry

Pneumonia Baby Cough

Pneumonia is a viral or bacterial infection of the lungs brought on by a number of conditions, including the common cold. A cough that indicates pneumonia will most likely sound wet and mucousy.

What pneumonia sounds like

Wet and phlegmy

Symptoms of pneumonia

A baby with pneumonia will be very fatigued. They will also have a "productive" wet baby cough, bringing up everything imaginable in shades of green and yellow.

Treatment for pneumonia

Treatment depends on whether the cause is viral or bacterial, so call your doctor, especially if the baby has a fever. Bacterial pneumonia is usually more dangerous and is most commonly brought on by strep pneumoniae.

Asthma Baby Cough

Because asthma involves a narrowing of the airways, a baby's cough with asthma will sound like wheezing. Doctors generally agree that asthma is not common in children younger than 2, unless the baby has had bouts of eczema and there's a family history of allergies and asthma. Until there's an absolute diagnosis of asthma, a tightening of baby's airways resulting in wheezing is referred to as Reactive Airway Disease.

What asthma sounds like

Wheezing

Symptoms of asthma

In the case of severe asthma symptoms, your baby will be suffering from retractions (a sucking in and out of the chest and diaphragm). Your infant might also display other symptoms like fast breathing, panting, difficulty eating or sucking, and tiredness, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

Treatment for asthma

Whatever the case, it's always best to call your doctor when you hear your infant wheezing. Even without a definitive diagnosis of asthma, doctors often use asthma medication to treat a bout of wheezing. Your doctor may prescribe a liquid form of albuterol to open the airways. If the asthma attacks are very severe, albuterol is administered via a nebulizer—a special device that delivers the medicine in a fine mist—sometimes used with an infant-sized face mask so baby can inhale the drug more easily.