Baby's cough won't go

mesu

Hi boards parents. I'm posting to get some advice (not medical). My 9 month old baby girl has had a cough and cold since early August. She initially caught a cold from me, then she started going to creche and it went down into her chest and has never gone. We went to the doctor and first got antibiotics, which had zero effect. Went back 2 weeks later, she was diagnosed with bronchiolitis and got steroids and an inhaler, again zero effect. The doctor then sent us to Crumlin to have her looked over and check if she needed an xray. The paediatrician there examined her and said she was fine, no xray needed, couldn't prescribe anything for her, said she would have to get over the cough by herself. Her cold improved 2 weeks ago and while she was still coughing, she was noticeably better and started to sleep much better too. The cold came back full force last week and she's now back to square one. It wouldn't be so bad if the cough didn't badly disrupt her sleep throughout the night. We've tilted her mattress, there's Karvol drops in her room every night, tried sitting in a steamy bathroom, at our wits end now. I've heard acupuncture can be good for something like this, but I can't find anyone in Dublin who specialises in baby acupuncture. Sorry for the long post, but I didn't want to leave anything out. Any advice? Thanks

MusRo

Hi Mesu. We had exactly the same problem last winter. My daughter started nursery in November of last year when she was 6 months old and basically had a cold and cough all winter and well into spring. I live in the UK now and doctors are far more reluctant over here to prescribe anything for babies (or adults) than I have experienced in Ireland. Basically my doctor sent me home when I visited and said it would take it's course. Some babies get very runny noses when teething. Couple that with all the colds they pick up at nursery and basically they end up draining a lot of fluid from their nose each night into their lungs when they lie on their backs. This causes many babies to get a cough. We found that tilting the mattress and putting a bowl of boiling water with a few drops of olbas oil in it somewhere safe under the cot at night really helped to deal with the congestion. You should also try to drain away any nasal fluid as much as possible by using a suction device (which i guess you can find in most pharmacies or online) and/or nasal saline spray. This will reduce the amount of fluid draining from the nose at night. I hope that helps. Obviously, please do go back to a doctor if your child has a high temperature that doesn't go down or if they are floppy or really unwell looking. Your little one will improve in time Hope that helps!

mesu

Hi Musro, that's very helpful, thanks for replying. I was looking for some suggestions to give her a bit of relief from it, so I'll try the Olbas oil in her room. She's had such a hard time, it's heartbreaking listening to her coughing at night. Thanks again

ThisRegard

Our girl used to get a bad cough at night like clock work, eventually she was prescribed drugs as initial thoughts was croup. Worked for a while before it came back just as bad. I'm not sure if google or a friend suggested salt cave therapy but we gave it a try. It turned out to be very successful, pretty much after the first session she improved and had been great since.

We went here but I'm sure there's a few places around the country
http://www.saltcave.ie

mesu

Thanks Thisregard, I hadn't come across that before. I'll look into it.

BostonB

We found a humidifier eased the cough, (bit safer than the boiling water :eek: or steaming bathroom or using kettles) which ease sleeping, which over time, help them get rid of a cough. Some have a space for Karvol on it. You can get them in Argos, not too expensive best get one with a back lit screen and timer controls. You end up adjusting it in the dark usually.

+1 on tilting the mattress. That helped too.

Also when bad, we used to pat them on the back every now and then, which got a lot of stuff up, which then allowed them to sleep for a lot longer before coughing. Which means more sleep more rest, better fighting the cough.

Not a quick fix, but over time, cleared coughs for ours. We struggled previously.

mesu

hi BostonB, we were looking at different humidifiers too but so many of the reviews on Amazon were so bad, we sort of abandoned the idea. Things like leaking, making the walls wet, too bright for the baby's room (she's used to a very dark room), some too noisy. Which one did you go for? Thanks

ThisRegard

We also used a dehumidifier, this Vicks one from Argos, although I don't think we paid this much, think it was on offer at the time. We had no problems with it leaking etc but if you put any dehumidifier close to a wall it's going to make it wet via the steam anyway. There's a little place to put some oil into which is then released into the air with the steam. Wasn't very bright but there is a noise, not too intrusive but it's probably actually soothing to the baby.

http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4250894/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CHome+and+furniture%7C14417894/c_2/3%7Ccat_15701253%7CDehumidifiers+and+air+treatment%7C14418335.htm

BostonB

We're our second Humidifier. Theres nothing similar on line, the models in the shops seems to change constantly. Can't remember what happened the first. Element might have gone in it.

Our current one has no light. We've had no leaks with either of them. Kinda of a low bubble/gurgle off it. kinda relaxing tbh. As Kind regard said. Probably soothing.

I assume the coughing is keeping them up anyway so not much to lose by using a machine in there. A baby should get used to some noise and light othewise you'll be tiptoeing round them at night for years. That said you can't always plan these things.

We found not having the room warm helped, as did not having it too cold. So no heating, but windows closed. Depends on the house though. Modern houses can be over dry.

SlimCi

Try a damp hand towel over the radiator at night and just a few drops of olibas oil on it. Also a saline nasal spray and a nasal bulb to extract the gunk as in all probability its this that is dripping down the back of babys throat making it cough. Keep the room cool. Keep an eye on the tonsils too as when they become enlarged they can cause coughing when lying down. Is it a night the coughing is worse? How is it during the day?

mesu

Thanks for the replies.

We bought a humidifier yesterday and set it up last night. Took it out again very quickly as it made the room very hot. Anyone else find this? Should I bear this in mind when dressing her for bed and we're using it? We don't have the heating on in her room at night. The weather has been all over the place recently anyway, in fact I think that is probably not helping with the cough either.

Her cough is roughly the same during the day and night, but definitely being on her back makes it worse. She gets over it faster during the day but at night, once she starts it goes on and on and eventually wakes her up.

Hopefully the humidifier will help, also bought a nasal aspirator and olbas oil, so lots of things to try now.

Victor

Suggestion. Anytime the baby coughs in your company, ignore it (within reason).

I know of two babies that make fake coughs to get attention - simply because they got lots of attention when they first started coughing.

I had a chest infection a few years ago, which gained a cough. Although the infection cleared, the cough remained and I ended up having to get a cough suppressant to get rid of it as it was traumatising my epiglotis (the flap that decides whether something from you throat should go to your lungs or stomach) and if I had a coughing fit I was breathing into my stomach. Up to about 6 months, a baby's throat is structured differently to an older person's one, hence they can brink and breath and the same time and we can't. I'm wondering is the infection constant?

mesu

Don't think it's a standard infection, that's why the antibiotics didn't work at the beginning. Each time her cold comes back, the cough gets worse. I believe bronchiolitis is common in babies and there's very little that can be prescribed for it. That's why I was wondering what other parents did to relieve the babies of the cough at night.

It's definitely not an attention thing, although I know that does happen, there's a constant rattle in her chest, you can hear it and when her cold is bad, you can feel it through her back as well. Also, when it's not too bad, she coughs at night but doesn't wake herself up. When it's bad, she does wake up.

Each time she improves, we think she's on the mend and we're over it. Then the dreaded runny, blocked nose reappears and we're back to square one.

BostonB

I got an update with an other post, which seems to have been deleted.

The humidifiers, can be set to certain humidity, then it turns off/on as required.

It would make the room warm. But its a humid warm, not a dry warm.

BostonB

I would let a doctor make the call on the antibiotic. For us it was needed only a couple of times. Most of the time it wasn't. It had no effect. But always check with the doc.

Terpsichore

Here is hoping your little one is feeling better.
My son seems to have the same type of cough than your daughter. Someone suggested that lactose (sugar in milk and dairy products) could be the cause. Indeed, we have reduced his intake, while still making sure he gets his calcium ok, and he is better.
Doctor's advice is a must of course!