Things to know about cough in children

Posted by Dr. Phung Tuyet Lan - Children's Center, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital

Cough is a sudden and often repetitive conditioned reflex that helps eliminate secretions, irritants, foreign particles, and bacteria. adhere to the respiratory tract. Normally, children can cough for a few hours for a short time without showing any symptoms. In addition, a cough is a symptom of a medical condition.

1. Causes of cough in children

Cough in children can be dry or productive. A child may cough lightly or loudly, making it difficult for them to breathe.
Com Congenital in the lungs Habitual cough is a type of cough that usually disappears when the child goes to sleep

2. When to take the child to the doctor?

Need to take the child to a medical facility when the child has the following symptoms:
Children under 4 months of age When the child has breathing problems such as breathing that makes abnormal sounds or is fast breathing The child has a cough after choking on food or objects animal Coughing up blood , yellow-green sputum The child has a fever The child coughs so strongly that he vomits The cough lasts more than 2 weeks and is not getting better.

chăm sóc trẻ bị nôn trớ — Nên đưa trẻ đi khám nếu ho mạnh và kéo dài

3. What tests do children need?

Your child may need some tests. The medical staff will ask about the child's abnormal signs and examine the accompanying clinical symptoms. Depending on your age and symptoms, the doctor will order laboratory tests to find the cause of the cough, which may include:
Chest X-ray Blood count, C-reactive protein: test to assess reaction inflammation Tests to find the cause of respiratory infections: for example, culture of nasopharyngeal fluid Breathing test to assess respiratory function: usually applied to children over 6 years old Bronchoscopy: a procedure where a doctor inserts an endotracheal tube endoscopy with a camera attached to the airways to look for foreign bodies in the airway and remove, or assess the extent of airway damage or detect airway abnormalities.

4. What are some measures to help children reduce cough?

If the child coughs due to a cold, laryngitis or some other infection, parents can:
Make the child drink more water Use an air humidifier in the bedroom if available Parents take the child to the bathroom and Rinse under the shower to create moisture. Parents need to supervise while children are in the bathroom

Tắm cho trẻ bằng nước ấm để tránh bị viêm thanh quản

Parents should not do the following:
Do not buy over-the-counter cough medicine or flu medicine for children, especially children under 6 years old. Do not give aspirin to children under 18 months of age. Because this medicine can cause Reye's syndrome in young children

5. How to treat cough?

Treatment is based on the cause of the cough.
If the child has a respiratory infection due to a bacterial cause, antibiotics can be used. The child has a foreign body in the airway, the doctor can remove the foreign body by bronchoscopy. In addition, in order to prevent diseases that young children often get, parents should pay attention to a diet to improve children's resistance. At the same time, add supporting foods containing lysine, essential micro-minerals and vitamins such as zinc, chromium, selenium, B vitamins,... snacks and less digestive problems.
Parents can learn more:
Why do you need to supplement Lysine for your baby?
The role of zinc - Guidelines for reasonable zinc supplementation
Please visit the website Vinmec.com regularly and update useful information to take care of your baby and family.
Reference source: update.com

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