When should one worry about kid's coughing?

My 2 year old has been coughing for about a week now. She's also
sneezing once in a while and her nose is runny once in a while. So i
thought this is all upper respitory infection. so whenever she's
uncomfortable, I'm giving her some cough syrup to ease her. I don't
know if I should worry about this or call her doctor.

What are the warning signs to watch?

Thank you!

On 6 May 2005 21:43:54 -0700, wrote:

My 2 year old has been coughing for about a week now. She's also
sneezing once in a while and her nose is runny once in a while. So i
thought this is all upper respitory infection. so whenever she's
uncomfortable, I'm giving her some cough syrup to ease her. I don't
know if I should worry about this or call her doctor.

What are the warning signs to watch?

Thank you!

For sneezing, runny nose and cough without a temp, I'd first think
it's allergy-related. This is prime allergy season so she may have
sensitivity.
I normally don't worry about coughing unless it becomes pretty deep
and rattly, or if they're wheezing. I'd say if it goes another week
or so you may want to have a doctor check, but I'd bet the cough is
due to post-nasal drip in her throat.

Giving her a lot of fluids and humidifying her bedroom will better
serve her than cough syrup.

Nan

wrote:
My 2 year old has been coughing for about a week now. She's also
sneezing once in a while and her nose is runny once in a while. So i
thought this is all upper respitory infection.

Sounds plausible.

so whenever she's
uncomfortable, I'm giving her some cough syrup to ease her.

Bit dubious how much they help, but if you feel it's easing her, by all
means go for it.

I don't
know if I should worry about this or call her doctor.

No, and no (based on what you've described).

What are the warning signs to watch?

Thank you!

The warning signs I tell parents of children with colds to look for
a

Trouble with breathing - if she seems to be struggling to get her
breath (apart from briefly when she's in the middle of a coughing fit).
Look for very rapid breathing, and also look at the muscles between
her ribs to see whether they're sucking inwards with the effort of each
breath.

An acutely unwell child. It's normal for a child with a cold to be
more clingy, less inclined to play, less interested in food. But if
your baby is going very listless, getting floppy, showing _no_ interest
even in looking at you, or refusing even to take drinks - those are
danger signs.

A cough that is showing absolutely no signs of improving after more
than a month - that's a long time for a cold to go on for, so at that
stage it's worth at least considering whether there might be underlying
asthma. (It's common enough for a cold to go on for two or three weeks
that I wouldn't consider this a warning sign. Also, children this age
can catch germs at such a rate that they sometimes barely get over one
before catching the next - so if she seemed to be almost better and
then, wham, was down with the symptoms again, I wouldn't worry about
that, as it's probably just a whole new germ).


But, basically - if in doubt, do go ahead and call. As a doctor, I'd
far, far rather reassure a thousand worried parents than miss one
seriously ill child (and the probabilities do break down about that
way, so even if you are concerned, it's likely just a call to the
doctor will be enough for reassurance).

Hope that helped.


All the best,

Sarah

Nan wrote:

For sneezing, runny nose and cough without a temp, I'd first think
it's allergy-related. This is prime allergy season so she may have
sensitivity.
I normally don't worry about coughing unless it becomes pretty deep
and rattly, or if they're wheezing. I'd say if it goes another week
or so you may want to have a doctor check, but I'd bet the cough is
due to post-nasal drip in her throat.

Giving her a lot of fluids and humidifying her bedroom will better
serve her than cough syrup.

Yep, and betcha if it's allergies that an antihistamine
will provide better relief than a cough syrup (most of which
don't do much of anything anyway).

Best wishes,
Ericka

"Ericka Kammerer" wrote in message
...
For sneezing, runny nose and cough without a temp, I'd first think
it's allergy-related. This is prime allergy season so she may have
sensitivity.

Yep, and betcha if it's allergies that an antihistamine
will provide better relief than a cough syrup (most of which
don't do much of anything anyway).

Oh come on folks the kids probably just got a cold and everyone rushes to
assume its an allergy. I'm not "anti-allergy" (I've got two myself) but it's
way too early to assume this is the most likely cause. I think after a 7-10
days I'd take your daughter to see the doctor. Have them listen to her
chest.

There are several harmless viruses which that can last for months. One of
our three year old twins went down with something similar to this last year
(eg cough, runny nose, no temperature). Three rounds of Antibiotics only
fixed him up for a few days at a time so they gave him a blood test. Turns
out he had CMV - This is a virus that at least 50% of people in the USA get
before age 40.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/cmv.htm

Apart from the slight cough and runny nose he was reasonably normal and it
didn't seem to slow him down much (although he did fall asleep one or twice
in the afternoon). Eventually he recoverd on his own.

Then 8 weeks ago it appeared to come back. More rounds of antibiotics and
another blood test and it turns out to be another virus that can last a few
months.

Colin

On Sat, 07 May 2005 19:42:17 GMT, "CWatters"
wrote:

"Ericka Kammerer" wrote in message
...
For sneezing, runny nose and cough without a temp, I'd first think
it's allergy-related. This is prime allergy season so she may have
sensitivity.

Yep, and betcha if it's allergies that an antihistamine
will provide better relief than a cough syrup (most of which
don't do much of anything anyway).

Oh come on folks the kids probably just got a cold and everyone rushes to
assume its an allergy. I'm not "anti-allergy" (I've got two myself) but it's
way too early to assume this is the most likely cause.

Indeed. Environmental allergies develop at the earliest at around age
3 to 4 years, and are thus very unlikely in a 2-year-old.

Furthermore, while everyone here seems to poo-poo cough medicine, they
don't hesitate to recommend antihistamines instead. Here's why that's
a bad idea.

1. The study that recently claimed to show cough medicines are useless
in children was terribly designed. If you actually read it, it's quite
obvious that the study has no capability to measure what it's supposed
to measure.

2. Antihistamines, on the other hand, (a) are known to make children
either sedated or hyperactive, or either way feel worse, and (b) have
been shown to increase the risk of sinusitis and ear infections when
given for a common cold, as they thicken the secretions and possibly
impede proper drainage.

So, if anything, one should give only decongestants and cough
suppressants, and avoid antihistamines (which are unfortunately
included in many combination cold medicines).

Regarding what to look for, read Sarah's post. The only thing I would
add would be fever at the beginning of the illness lasting more than 3
or 4 days or fever appearing towards the end of the illness.

PF

wrote:

My 2 year old has been coughing for about a week now. She's also
sneezing once in a while and her nose is runny once in a while. So i
thought this is all upper respitory infection. so whenever she's
uncomfortable, I'm giving her some cough syrup to ease her. I don't
know if I should worry about this or call her doctor.

What are the warning signs to watch?

Thank you!


Take off her shirt and watch for pulling. This is when the skin of her
chest is drawn (more than usual) between her ribs. This indicates that
she is working too hard at breathing.

Watch for a much faster than normal breathing rate at rest.

Listen for weezing.

Check for feaver.

There's probably more but that's what I was told by my pediatrition.