4 1/2 Month Old's Terrible Cough :O(

Hi! I have a remedy I swear by. Put 5-10 drops of peppermint essential oil into a warm heat humidifier. It has worked wonders on all 4 of my kids:0)

If you put Vicks VapoRub on his feet then put socks on his feet he won't cough any more-I don't know why it works but it does!

Hi Bonnie there is a really bad cough going around right now, my grandson 2yrs old has it and so does my grandaughter 6months, there doctor said that it will go away in time it is a viral thing. My daughter puts baby vix vapor rub on his chest and feet with socks. Putting it on the feet helps draw it down from the chest to the feet and out, that is what the doc say's, so she is doing it and it seem's to help.
good luck, a lot of sleep is good also.
L.

My Naturopath suggests rubbing castor oil mixed with a few drops of Peppermint essential oil on his chest and back. Also rub just the castor oil on his stomach. That boosts his immune system up to 25%.
If he is also congested in his sinuses there is another trick. Before bed, warm up his feet really good. Then put cold, wet cotton socks on them. Then immediately put dry wool socks over those and leave them overnight. That basically creates a fever in their feet and draws all the congestion out of their sinuses down toward their feet.
Good luck!

Breathing is central to your child's life and his enjoyment of it. I hope you will take your son to a pediatrician. If the doc doesn't help you get this problem under control, try another doctor. This is urgent -- it sounds like your baby has been sick for a huge part of his little life. He could have bronchitis or asthma or infection or even gastric reflux, all serious.

As a person who has had breathing problems most of my life, I've had to become attentive to the usual irritants like dust and pet dander and pollens and smoke from candles, but also chemicals in the air from toiletries, cleaning products, solvents (like turpentine), perfumes (even natural scents like flowers and the menthol in Vicks).

And foods, most especially those with any kind of sulfur preservatives (sulfite or sulfate in the ingredient name). Milk products make me wheeze and cough. Most pre-packaged foods create so much misery that I have given them up entirely.

If your son turns out to have allergies or asthma, he could have a harder time with chest colds and coughs that hang on and on. Life will be easier for you all, and more delightful for your child, if you find out what's going on and how to cope with it.

I really feel for you. It is so scary when our babies no matter the age are sick. However, I would not mess around I would get him into the doctor ASAP. Their are some really bad things going around and the influenza is one of them. My sister works in a hospital and she said they (the CDC) missed the strain of flu this year. Also, if it is coup your baby needs medical attention. Being outside in the cold helps, but it is not a cure. My son was seriously ill last year and I took him to the doctor three different times, because I knew it was croup and he just kept saying it's in his lungs. For two weeks this went on when I finally took him to a different doctor for a second opinion and it ended up being tracitus, similar to croup, but in the tracea. Both are life threating if not treated properly. He was 12 hours from being admitted to the hospital if the new treatment didn't work. Sometimes as much as we want to try all the non-evasive measures first. Your baby is the most important person in your life, it's better to be safe than sorry. God Bless you and your baby!

Oh my gosh, I know this is so scary sometimes. I have a three month old and a 2 year old so can relate. With my older daughter as soon as I got the chemicals and toxins out of my home and stared using safer baby products on her she got so much healthier. Just a thought, but I would love to share with you where I shop and what a blessing it has been for my family.
A.
work at home mom with two girls
____@____.com
www.thebest4yourfam.com

It sounds like the croup....they make awful awful sounds with this and its very scarey.....I think taking him to the doctor is your best bet right now so that you can find out all about croup or bronchitis which is what it usually turns out to be with horrible coughs.

I would definitely take him to the doctor . . . if he's having a hard time breathing it could be RSV. I was just warned about that when I took my 2nd (8 months old) to the doctor with a cough and cold.
When my first was 7 or 8 months, I took him to the doctor for a cough(It had gone on for a long time and was starting to scare me because it sounded so awful). He had to be put on an inhaler with albuterol. It relaxes things so they can clear away the stuff that causes them to choke when coughing. It was quick and easy to give a treatment although my son wasn't particularly happy to get them, it wasn't too bad. It helped tremendously and he only seemed affected as a baby. He's two and a half now and never needs a treatment!

I hate to ask the obvious question but did you go to the dr? I don't take my children to the dr for just anything but I would for this. It could actually be an infection.

We love Eucalptus in our humidifier. Just an added help to that humidity and breaks up cough. You can get it at the natural stores. Also, if he will let you (my kids do now) put his feet in warm water and soak a pair of socks in the coldest water your son can stand (for us its luke warm/cool), wring them out, put vicks on his feet, then the socks and go to bed (with towels under his feet to soak up the water(there isn't much) or co-sleep.

So here is how this works, what happens is it draws the blood flow to his feet more and away from his chest. essentially drawing the yuckies out of his chest. I SWEAR BY THIS WHEN MY KIDS ARE REALLY SICK. It usually prevents me from using cough meds (which never work anyway) and speeds up recovery.

Hi Bonnie

There has been some very nasty viruses going around. If you haven't already taken him into the DR, you may want to just to make sure there is no ear or sinus infection contributing. Even if he is not showing traditional signs of an ear infection, my children NEVER do. If you have already been to the DR. the Vicks warm air humidifier with the vapor liquid works wonders, along with vicks cream on the chest. There are lots of reasons for kids to have a cough, so don't worry too much, but do keep an eye out for his breathing, temperature,and general attitude in order to best help your DR.

Good Luck
L. W.

My 2 month old just finished getting over a terrible cough and nasal congestion. We did take him into the bathroom for a steamy shower a couple of times which he enjoyed more than anything else. The humidifier helps... cool mist, but use a warm mist if his room is cold. I wouldn't use the bulb syringe a lot, however if his congestion is interfering with feeding than using saline drops followed with suctioning is a good idea before feeding. It passed after about a week. If it persists or worsens I would check with the doc.

Hi Bonnie:)

I have a little girl Olivia Grace 17 months old and I breastfeed her too and at this age she gor a really bad cold. I would try a teaspoon of the Johnson's vapor bath in the bottom of the shower run the hotest water and then set your baby tub down the vapor's will allow you to get the nose open and ready for the beloved sucking of the nose :(

Then once out of the bath there is Vicks vapor rub for infants alittle on the feet seems to help, and then a little on your cleavage while feeding, I hope that this helps. There is meds out there but I never went that route since the docters warn you of the problems that come with them.

It wont help too much...but sometimes getting outside in the cool air can help a little. We tend to think a sick baby needs to stay inside. Bundle him up so he stays warm and maybe walk him in the stroller. Good luck!

Yes, try a humidifier, and also, go to the store and pick up some Vick's baby rub and Vapor Bath (there are different brands but all the same. Sometimes these are found in the baby section and sometimes in the bath or pharmacy.

It is spring again-

My friend just had to get an inhaler for her son who is the same age for asthma. Check with your peditrician!

J.

Bonnie,

I am a mother of 8 children, and when I was pregnant with my 7th baby my husband got a terrible cough... then we all got it. The scariest part was that we couldn't breathe sometimes and would choke.

I would get it checked out asap. I don't like to mess around and wait when they are so young.

Does your baby have any reflux problems? Just something to look into. My son would choke and cough a lot and that was the culprit.

I am with all who have reccomended that you take him to a doctor. My son had RSV at 7 weeks and it was so scary. He is fine now but we were in the hospital for a few days and in ICU. A very scary thing for a family for sure. Good luck.

My son had the same problem! We never figured out if it is GI issues, or one doctor said asthma. Benadryl did help the cough so he could sleep more. The doctor said was the one that recommended the benadryl. It did help the cough a bit. As for the choking issues, I don't think I slept at all. I was there for every time he choked, it was so silent, and he did it all the time, several times a day. I am happy to say that he grew out of it at 9 months. I could have found the problem, but I didn't want him to go through the barrage of tests that the doctors wanted to do.

Hi B.!

Poor little guy! Doesn't it just break your heart? When Alyssa got her first little cold, I just called her doctor's office and talked to a nurse. She suggested a humidifier and some saline solution you can buy from the store, and propping her up a little while she sleeps. There are all kinds of ideas out there, but I think it's best to hear it from a doctor or nurse. You can probably talk to someone without even going in to their office. Good luck :-)

~J.

Humidifiers really work for my almost 6 month old, but as it comes back from time to time, I am suspecting an allergy. So we are looking into that. Also, naturpathic doctors are gentle and safe and thorough for anyone. You could look into that too.

B.-Right now there is a bad cold goignaround and with that cold comes a bad cough. This cough can lst up to a few weeks. A humidifier is a great idea and should help, just make sure it is a cold air humidifier.

I've had a lot of success with Vick's Vaporless Humidifier & Sudacare's Advanced plug-in. It's basically a warm lamp that you put a menthol/eucalyptus pad in. The heat releases the scent from the oils. When my 3 mo old was really bad, I used Triaminic Vapor Patch (mentholated cherry scent). I put it on her onesie, not on her skin. HTH

Bonnie,

My neighbors little bot just went through the same thing and the doctor found that he had croup. Please be very careful and call your doctor and ask if you should bring him in. You really shouldn't give any over the counter meds at this age unless the doctor suggests it. I hope this all gets better for you soon.

try elevating the head when he sleeps, with a pillow or rolled towel. If he's having trouble breathing, I would take him into your peditrician. My 5 1/2 month old little girl is getting over RSV, which is highly contagious for babies & older people, and can result in breathing difficulties, and is predominate between 3-7 months old.

I agree with starting at the doctors (you probably already have).

Has your son been around anyone who has a cold or have you or dad been around someone sick and possibly carrying anything. If so, it could be RSV.

Have you traveled (by plane) recently? My children and I went to Phoenix a couple weeks ago and they both started coughing. I thought it was a cat allergy (we were visiting friends w/3 cats) and come to find out it was worse. We spent the weekend in the hospital w/my daughter who was diagnosed with walking pneumonia.

Her cough has been wet and steady but w/o fever until about 12 days into it. Then the fever started.

I think nursing is a great idea to help his immunity. You just can't be too careful with all the bugs out there today?

I hope he's feeling better soon and it's nothing.

C.-WAHM to 4 y/o virtual twins Owner: www.BeHappierAtHome.com

Hi-

Try vicks baby rub on the bottom of his little feet just a thin layer. Then put socks on him. It works I have used it on our baby girl. Just no time he will stop coughing.

Try rubbing Vick's on his feet before bedtime. This works for our litte ones. Good luck!

I just took my little one to the dr.s because his cough and he has croup. get him checked out

Call me crazy, but I would be talking to a pediatrician.

Instead of steamy shower take your son out into the cool night air, bundle him up to keep him warm but let him breath the cool air as well as warm air. My youngest son has been dealing with this croupy cough since birth and he is now 5. He only gets this way when he catches a cold. Our doctor recommended we take him out in the cool air.Good Luck!

Definitely would check with Dr to make sure it is nothing serious.

I prefer to go to my Naturopath Dr, he told me to have my daughter who recently had a cough to take 10 drops of Echinacea every day for a week. You can find it at Fred Meyer in the herbal/vitamin section. I found one designed for children, it is safe & natural, alcohol free with a sweet orange flavor so it is not too bitter for little ones. It has no side effects and helps strengthen their immune system. Good luck. J.

I know you probably did it along time ago, but did a doctor listened to your son's lungs? Also, try to think of when and where your son coughs. I have a toddler, who was diagnosed with asthma at 3 months of age, but we did not figure out until nine months later, that he had severe allergy to dairy, which made asthma worse. Now I only hear rhat nasty cough hen he comes down with a cold,
A.

My 11 month old is also doing horribly. She's been doing this for two weeks and it's just gotten worse. I've been sleeping with her bed propped up, but I can only do so much and also keep her safe. So I put a sleeping wedge under her mattress. This has helped the drainage from her nose not constantly choke her up. I have been using a humidifier and it did help some, but last night I also bought this Triamedic flowing vapors machine (it was like 8 bucks.) It was much like Vicks Vapor Rub but it had a fan that blew the smell into my daughters crib. She didn't cough or gurgle all night. She went to bed at 11:00 and didn't wake up till 7 this morning.

Hope that helps.

Oh, and yes, I did take my daughter to the doctor. They discovered she had two ear infections, but they really didn't do anything about her cough or runny nose.

Have you tried elevating his matress with a pillow? Have you tried the Pedicare Vapor nightlights? They really help some kids. I also think I would take him in and have the Doctor check him out.Anytime a cough gets to the choking point you should have his lungs listened to. You also want to have RSV ruled out. We just went through this with a 7 month old. It was just a bad cold and cough but it was nice to know that after the test results came back.

check with your pediatrician... my daughter had that last year and it turned out to be RSV>

What we have done with our daughter, almost 1, is put the baby vapor rub on her chest and feet (with socks), which seems to help. We also did the steam and the humidifier (directed at her crib). The other thing I did was hold her when she was sleeping because she was so stuffed up that she would cry and cry. That was rather hard for me, but I was able to get a few hours of sleep.
She has a cold right now and I am going to try to push fluids with her, like what I would do. We will see.
I guess there are other methods out there, like propping up the crib to hold the baby's head up. You might find some other tips online.

He may need to see a doctor because he is so young with a cold. Good luck! I know it is so hard to see such a little new born in so much pain.

try putting a telephone book under the mattress to so his head is elevated. My Dr. told me that the shower steam is the best and that humidifiers do not really work so what you are doing seems great!!
Just have him sit in the bathroom while you are showering so he gets all that steam. It is always so hard seeing the little ones sick.
Good luck. ;0)

Hi B.

My son had croup really bad for the first 3 years or so of his life. I would say that it would probably give you peace of mind to take him into the doc. After many epsiodes of my son having his attacks I didn't run right to the doc because I knew that they would send me home telling me to do hot steam room and then a walk outside in the cool air then back to the steam room and then back outside and then the steam room. There were times though that we did need the steroid to help him. I am pretty cautious though about giving medications right off the bat though. There can be so many side affects with them. So if I haven't totally confused you let me recap. It may give you peace of mind to go to the doc and just have him looked over to make sure that it isn't something serious but you can also start right away with the steam room (bathroom with the hot shower running) and then outside in the cool air back and forth a couple times, this should help break it up. Good luck and we will be praying for your sons speedy recovery.

M.

I would take him in to the Dr if it is horrible, RSV goes around this time of year and you will save yourself a lot of time and heart ache if you take him in now rather than waiting, if all of the things you are trying are not working there is something going on there in my opinion, but as a last resort you may try vicks vapo rub, put it on the bottoms of his feet and then put socks. I know it sounds crazy but someone recomended it to me when my son was sick. I tried it and i really noticed a difference. I hope your little guy feels better. L.

Bonnie,

I'm just seeing this today so you've probably already got a ton or replies. YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR SON TO A DOCTOR IMMEDIATELY. There is a resurgence of whooping cough/pertussis in our area and this can be severe/deadly in children. NOT to be messed with. Good luck.

I agree with the advice to take your baby to the pediatrician. You really need to rule out RSV. As a pediatric nurse I have seen SO MUCH of it and it can really be serious for young babies. Does he have lots of mucous? This is a really good clue that it's RSV.. In us adults it's just one of those "colds" that hangs on and on and on....But in a young child it interferes with their ability to sleep and eat and they can become so very ill that they need to be hospitalized for breathing treatments. It also can predispose a child to asthma.

The other reason you need to get him to the Dr. is that it could be Pertussis (whooping cough). Has he been immunized? This is definately the time of year that we see the most Pertussis and it can be VERY serious.

Don't delay on this. Get him seen right away.

Good luck and God bless.

if your baby has had this cough for 5 days or more I would definitely take him to the doctor ask the doctor about cruop cough or even asthma, even ask if you should have a chest xray done. my liitle boy did alot of that when he was a baby and he was diagnosed with asthma and he had alot of allergies, but we had to push our doctor to see a pullmonary specialist who got my little boy right again and fast. humidifiers are good but if its congestion in his lungs you really should see your pediatrician right away. and keep the babies head and chest elevated on a pillow so everything can drain down gravity can work wonders as well..
T.

I'm dealing with that currently with my baby boy who just turned 5 months. He has had this cold and cough for 3 weeks. after taking him in several different times, the cough is finally starting to calm down a bit. I've had to put him on an inhaler (mostly used for asthma but also helped with cough). He was so congested it was awful. Only thing I can tell you is to get him checked more deeply. Maybe try inhaler. It's ok to give him a little warm apple juice for 4 months and older as it helped soothe their sore throat from coughing. hang in there.

You didn't say whether you've taken him to the doctor, but that should be your first stop with a cough this severe. My now 4 year old had what sounds like a similar cough at both 2 and 4 months and it turned out to be bronchiolitis. Whenever he got sick after that, it took up to 6 weeks to get rid of the cough, until we went to an asthma specialist. At that age, they don't diagnose asthma, but they treat a lot of the symptoms like they are asthma. My son was on nebulizers every time he got a cold. After a couple years, his reactions to colds really moderated. See a doctor and be persistent until the issues are resolved.

If your DR has not helped I suggest that you see a herbelist or chinease medicine. I use to use Mullen an herb. There are 2 ways to use it, burn or smoke it or make it a tea. For a young one like that a tea might be good but I use to burn it like smudge and the smoke in the air is taken in and helps the lungs. Is the cough from conjestion in the head and drainage down the back of the throught or in the lungs. If in the lungs the Mullen will help, if in the head it will help but not so much. Do you Smoke? If so the child may be having an alergick reaction and or a sinus infection. The child may be having reactions to smoge and other alergins. Look at the invernment to see if there is anything that can be causing the reaction including FOOD. Do some reserch on herbs and MULLEN.
One thing that I have herd works is to put Vicks Vapor Rub on the feet and then put socks on the feet, do this before bed time and keep them on all night. This is said to work, in the am check the feet to make shure there is no resh or alergic reaction.
I hope this helps
S.

If the cough is dry, it's probably croup. Try this, take him outside in the cool moist air. Does that help? Keep breast feeding and take lots of Vit C (and drink lots to keep up with demand). If he develops diaper rash from it, reduce the dosage a bit and keep taking it. I'd also take him in to see a doc. My preference would be a naturopathic one. :-)

Try eating alots of foods with Vitamin C and zinc.

If he's congested try putting essential oils eucalyptus,tea tree, along with lavender or lemon in the steam shower. You could also put these essential oils on a small wash cloth or towel and just set them on the table next to the air intake of the humidifier at night and nap time, then close the door to keep the oils in the room.

Be sure to prop him up so he can sleep. If he sleeps in his crib you could adjust the matress so that his head is higher than his feet.

I hope for fast recovery,
Lauri

Sounds like you have received a lot of great advice, but I would recommend taking him into the doctor to make sure he doesn't have pertussis. Fortunately he is old enough to where it isn't as dangerous as it is for babies, but it should be diagnosed since it is highly contagious and can be risky for newborns, pregnant women and the elderly.

When my twins were that small and had chest colds, we had them sleep in their swings to keep their heads elevated. We also used Vicks Baby Rub on their chest, back and the soles of their feet. I know it sounds wierd, but it worked. Also, infant ibuprofin works better than Tylenol for congestion. Both are safe to use, unlike cough meds.

Hi Bonnie,
It sounds like croup (sp?). My son got this a lot when he was younger. I had better luck taking my son outside in the cool air. The cold air helps shrink the swollen airways. If it gets really bad, there is a little pill that you can get from the pediatrician that helps ease the airways at night, but your son may be too little for that. It is tough and you just have to let it run its course. Good Luck!!
J. (33yrs old. SAHM of 3 - 5yrs/3yrs/4mos)

I've always heard dairy products make mucous. Does he get enough water and juice as well as nursing? This could thin the mucous I would think. I'm 65 and just going by what I did with my two boys. Doc always said cut back on the milk. What kinds of food is he eating? If he is on cereal, he will be getting some milk from there so he won't be totally cut off from dairy.

Glad you got it figured out!

My suggestion is to take him to the dr. Have you tried suctioning out his nose with the bulb suringe? You can also use it in his mouth if he is choking on his mucus and saliva. Another thing doctors suggest is use saline drops in the baby's nose to help loosen up things.
I wish you the best, I know how scary this can be!!!

I am not sure how you can sort all of this out, but I wanted to mention that our pediatrician said that our son should not have water or juice until he was 6 months old, just formula or breast milk. Too much water could mess up his electrolites and make him really sick. I agree with everyone who said he should see the DR, at least call the nurse at your DR office. Four 1/2 months is not an age that you want to mess round with stuff like this. I hope he gets some relief soon. You might check to see if Doernbecher or Legacy Emmanuel have nurse resource lines you can call if you don't have easy access to a nurse/Dr.

Cool night air is the best for what sounds like croup, a swelling of the throat caused by a cold type virus. My kids have ended up in emergency for this, but it can usually be avoided if you bundle them up enough for you both to stay warm and sit outside for an hour or so. I have found that ibruprofen is good for relaxing them and helps the coughing subside--perhaps also helps the throat problem, but they have to be calm enough and not too constricted to take the medicine. Giving it prior to bedtime if you know it might happen again is a good idea.

What I did when my kids were little and would get sick is give them hot and cold fomatations on their chest. Being that small, don't get the water too hot. I have two pans, one with cold water and one with hot water, put vicks on his/her chest keep him covered so he doesn't get chilled and put a hot wash cloth on his chest for 3 minutes, then a cold wash cloth for 30 seconds and back to hot and then cold going back and forth 4 times. That will break up the cough as long as you continue to do that twice a day for several days. Or you can pay the big bucks and go to a doctor or hospital.

You didn't state whether you've taken your son to the Dr. yet, but we've had to take our son to the Dr. for similar symptoms. He had a cough, would be wheezy at times, and also while sleeping it would seem he'd choke & have a hard time breathing. They gave us a nebulizer & some medicine that is used kind of like a humidifier and that has helped him. We also used a humidifier sometimes during the day & night. We'd also use baby vapor rub on his chest & use that baby vapor wash in his bath. I hope that this helps. I know how scary it can be.

Hi Bonnie- Jean,

Please have your child tested for parasites, as well as your whole family. Candida can easily get out of control and contribute to symptom lke this and many others as well. We use a product called 3 lac and you ca get it on www.globalhealthtrax.org

It is a wonderful all natural product!

Blessings,

K.S.

Do you use a lot of house hold products like cascade, dawn, bleach, 409, windex etc...? My son had the same type of coughing problems and I removed all chemicals from my home and replaced everything with all natural ones. My son is very rarely ever sick anymore. If he gets sicks it's from another child that he has come in contact with that has a virus. If you ae interested in changing over your home Please contact me at ###-###-#### and I can share with you the greatest products to use for you and your family.

First, is the cough a contstant thing, or a symptom to a cold? My son coughed in his sleep from birth, and it took 6 months for his pediatrician to diagnose athsma and get him an inhaler (which stopped the cough).
Second, get some PediCare plug ins. They are wall plug ins with a little pad that fill the room with the scent of Vicks. There are a few different brands, but the parts are interchangable. This stops a lot of coughing.
Last, and I know this sounds crazy, but smear his feet with Vicks VapoRub and then put on socks (that won't fall off). I don't know why, but this always works to completely stop coughing in my husband, my kids, and myself. I think it has something to do with the acupressure points in your feet.