I have taken my son to the pediatrician 4x and the pulmonologist (lung-doc) 2x now and still have no idea why he coughs like he does. Any ideas are appreciated. Here's the scoop:
He coughs mostly in the mornings after waking up (about 4x or so, but bad coughing), and very few times during the day. This started after I breast-fed for one month, now he's on Enfamil. We tried Enfamil with lipil when he was one month old and he projectile vomited it up. Next he was on soy formula for 2 months and he was colicky, then we switched him back to the Enfamil like doc said to. Sometimes he coughs so much in the AM he throws up a little, besides that he never spits up. He was on a nebulizer for a couple weeks b/c doc thought it might be asthma, saw no results. He's also been on Zyrtec b/c they thought it could be allergies, and Prevacid for acid reflux, no changes. He had chest x-rays which came back fine except his lungs were irritated from coughing. He just had a blood test to check for milk or soy allergies, waiting for results. He is an otherwise healthy, happy lil' man and I hate to see him cough like this. We have a small dog, but I vacuum once a week. I hate having him on all these medicines and just want some answers! Any ideas??
Since our baby has had no change for the better with the new medicines and the doc could give me no answers, the pulmonologist said I should take my little guy to a gastroenterologist, which will be our next step. He does not have milk allergies. Thanks for all the advice!
Ask health food store expert if it's too early for Umka.
After weeks of medication, steroids, nebulizer, etc., (which I hated) for weeks of coughing, the Umka cleared it right up. My child was much older, though.
Hi D.,
I had allergies from the start. My mom had to get rid of the carpet, usualy the worst and dirtiest for plp with allergies.
I can't have dogs or cats nearby.
No stuffed animals in my room, they are dust collectors and one of the leading causes of allergies today. Now they have special ones that are better, different material.
Let us know what the Drs say!
Amy
I'm not sure about allergies but since you mentioned you had a dog, it might be that. What kind of dog do you have? The dandur might be very irritating to him and even tho you vacume, it might not be helping much. You can either keep the dog at someone else's place for a couple days to see if that makes a difference or buy the Dyson animal vacume cleaner if your pet does have something to do with it. I would hate to see your son be allergic to your dog. I have 2 and it would break my heart if I had to give them away. I hope it's not the dog but don't have an answer otherwise for you! Good luck
I don't know what this could be, but I would take him to a naturopath or, possibly, to a chiropractor or osteopath. Sometimes they can solve problems that regular doctors are clueless about...it's worth a try. Good luck!
P.S. It does sort of sound like a dairy allergy to me...because it's first thing in the morning, sounds like it's caused by mucus running down the throat, which could be a dairy symptom. There is a baby bed that is similar to a hammock that you could use so he wouldn't have to lie down at night, but if that mucus is the problem, it would be better to solve it with diet...
Do you use a humidifier? If not the air may just be super dry in his room. Just an idea.
Sorry to hear baby is having troubles. A little boy (he is 16-17 months now) at mmy kids daycare had similiar issues all of the time untill recently. THey tested him for everything under the son and could not find out what the issue was. Recently he was hospitalizedd for a week with pneumonia and what they discovered was this...apparently the flap that opens and closes between the trachea and the esophagus is not working properly and it was allowing fluid to get into his lungs, causing all of these issues for him. He is now on a feeding tube just for fluids, but is allowed to eat regular solid food. They feel that with speech therapy and time they will be able to take the tube out and he weill eventually be able to drink liquids again. Also, the kid looks the happiest and healthiest I have ever seen him look. He gained two pounds in a week after he had this procedure. I certainly hope it's not something like this for your child,but it may be worht checking into. Hang in there, and do give up asking why.
I could be way off here but, have you tried just plugging in a vaporizer? Maybe his throat and nose are getting to dry at night. Just a thought but I hope it helps. The formula that I found that worked well for my son was gentle ease. Everything else made him scream all the time and get sick on occasion. Sounds like it can't hurt to try. Good Luck! Shannon
I see you have received many answers. My son was about 18 months when we moved to a new house and he got a cold. Ok, normal, but then the coughing never stopped. Every morning he'd wake up coughing so hard. My husband had some issues too, not as bad though. It turned out we had mold in the attic of this house. We were renting, so we got out right away. The coughin had stopped and we live in a mold free home now. Check into that idea. I never thought it would cause issues, but looking into info online it can cause problems with breathing. Good Luck solving the problem.
Consider having him tested for cystic fibrosis. It's a non-invasive test called a sweat test.
Children's Memorial is awesome and specializes in only children. They are incredible knowledgeable and the service and care is second to none. I can't strongly enough suggest you try there.
Good Luck
R.
Besides allergies which are commonly mis diagnosed as the tests are not always accurate for food allergies the most likely candidate would be chemical sensitivites since it is mostly in the AM after he has been in his bed all night--the perfumes and other chemicals that are in all commercial detergents and fabric softeners and chemicals in conventional mattresses are toxic! The government does not protect us from toxins and babies are even more sensitive to these. thousands of chemicals have not been tested for safety at all or have not been tested for safety for infants. Try cleaning stuff from the natural foods store and all natural bedding. Also dander will be in your house for a long time even if the dog is not there if you have carpet and upholstered furniture, You may be able to keep the dog if you have wood floors and leather furniture if you can afford to do major remodeling. Also there is a great product called Aller-D for dogs and ALler-C for cats that you rub on your pet which works well for minor allergies to pets. And last but not least it is still early enough that with the help of a La Leche League person you may be able to get your milk supply back. Your milk is the only food that is digestible for a sensitive baby--there are simply no formulas that are good for a baby with allergies. Cows milk and soy are two of the biggest allergens for humans(and pets for that matter)If you are unable to, you might want to try adding probiotics to the formula.There are some that are specicically for infants. Again ask at a natural foods store.
Is your home dry? Maybe you need a humidifier. I would also have the baby tested fo pet allergies.
You do note that the coughing started after you stopped breastfeeding.....
How is your son now, D.?
My baby boy was coughing and also congested at the age of two months old. Every time i went to see the doctor (every two weeks) she said he is normal and the symptoms just a common cold. One night, he coughed and coughed nonstop-we took him to Children Memorial as an emergency. They checked his lungs and other areas, found nothing wrong with him. Few weeks later, nothing changed-so devastated we took him to a specialist to test for lungs, asthma, allergies and all were positives. We also used all kinds of natural cures like , hot steam from the showers, a vaporizer, humidifier, changed filter you named it. Meanwhile, he ate okay and gained weights like other healthy baby. I changed numerous doctors and none gave him any medications b/c he was just a baby. We finally found a doctor at the age of eight months. He gave my baby medication for his congested and coughing problems. A week later, he was all cured for those horrible symptoms. What a heartaching experince!
Hopefully the coughing is gone now for your son as well!
I have some very good advice for you concerning your son's
issues. Consider your indoor environment and how that can change to help your son feel better without drugs.
Please feel free to contact me at: ____@____.com
You know, since he seems to be coughing only in the mornings, it seems unlikely to be allergies...to your dog, environment, or anything else in your home. If he were, you'd think the coughing would go on all day, and he'd have nasal stuffiness and sneezing to go along with it! does he sleep in a cold room? Or a cold room with a fan blowing at night? (I ask that because we sleep with a fan because we like the sound!) I think it could be related to either that, or dry air. We also do use a humidifier in our bedrooms. My 4 yr. old son is on Zyrtec for his chronic nasal stuffiness...he's never been officially diagnosed with any specific allergy, but the zyrtec helps him. He doesn't cough though, just has the stuffiness. I certainly hope it's nothing more serious! Keep us up to date. Good luck!
Since he mostly coughs after waking up... could he be allergic to something in his room or bed? His mattress or blanket or whatnot? Obviously something is irritating him since he's been so thoroughly checked to rule out bigger problems. I'd try eliminating things and see if something works. Not all allergy medicines are great at fixing the problem, i've been on quite a few that did nothing.
I would guess something possibly to do with his crib or mattress? good luck.
By chance would your small dog be a chawawa (spelling may incorrect) if so how often do you bath the dog? My grandson is similar and my daughter found that giving the dog a bath once a week helps and also vaccuming the bed and areas he may lay on daily helps also. I sounds like an alergy of some sorts I would get a 2nd even 3rd opinion if it was me. Good Luck
I vote allergies - dairy, soy, maybe dog, maybe something else too.
We see the allergists at Children's Memorial (Glenview annex). They're also in Lincoln Park. 800-kids-doc. They allergists should really do skin test too and take all blood/skin/history into account. Allergists are much more up on this stuff than Peds, who often misdiagnose allergies. I highly recommend www.kidswithfoodallergies.org - FANTASTIC group. Associate membership is free. Family members, where you can get access to everything is only $25 - the same as a copayment for dr and soooooo much support and resources etc. You can search for my posts and find more about food allergies.
Good luck!!!
It sounds a bit like reflux; my husband has allergies and I was worried about that for my daughter. The doctor at the time said when you are little like that you generally don't exhibit allergies as you are protected from mom's immune system.
