Suggest Treatment For Persistent Severe Cough
My 8 months old baby is suffering from severe cough since last 7 days. Since last one week, my baby wokes up with cough for 2-3 minuts and during daytime he hardly cough but this do get worse in night and he suffers a severe cough almost for whole night with the interval of 1 hr.. He keeps coughing for 2-3 minuts in night and it's happening since last 7 nights
My regular doctor had recommend abbott's Tixylix syrup which we are given to baby but no improvement. We visited the alternate doctor and we recommends XXXXXXX Augmentin Duo but we haven't gave a dose to our baby yet as my parents are afraid of introducing multiple medicine at this small age.
Request you to please tell me the possible cause of cough my baby is suffering from... Is it some bacterial infection!!?.. Can I give the Agumentin Duo syrup to my baby? .. If yes the what is the recommended dose.
Best Regards,
It could be a viral infection or Whooping cough
Detailed Answer:
Hi...Thank you for consulting in Health Care magic.
Analyzing your baby's symptoms, I feel that it could be a viral upper respiratory infection or a whooping cough. Usually viral upper respiratory infections will settle in 1 OR 2 weeks but a whooping cough can go on for 6 weeks. Another possibility is that it could be a wheezy cough.
BUT THE POINT I WANT TO DRIVE IN IS THAT NONE OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED CONDITIONS WARRANT AN ANTIBIOTIC. PLEASE DO NOT START AN ANTIBIOTIC. YOUR PARENTS ARE RIGHT OUT OF THEIR EXPERIENCE - LESS THE NUMBER OF MEDICINES - BETTER FOR THE KID.
I have a few questions for you -
Questions:
1. Does she feel breathless when she is playful or coughing?
2. Are the symptoms aggravated when there are seasonal changes?
3. Is there any family history of asthma or any other sort of allergies like skin allergy etc.?
4. Was the cough always associated with fever?
If your answer is yes for any of the above questions, your kid might be having viral associated wheezing or multi triggered wheezing and I suggest you meet a paediatric pulmonologist who is near your place. No point in using antibiotics. It will do more arm than good by increasing bacterial resistance.
Cough and cold are viral 95% of the times in children. For cold you can use anti-allergics like cetirizine and for nose block, saline nasal decongestants will do. Paracetamol can be given in the dose of 15mg/kg/dose every 4-6th hourly, that too only if fever is more than 100F. I suggest not using combination medicines for fever, especially with Paracetamol.
For cold you can use Cetrizine at 0.25mg/kg/dose every 12 hourly for 3 days.
For nasal block, plain saline nasal drops will do, every 4-6th hourly to relive nasal congestion.
Hope my answer was helpful for you. I am happy to help any time. Further clarifications and consultations on Health care magic are welcome. If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer. Wish your kid good health.
Dr. Sumanth MBBS., DCH., DNB (Paed).,