To the question of how to treat a cough in a 9-month-old child, only a pediatrician can answer correctly. The specialist will draw up a treatment regimen for the baby, taking into account the origin of the cough and its type. When an infant coughs, they are prescribed pharmaceutical syrups for oral administration, inhalation, rubbing and massage. Some mothers do not want to visit a pediatrician and try to cure their baby’s cough with folk remedies. But home treatments in the form of rubbing and compresses should be taken only as an addition to drug treatment, otherwise the cough may take a chronic form.
Types of cough in children under one year of age and their consequences
By buying “any” cough syrup at the pharmacy for their one-year-old child, parents are putting his health at risk. The medicine must be purchased taking into account exactly what kind of cough is tormenting the baby. The cough reflex can be triggered not only by a cold, but also by the penetration of a foreign body into the respiratory tract. Therefore, consultation with a pediatrician should not be neglected.
Barking
The appearance of a barking type cough (rough, similar to an interrupted dog barking) indicates inflammation of the mucous membrane of the back wall of the pharynx and larynx. The condition is characterized by the absence of sputum. The airways are not cleared, which is why doctors call this cough reflex useless.
Coughing attacks are accompanied by a painful sensation and sore throat, sometimes vomiting. Up to one year old, babies have a narrower larynx than older children. Therefore, when the mucous membrane swells, they may experience difficulty breathing, which results in headache and general weakness.
If a barking cough is combined with an elevated temperature, this may indicate an infectious origin of the respiratory system disease (whooping cough, measles, scarlet fever). In this case, cough syrup alone is not enough.
Dry
A dry cough in a 9-10 month old child is paroxysmal in nature. Accompanied by the separation of a scant amount of mucus from the bronchi. This condition causes pain in the throat and chest. The cause of dry cough is most often colds, but it can also be caused by a number of other pathological conditions. For example, allergies to pollen, bacterial/viral infection and even worms.
How to treat a cough in a 9 month old baby – Got pregnant
A cough sign is a protective reaction of the body to irritating factors. During this process, mucus comes out of the body. The respiratory tract is cleared of accumulated phlegm.
A cough in a 9-month-old child usually occurs due to the development of respiratory diseases. It can be dry and wet.
At the stages of development of the disease, the cough symptom begins with an unproductive type, and soon turns into a wet type.
Briefly about the causes of cough in a 9 month old baby
The etiology of cough is often based on colds, acute respiratory diseases of viral or bacterial origin, or allergic reactions of the body. In pediatrics, cough in a 9-month-old child is distinguished between pathological and physiological cough, each of which has its own characteristics and clinical signs.
- Physiological coughing is normal. They occur periodically to clear the respiratory tract of mucus. A healthy child coughs up to 20 times a day. In such cases, there is no need to sound the alarm; no treatment will be needed. Infants often suffer from this phenomenon due to parts of food entering the trachea during feeding. Foreign substances provoke coughing, irritating the laryngeal mucosa. Newborns also often cough while crying.
Main characteristics of physiological cough:
- short duration;
- periodic repeatability;
- absence of other signs of illness.
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If the baby coughs, you need to measure his body temperature and observe whether the child’s behavior has changed. When the baby behaves as before, there should be no illness. It is not recommended to give any drug to a child without first consulting a doctor.
- Pathological cough sign. Unlike the physiological type, it develops due to various diseases of the respiratory system. Accompanied by a number of typical colds: runny nose, increased body temperature.
- False croup. This phenomenon is caused by a sharp narrowing of the lumen of the larynx due to swelling of the mucous membrane. It is difficult for the child to breathe; air enters the respiratory system with difficulty. This cough requires medical intervention. What can be given to a 9-month-old baby with this condition, you must first consult a doctor or call an ambulance.
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What to do with false croup?
- call an ambulance;
- calm the child;
- do steam inhalation with an alkaline solution (using soda or mineral water);
- Give your baby mineral water without gas.
All these actions will help reduce the intensity of an attack of false croup. Next, you will need to follow the advice of doctors.
- Cough reflex in whooping cough. Such coughs are usually dry, attacks intensify at night. The baby's face turns red and his eyes water. The attack may end in vomiting.
Pediatricians often prescribe the following medications for children:
- mucolytics (thin the mucus);
- expectorants (increase cough);
- antitussive medications (relieve attacks of cough symptoms);
- mixed-action drugs.
Each type of cough symptom can be treated with one of the groups of drugs listed above. It is not recommended to prescribe medications to an infant on your own based on advice from the Internet.
Doctors advise combining drug therapy with physiotherapeutic procedures, for example, electrophoresis, massage, and inhalation measures. The pharmacy market is rich in all kinds of medicines for children's coughs.
The main thing is that the medication is suitable for the child and does not cause side effects.
Symptoms accompanying cough
A cough symptom in a 9-month-old baby occurs not only due to the development of a cold, but is also a sign of a number of dangerous infectious diseases. These include measles, whooping cough, diphtheria, scarlet fever. Frequent coughing irritates and injures the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract of the throat. A cough symptom prevents the child from sleeping at night, exhausts him, and affects his well-being.
A cough in a 9 month old baby is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- general weakness;
- difficulty breathing;
- sore throat;
- nasal congestion;
- headache.
Usually these symptoms signal the onset of a cold. They must be eliminated immediately, since these signs can negatively affect the child’s well-being. Often a child suffers from a cough symptom without a fever. This indicates the development of a mild form of a cold. In such cases, it is still necessary to provide the baby with the necessary treatment.
Every parent needs to know what they give a 9-month-old child for a cough in order to provide timely assistance to the baby. The drugs will be able to relieve coughing attacks at night. It is extremely important to determine whether the child is suffering from a dry or wet type of cough. Only after this the necessary therapy is prescribed.
What symptoms are considered dangerous when a 9-year-old child coughs:
- spontaneously occurring and persistent cough attack;
- coughing accompanied by wheezing;
- with blood impurities;
- with green mucus;
- persistent cough for more than 3 weeks.
You need to urgently contact a specialist for help. A detailed examination of the baby will be necessary.
How to treat a cough in a 9 month old child
If there is a dry cough, the child should be given expectorants. In the case of the wet type, antitussive medications are prescribed.
4 days after the start of coughing, the baby should be given expectorants or mucolytic drugs so that the sputum begins to liquefy and evacuate.
There are combination medications for cough symptoms, but they are not as effective. In any case, therapy should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.
Every parent should know what can be given to a nine-month-old child for a cough due to a cold. Popular medicines for coughing in infants.
- "Ambroxol" . The drug has a mucolytic effect, helps to liquefy sputum, and promotes its evacuation. The child should take 2.5 mg of infusion after meals, 2 times a day. During treatment, you should give your baby more fluids to drink. The medicine should not be taken for more than 5 days in a row.
- "Lazolvan" . This medication helps with wet cough symptoms and effectively expectorates mucus. The medicine is available in syrup form. For children from 6 months of age, give the product half a dessert spoon 2 times a day, wash it down with water or tea. You can also use Lazolvan for inhalation procedures. You should be treated with this medication for no more than 5 days.
- "Bronchicum" . This medicine is given to infants from 6 months of age, half a teaspoon in the morning and evening. The drug contains thyme herb extract, which effectively helps with dry cough.
- Preparations from ivy leaves “Prospan”, “Gedelix” make bronchial mucus less dense, increase its quantity, contract the bronchi and promote its evacuation.
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The dosage of the above drugs is prescribed to each child individually, after examination by a doctor. It is also recommended to alternate drug treatment with folk remedies for coughing. Only a pediatrician will tell you what can be given to a 9-month-old child for a cough so as not to harm his body.
The diet of a sick child should include light meals. Don't force your baby to eat if he doesn't want to. Light dishes - jelly, jelly, fruit puree - will be useful. The main task will be to provide the baby with plenty of fluids. It will help remove mucus and toxins from the bronchi.
Good to know - Recommendations for the treatment of cough in children 7 months old.
Plant-based medicines have a short-term effect and require frequent, small doses. Increasing the dosage may cause nausea.
How to cure a cough in a 9-10 month old child using pharmaceutical products
The doctor explains how to treat a cough in a 10-month-old child after listening to the baby’s lungs and bronchi. There is no single treatment regimen for wet or dry cough in children.
Mucolytics and expectorants
To thin mucus and remove it from the respiratory tract, children under one year of age are rarely prescribed mucolytic and expectorant drugs. Pediatricians explain this by insufficient development of the bronchi. Due to their narrow lumen, a separated lump of mucus can make breathing difficult. Therefore, the question of how to treat a cough in a 10-month-old child always requires the participation of a pediatrician. If the sputum is too viscous, cough treatment is carried out with plant-based syrups, under the supervision of a doctor.
One of these drugs is Prospan. The syrup is made from ivy leaf extract. The medicine has a cherry flavor. After oral administration, the drug relieves bronchospasm, reduces the viscosity of sputum, and promotes expectoration of mucus. Phytosyrup is contraindicated in case of allergies to its components; it is prescribed with caution in case of fructose intolerance. Dosage for children under one year: 2 times a day, 2.5 ml. The duration of treatment is determined by the doctor, the minimum course of treatment is 7 days.
Antitussive medicines
Sometimes it is difficult even for a doctor to understand how to treat cough in children under one year old. After all, coughing can be caused by various factors. Antitussive drugs are prescribed in cases where the cough is provoked by an allergy, helminthic infestation or other non-cold disease. Medications that suppress the cough center:
- Sinekod drops can be given to a child from 2 months. Every 6 hours 10 drops. Possible side effects: nausea and vomiting.
- Panatus syrup - allowed from 6 months, but according to doctor's indications. Dosage up to a year: 2.5 ml 3-4 times a day.
- Stoptussin drops are allowed for up to one year for babies weighing at least 7 kg. Prescribe 8 drops every 6-8 hours.
Children under one year of age have a weak cough reflex, which causes mucus to accumulate in the bronchi and cause shortness of breath. If a small child is given an antitussive drug, this will only worsen his health condition. It is also not recommended to take antitussive medications at the same time as expectorants.
Medicinal inhalations
A cough in a 9-month-old child can be treated with a nebulizer, but under the supervision of a doctor. The procedure is allowed from the age of six months:
- Warm medicine is poured into the compartment of the device (4 ml of saline solution and 5 drops of the drug Berodual). After turning on the device, the liquid turns into a spray.
- A mask is applied to the child’s face for a few minutes so that the nose and mouth are covered with it.
The total treatment time should be 5-7 minutes. Since it is difficult to distract a small child with anything, the procedure of inhaling healing fumes is carried out at intervals of several seconds (1-2 times a day) or the medicine is simply sprayed around the room where the child is.
Other options
Local warming preparations provide a quick effect for cold coughs, but they can only be used if the child does not have a fever.
Here are the 2 most effective:
- Doctor Mom - ointment can be used under the supervision of a doctor from infancy, provided that the child is not allergic to its components. The product has a positive effect on the respiratory organs during wet and dry coughing. In the morning and evening, it is rubbed into the chest and back, bypassing the heart area.
- Pulmex Baby - ointment is recommended from the age of six months. A small amount of the drug is rubbed into the skin of the back and chest, bypassing the heart area, 1-2 times a day. Then they put warm clothes on the child. The drug is contraindicated in children with individual intolerance to the components of the drug, as well as with a history of seizures.
Pediatricians recommend taking any warming ointment only as an adjuvant remedy.
Cough in a 9-month-old child: how to treat it and how to prevent it – HeadVrach
It is believed that up to one year, children are not susceptible to colds and cannot suffer from cough, since mother's milk protects their body from infections. However, this is not true.
According to statistics, a cough in a child of 9 months or earlier appears even more often than in older children.
The fact is that intensive teething during this period makes babies’ immunity weaker, and active study of the world around them causes various microbes to enter the body.
Nine-month-old babies may suffer from coughing fits
Protecting nine-month-old babies from illnesses that cause coughing can be very difficult. Therefore, parents should prepare to eliminate this unpleasant symptom by all available means.
Why does a 9 month old baby cough?
Pediatricians say that the appearance of cough in children at 9 months in approximately half of the cases is in no way connected with colds.
Moreover, children often do not suffer from any disorders that provoke coughing. The fact is that this age is characterized by an increased need for parental attention.
The baby can attract them to his person by shouting or other actions, which include deliberate coughing.
The appearance of physiological coughing is also characteristic of this age. Pediatricians believe that children should normally cough at least 20-25 times a day. Thanks to this reflex phenomenon, they remove “waste” mucus from the respiratory tract, in which dust particles, allergens and causative agents of bronchopulmonary diseases accumulate.
If there is tearfulness in a child, we can talk about the pathological nature of the cough
Note! This cough is not dangerous, but is beneficial for babies and does not cause them discomfort.
Unfortunately, at 9 months the child is at risk of various diseases, which are accompanied by a cough of varying intensity. You can say that there is a pathological cough that causes discomfort in an infant if the following signs are present:
- Coughing attacks appear throughout the day, including during daytime and night sleep. As a result, the child is unable to get a good night's sleep and becomes whiny and restless.
- Accompanied by wheezing in the chest or hard, hoarse breathing. If there is a cold (ARVI or ARI), a dry cough first appears, which after a few days becomes wet. In inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, the cough is often initially wet. A cough is a sign of illness if the child’s temperature rises along with it
- Discharge from the nose, swelling of the mucous membrane, which further complicate the child’s condition. In some cases, it is snot that causes coughing.
- Fever. This sign does not always accompany a cough, but is a typical sign of an infection entering the newborn’s body. With an allergic cough, the temperature does not rise.
If such signs appear, you should not rely on chance and hope that the cold or allergy will go away on its own. Even with a relatively mild course, a pathological cough in a newborn often becomes chronic, and under unfavorable circumstances leads to the occurrence of bronchial asthma and other dangerous diseases.
Cough with snot is a sign of pathology in a child
Remove causes and consequences - treatment of cough in children
Before starting treatment, even if the parents decide not to hospitalize the child, it is necessary to call a pediatrician. He needs to tell in detail about the course of the disease in the child:
- how often does the cough occur and what is its nature;
- at what time of day and under what circumstances does it increase or decrease;
- whether the baby had a temperature in the last 24 hours, what values were the maximum, at what time the temperature increased;
- Are there any additional symptoms - runny nose, skin rashes, itching, watery eyes, change in voice timbre.
Consultation and examination by a doctor will help you avoid complications and errors in treatment.
This information will allow the doctor to make the correct diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.
Important! Attempts to independently select the means to treat cough in babies under one year old are fraught with disastrous consequences. At best, they will have no effect, and at worst, they will lead to serious complications.
Treatment of cough due to allergies
If a 9-month-old child suffers from an allergic cough, which is accompanied by watery eyes, red eyes and clear, watery snot, the doctor prescribes antihistamines. Medicines suitable for babies in the first year of life are available in the form of nasal drops or ointments. Pediatricians prefer the following remedies:
- Loratadine;
- Suprastin;
- Fenistil;
- Zyrtec.
Taking these medications is indicated for allergic reactions in children.
They cope equally well with symptoms of allergies to dust and wool, pollen, food and household chemicals. At the same time, it is worth taking preventive measures against dry cough and runny nose - exclude the baby’s contact with irritating substances, regularly carry out wet cleaning, and install a humidifier in the room.
Important! If allergic rhinitis, pharyngitis or nasopharyngitis is not treated, the baby’s condition may worsen to asthma.
Treatment of cough due to viral infections
At 9 months, cough very often appears due to viral infections. It is accompanied by clear snot, and the temperature remains at normal levels.
This is why ARVI is often confused with an allergic reaction.
Symptoms such as severe anxiety and frequent crying, which may indicate joint pain and headaches, help differentiate the disease. With ARVI, children often experience a dry cough.
The use of chest packs is necessary for the treatment of cough due to ARVI
The choice of how to treat a cough in a 9-month-old child caused by viruses does not cause difficulties for pediatricians. You can cope with the symptoms with a standard set of drugs with an expectorant effect:
- pharmacy breast collections;
- syrups Doctor Mom, Gedelix, Licorice root;
- tablets Mucaltin, Bromhexine.
You can reduce inflammation in your baby's respiratory tract with chamomile tea and a decoction of plantain leaves. You can add a drop of honey to them, provided that the newborn does not suffer from an allergy to it.
Remedies that will ease coughing attacks during ARVI
Important to remember! For children under one year of age, the dosage of drugs is halved. Under no circumstances should children be given “adult” syrups and cough tablets!
Treatment of cough due to bacterial infections
Bacterial runny nose and cough in children under one year of age most often occur after a sluggish viral infection. When the respiratory tract is damaged by bacteria, the baby develops viscous greenish snot, and the cough turns from dry to productive. At the same time, the body temperature rises, and in some cases it can reach 39-40 degrees.
Acute respiratory infections of bacterial origin threaten a 9-month-old child with many complications, and they should be treated only under the supervision of a pediatrician.
In the first 5-7 days, the baby is prescribed expectorants, plenty of fluids and antipyretics.
If therapy does not lead to a noticeable improvement in the child’s condition, the doctor decides to prescribe antibiotics. They should be given to the baby in the dosages recommended by the doctor.
If the temperature is high, the child should be given antipyretics.
Prevention of cough in 9 month old children
It is important to avoid the appearance of pathological cough in babies in the first year of life, since treating it is much more difficult than preventing it. Parents will have to deal with the prevention of colds and allergies from the moment the child is born. In addition to hardening and good care of the newborn, they will have to follow the following rules:
- Do not approach a child without washing your hands with soap. Even in an apartment you can “catch” bacteria and viruses that do not harm adults, but after entering a child’s body can lead to the development of disease. After visiting the toilet, walking or having sex, parents should wash their hands especially carefully.
- Remove flowering plants from the child’s room and do not allow animals in there.
- Do not use aggressive household chemicals for washing children's clothes, cleaning the child's room, treating his toys, dishes, etc. Hand hygiene is necessary to prevent your child from becoming infected with various bacteria and viruses.
- Wet clean the child's room twice a day and ventilate it at least once a day.
- Do not smoke in the presence of a child and do not approach him for at least 30 minutes after smoking.
When a baby develops a cough in the ninth month of life, parents need to show him to the pediatrician, regardless of whether he has a fever or not. The newborn may need constant medical supervision and examination. In any case, you should not ignore such a symptom, even if the baby at first glance looks absolutely healthy.
The video will talk about coughs in children under one year of age:
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Auxiliary procedures
Special massage techniques and a suitable indoor microclimate - these two factors contribute to the rapid cleansing of mucus from the respiratory tract.
Postural massage
Before the massage session, the child should be given an expectorant medicine prescribed by the doctor. Consecutive stages of massage:
- Using a pillow, the baby is placed on his stomach so that the chest is higher than the head.
- Use your palms to stroke the back in the lung area.
- Using camphor oil, rub for at least 5 minutes. The movements are performed with the palm from the lower back to the shoulder blades.
- Basic technique: fold your arms into a boat and lightly tap on your back for 5 minutes in the direction from the spine to the sides, from the lower back to the shoulder blades.
- The massage procedure ends with light soothing stroking, at which time the pillow is removed from under the child’s chest.
In mild cases of the disease, postural massage is performed once a day; in severe cases, at least 3 procedures per day are recommended.
Normalization of the indoor microclimate
The following will help ease the progression of the disease:
- regular ventilation of the children's room, provided that the environmental conditions outside the window are favorable;
- air purifier - useful in hot weather and when plants are in flower;
- air conditioning - turn it on for a short time in the heat;
- humidifier - necessary if the air humidity in the room is below 50%.
If a child has a cold cough in the summer, then it is better to live with the baby for a while in the country, where the air is much cleaner.
