What parents should know
Common causes of cough
Viral upper respiratory infections are the most frequent cause and can leave a cough lingering for one to three weeks after the child feels better. Other causes include asthma and allergy-related airway inflammation, post-nasal drip, chest infection, reflux, exposure to smoke or dust, and, less often, an inhaled foreign object.
Sudden choking followed by coughing in a well child raises concern about something inhaled, which needs urgent assessment even if the child looks settled afterwards.
Supportive care at home
Keep the child well hydrated, keep the home smoke-free and avoid strong sprays, dust and smoke from cooking fires. Older children may find warm fluids soothing. Over-the-counter cough and cold preparations are not recommended for young children; discuss any medicine with a qualified clinician first.
If your child has an asthma diagnosis and a written plan, follow that plan and contact the clinic if reliever treatment is needed more often than usual.
- Keep fluids going through the day
- Smoke-free indoor air
- Follow an existing asthma plan exactly
- Ask before giving any cough preparation
Understanding wheeze and stridor
Wheeze is a whistling sound usually heard as the child breathes out and often reflects narrowed lower airways. Stridor is a harsher noise heard mainly on breathing in and points to narrowing higher up, in or near the voice box. Both should be assessed, and stridor at rest or in a distressed child needs emergency care.
Signs of respiratory distress include fast breathing, the skin pulling in between or below the ribs, nostrils flaring, grunting, being unable to complete a sentence or feed, and unusual drowsiness.
When to contact a pediatrician
Arrange review for cough lasting more than two to three weeks, repeated night-time cough or wheeze, cough with fever that is not settling, poor feeding, weight loss, or a child with known asthma whose symptoms are increasing.
Seek urgent medical care now if
- • Severe breathing difficulty, grunting, chest or neck pulling in, or nostril flaring
- • Blue or grey lips, tongue or skin
- • Noisy breathing in at rest, drooling or inability to swallow
- • Sudden choking episode or suspected inhaled object
- • Unresponsiveness, extreme drowsiness or a seizure
- • A baby too breathless to feed
Do not wait for an online reply or routine clinic appointment when a child has emergency warning signs.
See all emergency red flagsQuestions parents ask
Why is the cough still there after the fever settled?
A post-viral cough can persist for one to three weeks while the airway lining recovers. It should gradually improve; a cough that worsens or lasts longer needs assessment.
Are cough syrups safe for young children?
Over-the-counter cough and cold preparations are not advised for young children and can cause side effects. Check with a qualified clinician or pharmacist before giving anything.
How can I tell breathing difficulty from a noisy cough?
Look at the chest and abdomen rather than listening only. Fast breathing, skin pulling in, flaring nostrils, grunting or trouble feeding and talking indicate difficulty and need urgent assessment.
This information is for general parent education and does not replace examination, diagnosis or treatment by a qualified medical professional. In an emergency, go to the nearest hospital emergency department rather than waiting for a clinic or online appointment.