First Aid: Coughing

Coughing is a healthy reflex that helps clear the airways. A severe cough or one that lasts more than a week requires a medical checkup. But many coughs are caused by a virus that just needs to run its course.

What to Do

• If your child develops a "barky" or "croupy" cough, sit in a steamy bathroom together for about 20 minutes.
• Offer plenty of fluids (breast milk or formula for babies; cool water and juice for older kids). Avoid carbonated or citrus drinks that may irritate a raw throat.
• Run a cool-mist humidifier in your child's bedroom.
• Use saline (saltwater) nose drops to relieve congestion.
• Never give cough drops (a choking hazard) to young kids or cough or cold medicine to kids under 6 years of age.

Get Medical Care if Your Child:

• has severe cough spasms or attacks, wheezing, or stridor (a high-pitched sound when breathing in)
• has a cough that lasts 3 weeks, gets worse, happens the same time every year, or seems caused by something specific (such as pollen, dust, pets, etc.)
• has a fever that lasts more than a couple of days
• is younger than 3 months old
• is breathing fast or working hard to breathe
• has a blue or pale color in the lips, face, or tongue during or after coughing

Think Prevention!

• Follow the doctor's treatment plan if your child has asthma or allergies.
• Avoid anyone who smokes or has a cold.
• Make sure your child gets the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine or combination booster (Tdap) on time.
• Teach kids to sneeze or cough into their albow, not their hands.
• Wash hands well and often.