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How Can Chronic Cough In A Toddler Be Treated?
My daughter is 2 and some kids in her daycare were out with Croup. She has been coughing quite a bit and last night had several episodes throughout the night. Is there anything we can give her over the counter this evening to help? She has a Dr appointment tomorrow. Thank You
Wed, 8 Aug 2018
Hello and welcome to Ask A Doctor. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice.
Croup is a viral infection involving the portion of the respiratory tract that is below the throat. Since the viruses that cause croup can also cause an upper respiratory infection (a cold), your daughter might have either croup or a cold. The following advice would be helpful for either:
-keep your daughter well hydrated (to keep her respiratory secretions thin, watery so they will be easier to cough out)
-give Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen, if she has a fever
-bring a humidifier a couple feet from her face and let it blow a warm mist over her face
- if the above are not effective in helping her cough, you can go for a ride in the car with the window down (if it is not hot outdoors).
There are many over-the-counter cough syrups that you can purchase. However, all of them have side effects and have not been shown to help relieve the symptoms in young children.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions, I will be happy to help.
Arnold Zedd, MD, FAAP
Croup is a viral infection involving the portion of the respiratory tract that is below the throat. Since the viruses that cause croup can also cause an upper respiratory infection (a cold), your daughter might have either croup or a cold. The following advice would be helpful for either:
-keep your daughter well hydrated (to keep her respiratory secretions thin, watery so they will be easier to cough out)
-give Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen, if she has a fever
-bring a humidifier a couple feet from her face and let it blow a warm mist over her face
- if the above are not effective in helping her cough, you can go for a ride in the car with the window down (if it is not hot outdoors).
There are many over-the-counter cough syrups that you can purchase. However, all of them have side effects and have not been shown to help relieve the symptoms in young children.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions, I will be happy to help.
Arnold Zedd, MD, FAAP
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