by Maria W.
(San Francisco, California)
My son is 7 weeks old, he has a dry cough (meaning no mucous) and he sneezes as well but no runny nose just regular mucous in nose at times. He doesn’t have a fever or anything but it concerns me because it’s been 3 days since I’ve noticed he has been coughing. Is it a cold?
I’ve been using baby powder on my baby, is that bad for inhalation? I try to avoid it getting all through the air but if a little does, can that be affecting him to cough?
Should I be concerned?
And also many times when he eats, I breastfeed, if I let down a lot and fast he begins to choke and cough because a lot is coming down, can that be a factor? Could milk be getting in his lungs? I’m so concerned please help.
Baby Help Line:
Tips For Baby With Cold
From what you have described it seems that your baby has a cold. Colds are usually caused by viruses and will go by themselves in 5 to 7 days. Viruses do not respond to antibiotic treatments, for that reason it is better not give any medication to your baby, unless your doctor tells you to do so.
The best thing to do when your baby has a cold is to keep him comfortable and well hydrated. Therefore, if you are breastfeeding you can increase the number of times you feed your baby or you can feed him on demand.
If your baby continues coughing for more than 7 days, has fever, is not feeding well, or is lethargic, it will better to contact your doctor as soon as possible. You should also see your doctor if you see that your baby has noisy breathing, is breathing faster than usual, is irritable or has unusual chest movements.
Coughing itself is not as bad as it seems because it helps the body to eliminate foreign particles or microorganism from the airways. It is possible that the coughing of your baby is caused by the baby powder that you are using. You can try to avoid it and see what happen. Aspiration (foreign substances inhaled into the lungs) of milk while your baby is breastfeeding does not happen frequently unless your baby has other medical problems such as gastroesophageal reflux, swallowing dysfunctions, neurological disorders, or mouth or air ways abnormalities. In most cases, a baby coughs now and then while nursing, and it does not mean that anything is wrong.
Signs of lung aspiration include: persistent coughing, wheezing, fever, chest discomfort, shortness of breath and recurrent lung infections.
If you notice one or more of these symptoms in your baby, you have to see your doctor immediately.
I hope this helps,
Paula
(Answer approved by our Medical Reference Team)
More On Babies With A Cough
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Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.
Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.
