Dealing with illnesses is probably not your favorite part of being a parent. You want to take good care of your kid, but sometimes it’s tough to know what’s a normal toddler cough that will go away on its own and what’s a sign of something more serious.
Dr. Matt Broom, a pediatrician at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, explains, “The run-of-the-mill cough that most toddlers have is likely just an upper respiratory tract infection, or probably the common cold.” Colds, of course, aren’t fun for anyone — but how can you tell if a cough is “run-of-the-mill” or not?
A toddler cough can be a sign of many things besides a cold, such as an underlying disease, asthma or allergies. It can even be an indication of a secondary disease, such as pneumonia. Dr. Tanya Altmann, a pediatrician and American Academy of Pediatrics spokeswoman, explains that if your child has a cold and a cough, has a cough by itself and then gets a high fever, or has a cough that’s getting worse, she may have a secondary infection.
What about the cough itself? Here are the types of coughing sounds you might hear your toddler make:
- Nighttime Cough
A cough at night might be postnasal drip. “A lot of times, kids will get nasal congestion or maybe a sinus infection, and all of that inflammation in their nose just drains to the back of their throat and then triggers … coughing, and often you’ll see that more at nighttime,” Dr. Broom says. Sometimes, Dr. Altmann says, a nighttime cough can also be an indication of allergies or a type of asthma that happens at night, especially if the cough is ongoing. - Seal Bark Cough
A cough that sounds like a seal barking can be a sign of croup, which is a viral infection in the upper airway. “The barky cough itself rarely causes problems, but sometimes … can be associated with more serious signs of troubled breathing such as stridor,” Dr. Altmann explains. Stridor sounds like your toddler is sucking in loudly when he takes a deep breath. If this happens, Dr. Altmann and Dr. Broom both recommend having a medical professional look at your child. In the interim, you can help your child breathe by turning on the shower and encouraging him to breathe in the steam, suggests Dr. Altmann. - Wheezing Cough
While a barking cough is a sign of difficulty breathing in, if your child makes a wheezing sound when she coughs, that means she’s having a hard time breathing out. This may also be associated with the appearance of the skin pulling in a lot between the ribs or your child flaring her nostrils, explains Dr. Broom, and it could be a sign of a lower respiratory tract infection or asthma. - Wet Cough
As Dr. Broom explains, a cough associated with “wet” sounds is often an indication of upper airway secretions trickling down. - Continuous Cough
If your child is coughing nonstop, coughs are followed by a whooping sound and he cannot seem to catch his breath, these could be signs of pertussis, or whooping cough. Your toddler might have a hard time breathing and could turn blue, says Dr. Altmann. He might also vomit during coughing fits.
Contact your child’s pediatrician, urges Dr. Altmann, if your child has a fever with a cough for more than three days, has any trouble breathing, is wheezing, sucks in deeply every time she breathes, vomits from coughing or turns blue. Even if there are no additional symptoms, you may want to check in with your child’s pediatrician if her cough does not seem to be getting better.
You also need to consider the child himself and his history, says Dr. Broom. Does he have any other medical problems? It can sometimes be difficult to identify a cough over the phone, so a trip to the pediatrician may be in order. If you are at all concerned about your child’s cough, that’s reason enough to bring him in for an evaluation. You may not be the doctor, but you are the parent — you know your child best, and you can tell when something’s wrong.
Pretty sure it’s just a cold? Check out these 12 Natural Cold Remedies for Kids.
Bev Feldman is a blogger and the mother of a toddler with a background working with families with young children.
* This article is for general informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be providing medical advice and is not a substitute for such advice. The reader should always consult a health care provider concerning any medical condition or treatment plan. Neither Care.com nor the author assumes any responsibility or liability with respect to use of any information contained herein.
