- Description of the disease
- Types of disease in infants
- Herbs and compresses
- Massage and inhalation
- Medications
Before treating cough in a child under one year old, it is necessary to determine the main causes of its occurrence, since this condition is not an independent disease, but serves as a signal of any pathology of the respiratory tract. So, the treatment will be different.
Description of the disease
This reflex is a protective function of the body and helps to get rid of excessive accumulation of sputum and foreign bodies in the respiratory system. The main causes of coughing in a child under one year are:
- respiratory viral infections;
- various allergens;
- foreign bodies caught in the respiratory tract;
- bronchial spasm.
The cough resulting from these factors is pathological and requires seeking medical attention and appropriate treatment.
Pathological cough should not be confused with physiological cough, which does not require treatment and is a normal reaction of the body to the following stimuli:
- the ingress of particles of dust, breast milk into the larynx;
- teething, which is accompanied by abundant salivation;
- strong crying, leading to the formation of secretions falling into the larynx.
It is possible to determine the disease, which caused a cough in a child under one year old, by drawing attention to its manifestations.
Types of disease in infants
Small children carry cough difficult enough. Narrow and thin airways experience a heavy load with this reflex. There are dry and wet cough. The first option is not accompanied by sputum discharge, the second, on the contrary, is characterized by intense secretions.
A dry cough is a sign of tracheal or bronchial disease. It can last for a long time and disturb the kids a lot. Often, such a cough passes bouts, accompanied by a characteristic barking sound and fever. If the attacks occur mostly at night, are not accompanied by fever and are difficult to treat, this may indicate the occurrence of allergic cough. A sudden, severe attack of dry cough may indicate a foreign object in the bronchi or trachea. When laryngitis and inflammation of the larynx cough is accompanied by sore throat and hoarseness.
A wet cough usually appears after a dry cough and suggests that the body is successfully coping with the disease. It allows you to remove the accumulated liquid and thick sputum and clear the respiratory tract.
Currently you can find a lot of information on how to treat a cough. There are many ways to treat cough at home, but consultation with a doctor is necessary.
Herbs and compresses
The faster the treatment begins, the more effective it will be. In the absence of contraindications, the treatment of cough in children under one year of age may be carried out using medicinal herbs.
From the age of 6-9 months, herbal infusions can be used for treatment. One of the most effective tools for combating cough is plantain infusion and coltsfoot. 1 cup of hot boiled water is poured over 1 tbsp. l mixture and insist in a thermos for about 2 hours.
Infusion should be consumed before meals, a single dose is ½ tsp. This drink has an expectorant effect. Licorice root has a similar property. For cooking 1 tbsp. l dry root need to pour 0.5 liters of boiled water and insist about 8 hours. Used infusion 2 times a day for ½ tsp. The following herbal remedies do well in excretion of sputum and soothe irritated throats: root elecampane, althea root, wild rosemary, thyme and anise fruits, ivy leaves. It should be noted that before using any medicinal plant it is necessary to make sure that the child does not have an allergic reaction to it.
Choosing how to treat a cough in a child, you should pay attention to the warming compresses. It must be remembered that compresses and warming rubbing can be done if the child’s cough is not accompanied by fever. For rubbing often used camphor oil and badger fat. It is necessary to rub the baby’s chest with warm material, warm it with cotton wool or a soft scarf, wear ordinary clothes. The procedure is repeated within 3-4 days. Good clean cough helps honey compress. To do this, make a mixture of flour, honey and vegetable oil. Starting from 4 months you can additionally add mustard powder.
For a good warm-up of the bronchi, boiled potatoes are used. Hot vegetables need to knead and put in a diaper, folded 4 times, roll it up in an envelope. If the compress is too hot so as not to burn the baby, you can put a diaper or towel. Keep the compress for about 20 minutes. If a child is 9 months old or more, it can be heated for about 40 minutes. After that, the baby needs to change clothes and wrap up.
It should be remembered that after compresses and chafing you cannot walk with the child on the street, and there should be no drafts in the room where the baby is. With timely treatment, the cough will pass very quickly.
Massage and inhalation
Massage is an effective and safe treatment for coughing. There are various types of massage, some of them can be performed independently at home, others must be entrusted to a specialist. The simplest and most effective way is a massage to improve the discharge of sputum, or drainage massage. The same effect has a vibration massage, which is a light tapping on the back of a child. These types of massage, having previously mastered the technique of execution, can be performed independently.
In case of chronic diseases of the respiratory tract, honey massage will help, provided that the child is not allergic to honey. Acupressure, characterized by exposure to certain areas, should be carried out only by a specialist. When performing any type of cough massage, you must observe the following rules:
- make sure that the child has no fever;
- pre-ventilate the room well in advance, avoiding drafts during the procedure;
- do not massage immediately after meals;
- massage on bare skin;
- for the procedure to use hypoallergenic creams and oils;
- conduct a course of massage for at least 5 days, morning and evening.
If a small patient cries and is capricious during a massage, it is better to stop the session and return to it at a more convenient time.
In addition to compresses, rubbing and massage, inhalations are used to treat cough in children under one year old.
Inhalations have a lot of positive effects: relieve spasm of the bronchi, stimulate the respiratory muscles, contribute to the dilution and discharge of sputum. In the treatment of cough, they are used for a long time and have a therapeutic effect, regardless of how old the patient is.
If the baby suffers from a dry, barking cough for a long time, inhalations are shown to him first. You can perform this procedure using a special device - a nebulizer, which can be purchased at a pharmacy. For inhalation use a weak solution of soda, mineral water and essential oils, if the baby is not allergic to them. For infants can do passive steam inhalation. It is better for this to use the bathroom. In the bath it is necessary to pour boiling water, and when the room warms up, bring the child there for 5 minutes. If there is no allergic reaction, eucalyptus oil can be added to the water.
Medications
If all of the above-mentioned drugs do not help and the child’s condition worsens, you should visit a doctor who can prescribe medicines to effectively fight against cough. Not all drugs are suitable for children under one year old. Prescribed medications should have a convenient form of release, easy to dose and not include side effects. For the treatment of cough in infants used syrup or a means for inhalation Lasolvan. It is effective in treating bronchitis and pneumonia, the syrup can be diluted in any drink or breast milk.
If the baby is suffering a wet cough, Bronkhostop and Phlegamine are prescribed. They dilute phlegm, contributing to its more rapid removal. It should be remembered that the effect of these medicines is noticeable only a few days after use.
After the child is 6 months old, you can use herbal-based syrups (licorice, althea, ivy). In order to cure a cough in a child of 8 months and older, apply tools with a more complex composition. The content of drugs should be carefully studied to exclude possible allergic reactions. It should also be borne in mind that any drug has certain contraindications and only a doctor can prescribe it. It should be noted that the relief of cough is always carried out in conjunction with the treatment of its main cause. Antiviral drugs are prescribed together with mucolytic agents if the cough is a consequence of ARVI. When allergic cough use antihistamines.
