Many parents of small children frequently visit the doctor with their children because of a cough or cold symptoms. The cough is often harmless, but you should be alert for certain symptoms. In this guide, we divide the symptoms in young children (0-2 years old) into three different parts: cough, croup and asthma.

Coughing
Coughing in small children can sound nasty and lead many parents to go to the doctor to get their opinion. Coughing is the body’s own defense against mucus getting stuck in the lower respiratory tract, and small children, just like older people, can cough due to upper respiratory tract infections. But coughing in young children often sounds more nasty than it is! Small children do not have the ability to clear their throats like us adults and which can make their coughs sound raspy due to the mucus moving through the other airways. Sometimes small children vomit out the mucus and this is perfectly normal. Often no treatment is needed as long as the child is otherwise unaffected, but keep in mind is that a cough can be persistent and last for several weeks.

Breast milk, formula and porridge can have a slight expectorant effect and in some cases can cause your child to vomit after consuming these. One tip is to give your child a small amount first to see if they vomit and then give them a whole meal. This is to avoid vomiting up the entire meal.

Croup
For many, the first experience of croup is frightening. Croup is caused by a swelling of the upper airways around the vocal cords and is characterised by a harsh, barking cough, and sometimes even hoarseness. The symptoms often emerge at the beginning of a viral infection, but sometimes even before you even notice that your child is not feeling well. Croup can cause stress for your child because it makes it feel like you cannot breathe, in these situations it is important that you keep calm so you can calm your child as much as possible.

Fresh air and cold drinks can relieve symptoms of croup, but if the symptoms escalate, you may need to go to the emergency room to get cortisone and a special inhaler.

Asthma
Asthma and cold asthma affect the lower respiratory tract and can cause a persistent cough in children, often at night. Asthma is often characterised by wheezing and can create breathing difficulties and indentations in the ribs that can make the child tired. Children who have been affected by an RSV infection early in life have an increased fragility of their airways and are affected more often than others by these problems, as the airways of small children are initially small and narrow. During an infection, the airways can constrict and mucus can form which can be difficult for small children to cough up.

The most effective treatment for asthma is inhalation using a spacer inhaler with a mask, e.g. Optichamber. Initially, bronchodilators are given, but often cortisone supplements are needed to attack the cough/inflammation itself – i.e. the irritation of the lower airways.

If the child is generally affected and is not eating, an urgent medical assessment is necessary from child health care services.