Miya Pearson
If your 2-month-old baby is coughing in their sleep, it could be due to several reasons. Coughing is a natural way for the body to clear out mucus and protect itself. However, it can be distressing for parents to witness their baby coughing, especially when they are trying to sleep. There are many possible causes for coughing in babies, ranging from mild ailments to more serious conditions. It is important to monitor your baby's cough and seek medical advice if you are concerned.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Age | 2 months |
| Coughing | During sleep |
| Cause | Allergies, asthma, colds, other respiratory infections, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), whooping cough, croup, or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) |
| Treatment | Cool-mist humidifier, saline drops, gentle suction, proper hydration, nasal aspirators with saline mist, cool beverages, honey (for children over 1 year old), acetaminophen or ibuprofen, elevating the head (for children over 2 years old) |
| Medical Attention | Coughing with high fever, difficulty breathing, wheezing, or other severe symptoms |
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What You'll Learn
The cause could be a cold or the flu
Coughing is a natural part of life and the body's way of reacting to illness. The most common cause of a phlegmy cough in babies is the common cold, which can last up to 2 weeks. Children get an average of 10 colds per year, which means they could be coughing for 5 months of the year!
Colds are accompanied by a cough, which is usually wet but can also be dry. The cough tends to last about a week, often after all other symptoms of the cold have disappeared. When your child has a cold, the mucus from their nose and sinuses can drain down their throat and trigger a cough during sleep.
The flu can also cause coughing in babies. Flu symptoms generally appear within 2 to 14 days of exposure to the virus and often resemble a cold. You'll likely notice a dry and continuous cough, though wet coughs are also possible.
Home treatments can help make your child more comfortable when they have an annoying cough. Simple solutions include proper hydration, saline nasal drops, nasal aspirators with saline mist, and cool mist humidifiers. For children over 1 year old, honey is a wonderful cough treatment and has been shown to be more effective than cough medicines, which aren't recommended for young children.
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Asthma could be the cause
Asthma in children can be especially serious because children have smaller airways than adults, and their bronchial tubes are already small and narrow. In infants, these tubes can become inflamed and irritated, making it harder for them to breathe. This inflammation can be triggered by a variety of factors, including respiratory viruses, family history of asthma, allergies, specific allergies, or exposure to smoke during pregnancy.
Coughing is a common symptom of asthma, and it can be worse at night as the airways tend to be more sensitive and irritable. Asthma can cause a nagging cough that lingers for days or weeks, and it may be accompanied by other symptoms such as wheezing, fussiness, and chronic difficulty breathing. If your baby is coughing during sleep, it is important to determine the type of cough and rule out other potential causes, such as a common cold or respiratory infection.
If you suspect your baby may have asthma, it is important to consult with a pediatrician or a specialist, such as an allergist, who can perform skin or blood tests to identify potential triggers and develop a treatment plan. Asthma can be managed and treated with quick-relief medicines and an Asthma Action Plan, which includes avoiding triggers and preparing for asthma episodes. Early diagnosis and treatment can make it easier for your baby to manage their symptoms.
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It could be due to allergies
It is natural for babies to cough, and it could be due to several reasons, including allergies. While most children do not develop seasonal allergies until after age 2, your baby could be allergic to something in their environment, such as pet dander, dust, mould, or other household allergens.
If your baby's coughing is allergy-related, removing any potential allergens from their environment can help alleviate their symptoms. Consulting a pediatrician or allergist can help identify what your baby is allergic to and determine the best course of treatment.
Allergies can cause a build-up of mucus, which can drip down your baby's throat when lying down, irritating the throat and triggering a cough. This is known as postnasal drip. A cool-mist humidifier in your baby's room might help them sleep through the night by reducing this postnasal drip. Cool beverages like juice can also be soothing, but avoid carbonated or citrus drinks as they can irritate a sore throat.
It is important to note that cough medicines are not recommended for babies and young children. Instead, simple solutions for coughing include proper hydration, nasal aspirators with saline mist, and cool-mist humidifiers. For children over age 1, honey is a wonderful cough treatment.
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It could be acid reflux
Acid reflux can cause frequent coughing in infants due to acid or food coming up into the back of the throat. Regurgitated food can also be inhaled into the lungs, leading to pneumonia or other respiratory issues such as asthma. Your baby may gag or choke when stomach contents flow back up into the oesophagus, and this may be worse when the baby is in certain positions during feeding. It is recommended to keep infants upright for at least 30 minutes after feeding to prevent food or milk from coming back up.
Acid reflux can also lead to difficulty sleeping. Other signs of acid reflux in infants include spitting and vomiting, feeding refusal, and frequent lung infections. Forceful spit-up or vomiting may indicate GERD, especially if your baby is older than 12 months and continues to spit up forcefully after meals. Spitting up blood or a substance resembling coffee grounds may also suggest GERD or other serious conditions.
If you suspect your baby is experiencing acid reflux, consult a paediatrician or healthcare provider for advice. They may recommend changes in feeding, burping, and sleeping positions, or in some cases, medication or surgery. It is important to note that acid reflux is typically a self-resolving condition in infants and does not usually persist beyond 24 months of age.
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It could be a bacterial infection
Coughing is a natural part of life and our body's way of reacting to illness. It is important to remember that coughs are the body's way of protecting itself. Coughing keeps the airways clear and rids the body of mucous. In children, a cough should rarely be suppressed.
If your 2-month-old baby is coughing in their sleep, it could be due to a bacterial infection. A wet cough, for example, signals phlegm or mucus in the baby's airways. It often results from a respiratory illness accompanying a bacterial infection. A baby with pneumonia, for instance, will have a "productive" wet baby cough, bringing up everything imaginable in shades of green and yellow. Bacterial pneumonia is usually more dangerous and is most commonly caused by the Streptococcus pneumonia bacteria.
Pneumonia is a viral or bacterial lung infection that can be brought on by a number of conditions, including the common cold. A cough that indicates pneumonia will most likely sound wet and phlegmy. A baby with pneumonia will be very fatigued. Treatment depends on whether the cause is viral or bacterial, so call your healthcare provider, especially if your baby has a fever.
Whooping cough can happen at any age but is most severe in infants under 1 year old who did not get the pertussis vaccine. It is very contagious, so all kids should get the pertussis shot at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 months, and 4–6 years of age.
Older kids could have sinusitis, a bacterial infection that's often brought on by a cold. In the winter, if a baby is coughing terribly, it could be a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a dangerous viral infection for infants.
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Frequently asked questions
There could be several reasons for this. Coughing is a natural part of life and the body's way of protecting itself and clearing out mucus. Your baby could be congested from a cold, or suffering from allergies, asthma, or a bacterial infection such as bronchitis or whooping cough. If your baby has a fever, or is having difficulty breathing, seek medical advice.
There are a few things you can try to help your baby sleep through the night. You could try a cool-mist humidifier in your baby's room, or sit with them in a steamy bathroom for around 20 minutes. You could also try elevating their head while they sleep to help drain mucus, but only if they are over 12 months old.
If your baby's cough is persistent or accompanied by a fever, difficulty breathing, or vomiting, seek medical advice. If your baby is coughing up blood, or making a 'whooping' sound, call your doctor or head to the emergency room.
