Question

A six-month-old baby has started crying with a hoarse voice in the past two days and seems to have a coughing symptom this afternoon. The parents want to know if this is normal behavior or a sign of the baby being sick.

Answer

Hello, such behavior is quite common in babies of this age and is usually just an excited response as they try to speak or learn language. It’s also possible that the baby is showing similar symptoms when teething. Generally, there’s no need to worry, as long as you ensure the baby has plenty of fluids and that the mother avoids overly hot foods in her diet. Additionally, after washing the baby’s face, you can gently massage the sides of the nose with your thumb to help clear the tear ducts.