Question

My baby has been coughing with a lot of phlegm and wheezing for a day, and it seems like they can’t cough very often. It mainly happens when they play with water they just drank; after a while, they cough and a lot of phlegm comes out. This is the first time this has happened after coughing for several days.

Answer

  1. If an infant suddenly has severe coughing and difficulty breathing, it may be due to a foreign object blocking the airway. Commonly swallowed items include peanuts, pencil caps, pills, buttons, and coins, which can be very dangerous and should be taken to the hospital immediately.
  2. If the infant has a high fever, cough, wheezing, and difficulty breathing, they should be taken to the hospital for emergency care.
  3. The infant may have developed bronchiolitis, which is a type of pneumonia with symptoms such as a poor complexion, cyanosis, rapid breathing, shoulder shrugging, and indentation of the lower chest wall when inhaling. If these symptoms occur, they should be taken to the hospital for immediate treatment.