Question
My four-month-old baby has a runny nose with very little mucus, and occasionally coughs at night (feels like there is a small amount of phlegm in the throat, but the baby can’t cough it up). This has been going on for almost a month, and the baby is about to turn five months old. Since the cough and runny nose are not severe, we haven’t gone to the hospital. There was a period when the symptoms were more severe, and we gave the baby medication for four days, which helped alleviate the symptoms. However, after stopping the medication, the symptoms recurred. What should we do for such a young infant? Local hospitals usually recommend nebulizer therapy or prescribe medication, but since it’s a small hospital, they won’t give medication unless the situation is very serious.
Answer
This is a respiratory disease, possibly caused by a cold due to catching a chill. The recurrence of coughing and runny nose can be treated with oral medication. You can give your child infant cold syrup and infant lung cough granules for treating colds and coughs, taking them for 3 to 5 days consecutively. Keep a close eye on any changes, and if the symptoms do not improve, go back to the hospital promptly for a detailed examination, including an X-ray of the chest, to rule out bronchitis and pneumonia.