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Cough

Care at Home

Cough Medicine for Mild Coughs: After age 1 year, use corn syrup ½ to 1 teaspoon as needed as a homemade cough medicine. It can thin the secretions and loosen the cough. After age 6, use cough drops.
Cough Suppressant for Severe Coughs:
- For coughs that interfere with sleep, school or work, use dextromethorphan (DM).
- See dosage chart for cough suppression - dextromethorphan.
- Ask your pharmacist to recommend a pediatric brand containing this ingredient.
- Do not use if child is under 1 year old.
Coughing Spasms:
- For coughing spasms, give warm fluids (apple juice).
- Expose to warm mist (e.g., foggy bathroom) (Reason: both relax the airway and loosen up the phlegm).
- Avoid juice if less than 4 months old.
- Children older than 6 years can suck on hard candy or cough drops (Reason: to coat the irritated throat).
Vomiting: For vomiting that occurs with hard coughing, reduce the amount given per feeding (e.g., in infants, give 2 oz. less formula) (Reason: cough-induced vomiting is more common with a full stomach).
Humidifier: If the air is dry, use a humidifier (Reason: dry air makes coughs worse).
Fever Medicine: For fever above 102°F (39°C), give acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
Avoid Tobacco Smoke: Active or passive smoking makes coughs much worse.
Contagiousness: Your child can return to day care or school after the fever is gone and your child feels well enough to participate in normal activities. For practical purposes, the spread of coughs and colds cannot be prevented.
Expected Course:
- Antibiotics are not helpful.
- Viral bronchitis causes a cough for 2 to 3 weeks.
- Sometimes the child will cough up lots of phlegm (mucus).
- The mucus can normally be gray, yellow or green.
- Coughing up mucus is very important for protecting the lungs from pneumonia. We want to encourage a productive cough, not turn it off.
IF your child becomes worse: Review Should I Call? recommendations.