What to do if a four-month-old child coughs

Newborn babies are relatively weak, and their normal health depends entirely on the milk provided by their mothers and the care of their parents. If a baby who is just four months old shows symptoms of a cold or cough, I believe the family will be extremely worried. Because the baby is too young, the medicine for treating cough must be for children only. But we all know that babies hate taking medicine and will spit it out when they taste it. What should I do if my baby coughs?

After a four-month-old baby catches a cold, he usually has a dry cough. This is mostly due to upper respiratory tract infection, lung infection, and laryngeal mucosal inflammation, which leads to congestion and stimulates the peripheral nerve receptors and causes coughing. Therefore, parents should pay attention to the following aspects when caring for their children.

1. Drink water in small amounts and frequently. The water temperature should not be too hot to avoid irritating the pharynx.

2. When the baby coughs violently, it is best to hold him up so that his upper body is at a 45-degree angle, and gently pat his back with your hands to loosen the secretions adhering to the trachea and facilitate coughing out;

3. Maintain air temperature. Temperature and cleanliness are very important. The room temperature should be kept at around 20-26℃, with regular ventilation and indoor humidity of 50%-70%, which is conducive to diluting sputum and coughing it out. If the air is too dry, sputum will stick to the tracheal wall and is difficult to be discharged;

5. Pay attention to the regularity of drinking milk and complementary food, with intervals of 3 to 4 hours, and 4 to 6 hours at night. This is because the stomach and intestines of a 4-month-old baby are delicate and incompletely developed, and need to be fully emptied and rested to ensure the normal functioning of the digestion and absorption functions. Eat a small amount of complementary food first. At this time, the appetite is better and it is easier to accept complementary food. Since the amount of complementary food is small and the baby is not full, he can drink milk later. It’s difficult to do at night, so I just drink milk.

6. During the period between meals, drink mainly boiled water and squeeze homemade fresh fruit juice. Do not eat anything else. Replenish sufficient water and vitamins to promote the improvement of digestion and absorption functions and eliminate waste and toxins in the body. (Note that homemade juice must be hygienic, fresh, and drink immediately after making it. Do not store it. The recipe includes: carrots, apples, cucumbers, pears, tomatoes, etc. Start with a small amount and increase the amount. Use boiling water to warm it up before drinking. Drink it once in the morning and afternoon if possible. Make sure to drink it once a day.)

8. Babies who are bottle-fed will have a weak digestive system due to incomplete nutrition (not as good as breast milk). You should observe the baby at all times and adjust the amount of food.

In addition: Whether the baby likes to drink water is a matter of habit. You should pay attention to cultivating good habits from the beginning. Do not add sugar or honey to boiled water. If the baby really doesn’t like to drink it, you can boil water with white radish or carrot. It may also be a problem with the pacifier or incorrect posture, so you should pay attention to adjust it.