What should I do if my child has a cough and can’t cough up phlegm?

When a child has phlegm and cannot cough it out by himself, you can pat the baby's back to help the phlegm come out. You should give the child more water on a regular basis, as drinking more water can help the child eliminate phlegm. Be sure to maintain the humidity of the air. You can also choose to let the baby cry or laugh loudly, so that the phlegm can be shaken out when the throat vibrates. If it really doesn't work, you can only use some expectorant drugs.

1. If your baby has phlegm in his throat, you must first ensure the humidity of the air in the room. The room should not be too dry. The humidity in the room should be controlled at around 60%. You can use a humidifier to assist, or put hot water in the room to humidify it through steam. This will prevent the baby's throat from becoming dry due to dry air, resulting in the inability to cough up phlegm.

2. In addition to controlling the indoor humidity, you should also pay attention to giving your baby more boiled water. Drinking more boiled water can help your baby eliminate phlegm and help expel phlegm. If your baby refuses to drink, you should find a way to coax him to drink, but remember not to add sugar, as this will aggravate his condition.

3. Using steam to help your baby expectorate is also a good method. Prepare a cup of hot water and place it in front of the baby's mouth and nose, allowing the baby to inhale the steam while breathing. This can moisten the baby's throat and help expectorate. But be careful not to let the hot water scald your baby.

4. Patting the baby on the back is also the most commonly used method. Doctors will recommend this method, which is to hold the baby up and face him/herself, then put your fingers together and make your palms empty, and pat the baby's back in this way, patting both sides of the back from bottom to top with a little force, which can help the baby to expel phlegm through vibration.

5. If your baby has phlegm that he cannot cough out, especially when he just wakes up in the morning, you can make him cry or laugh loudly when he wakes up. Crying is better than laughing, because the baby will scream very hard when crying, so that the phlegm can be discharged while crying. It's a bit pitiful for the baby, but the method is very effective.

6. Depressing the tongue is also a good method. Just use a small spoon, a very small plastic one. It would be best if it has a tongue depressor. Put your hand into the baby's mouth and press down on the root of the baby's phlegm. The baby will feel uncomfortable and vomit. This can make the baby spit out the phlegm that he can't cough up. It is also an effective but cruel method.

7. The last step is drug treatment. You can give your baby some drugs to help expectorate and expectorate the baby, or you can go to the hospital for nebulization treatment. If it still doesn’t work, you can only have an IV in the hospital to avoid worsening of the condition.