Mumsnet Talk

6 mo DS has had a cough for at least six weeks now, following an initial cold. He has it during the day, but it seems worse at night and it's making his godawful sleep even worse. Been to the doctor three times about it - first time, he said his chest was clear; second time he said he heard some crackles and gave him antibiotics, most of which got spat out; went back a third time today and was told by (a different doctor from the last two times) that his chest is completely clear. He is totally healthy, if a bit perpetually snotty, otherwise and has never had a temperature during this, or any of the other two or three colds he's had in his life. I have tried, and am continuing to try:
- raising the head of the cot - if I do it any more, he'll be standing up
- saline drops in his nose
- running the hot shower full blast during his night time bath so he's sitting in a steamy room
- Vicks
- Decongestant plug-in which I've now switched off because I can't help but feel it's making it worse.

What the hell is causing it and what can I do about it??

Is the room air too dry? Maybe a damp towel on the radiator will help. (The old trick of a bowl of water is rubbish)

Ooh sorry pressed post too soon!
Because of the sudden cold snap we've been getting, chances are you've had your heating on for quite a bit, so drying the air out

DD was a serial cougher and the only thing that worked for her was an essential oil disperser (the kind with a tealight under some water) with a few drops of lavender. Should be safe for a babe of your DS's age.

Well, our house has been home to whooping cough for nearly 12 weeks now, so forgive me if I jump to that conclusion... Especially since you say he seems otherwise totally healthy. Us too; it was literally just the Godforesaken cough.

I contracted it first, from an open-plan office, and then passed it onto my 3YO and then my 2YO. The absolute worst part about it has been the night-time coughing. The day-time coughing, whooping, retching, losing breath, my kids sounding like they're choking, etc, etc, has been bad enough. But the lack of sleep has been the utter killer. Seriously, night after night after night of all us waking each other up, coughing. Torturous.

My case was just suspected, but when the kids started coughing, they both had swabs taken and it was confirmed pertussis in both of them.

Has your doctor taken a swab?

I am so over it, it's untrue. Supposedly we all have immunity now for 10 years, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be vaccinated once 10 years are up. Both children were vaccinated at 6 weeks and still contracted it - according to the doctors, they only had 'mild' versions of it, and it would have been worse had they not been vaccinated. Thankful for small mercies.

Right - I'm piling the washing on the radiator in his room today. I can't STAND the smell of lavender but may even be desperate enough to try that.

I don't know about a whoop when he coughs but he does tend to end every (frequent) coughing attack with a helluva gag. If it is whooping cough, is there anything they can do about it?

asthma?

No - just give you antibiotics and then you ride the MoFo out....

Doc did raise the possibility of asthma - DH has it and I had it as a child so it's not out of the realm of possibility, and could explain why the steam is doing nothing. He said if cot head up/nasal drops/steam don't work he'll consider inhaler but he's understandably reluctant at his age.

This MoFo's going to ride ME out feet first...

A cold humidifier (about £30 from Argos) worked wonders for a night time cough in my ds.

I was sceptical, but desperate, but it has been great. It's really just a version of the towel on the radiator trick, but I did find it more effective as it lasts all night.

My dd has had this ongoing cough. I know it is not recommended to give babies under one honey but i always did after 4/5 months and never had a problem.
I make a bottle with a good teaspoon of manuka honey and boiling water and 5ml of seven seas multi vitamin for babies.
It makes such a difference, the honey coats there throat and really helps with the cough.
I would give honey in hot water all dat and just before bed if you can.

www.food.gov.uk/news-updates/news/2010/jun/honey
I wouldn't risk the honey personally.
in sure I managed to buy tyxylix at that age though.

Both my DDs have been coughers. Humidifier really helped DD1. DD2 woke herself up coughing loads last week. I tried snufflebabe on her feet. Read it as a tip on the internet. Don't ask me how but it worked!

Yeah i certainly wouldn't give it to 15 week old baby but once there eating solids i think its fine, i have given it to both of my dd. my mum gave it to all her babies.
Maybe pouring boiling water on it when i make the bottle kills the bacteria?
It has been proven in trials to be more effective than any cough medicine.
Maybe ask your doctor/HV about giving honey to a 6 month old?

I was in a weaning talk the other day where everyone was told by the HV running it not to introduce honey. So doctor and HV would both say a definite no to the honey before 12 months, and there's even a warning on all honey containers not to give to babies under 1, so I'm not going to risk it. I appreciate the suggestion though! (He's a bottle/cup/spoon refuser so no idea how I'd get it into him anyway!)

Humidifier is on order from Argos!

I understand, have you tried your local health shop? They usually have a few herbal cough mixtures.
The only thing you can get from chemist is glycerol and ive tried it, it just doesn't work.
I think coughs are just ones of those things that you have to let run there course.
Also vicks vapour rub is excellent. Again i know it says only use it on babies over 2 but ive used in on mine at about 7 months. Just a tiny bit on there chest and back really works.

Vicks is actually OK from 6 months so we have tried it without success unfortunately. Got the humidifier filled up and ready to go for tonight!

Pleaseworkpleaseworkpleasework....

<fingers crossed>

Just a thought, you say he is snotty? Mucus dripping into the back of his throat will cause a cough. I can't think of anything that will dry up mucus in a baby though, can anyone else? This can go on for ages so I do sympathise. My (older) son was xrayed for TB after about 3 months (all clear), soon after he stopped coughing of his own accord. The doctor diagnosed 'a 100 day cough' which is apparently quite common.

Let us know how you get on! Really hope it helps!
Out of interest, have you tried Vicks on the soles of the feet? The snufflebabe tip above is definitely helping DD2.
Good luck!

Well, I've been sitting here trying to get an endlessly coughing baby back to sleep for an hour now, so I guess the humidifier isn't working.

<Pounds head against wall to see if that works>

I'll keep the humidifier going, if only to get my £39 worth, and try and get some Vicks on his feet.

Oh, no, that's rubbish

Sorry no good

Oh bless you! Did any of you get any sleep? I think back to the docs for a swab and an inhaler. I really do sympathise. I hate to hear my 2 cough at night. The only other thing that was mentioned to me by the doctor as a possibility after months of DD2 coughing was silent reflux. I would have thought you would have known by now if that was causing your baby's cough but might be worth thinking about if any other symptoms stack up. I tried Aptamil Reflux milk but it made no difference. We will get this cracked for you! Before you crack!

Oh and if I remember correctly, the humidifer took a while to work. The other thing I used with DD1 was an air purifier, only because I had it whilst pregnant due to my allergies. If you are anyway near Northampton area, you are welcome to borrow it to see if it helps. I am not convinced it did, but anything's worth a shot!

If he gags at the end at chest is otherwise clear it sounds like when my baby had whooping cough.

There's nothing that can relieve it and the sleepless nights and struggling to breathe are really really tough. It's relentless.