10-month-old with persistent cough - difficult to settle to sleep

[bondgirl77]

Hi, I would appreciate anyone that has any advice coping with a persistent illness that disrupts sleep patterns. My 10-month-old DS has had a persistent cough which gets slightly better, slightly worse, for the past 3-4 months (apart from 3 weeks being well after a course of antibiotics I begged the doctor for after listening to him cough on waking like an old man with emphesema (sp??) for about 3 days). During the last period he was well enough, he became a good sleeper, settling himself down within 10 mins of being put down. He then began pulling himself up in his cot and get stuck not knowing how to get himself down again, and no matter how many times I went in, cuddled him and put him back down to sleep, he would pull himself back up, eyes red with tiredness, until I would finally give in and rock him off to sleep. Then his cough got worse, so the rocking became a comfort to get him off to sleep as any crying became coughing. My question is, does anyone have any advice, is there any alternative to rocking when they are ill? My DH is disabled so I am effectively a lone parent and I work 4 days a week. My time is at quite a premium with housework, cooking etc and I would prefer not to have to spend up to 45 mins for each nap/sleep rocking him off - but of course I would not leave him to cry/cough!! Any help would be much appreciated from anyone that has coped with this or has any advice for a somewhat exasperated mum!

[bubblagirl]

do you have mattress of cot raised at head end[pillow under mattress works fine] to open air waves, sit in steamed bathroom before bed i used to turn ds onto his belly across my lap and rub his back he used to be able to clear any sputum sitting around

and he used to settle really well after that raising the head of the cot was great and never left it unraised after that make sure room has window slightly open to keep it ventilated properly as if gets to stuffy causes the persistency of the cough

not sure if your ds can feed himself yet but we had non spill bottle or cup with cold water so could sip it or you could try when settling feed some water then pop back into cot

unfortunatly coughs are the last thing to go after a cold and can take weeks but if persists then maybe see another gp and make sure not ashtma

i would also leave to cry for short while few mins at least as they become used to the longer i cry i'll get picked up so i would give drink rub back pop back into cot with raised head and leave the room keep doing same eventually he'll just tire out

[bubblagirl]

it dioes become a comfort thing but also can start to them always needing this so does need to be broken away from if really unwell then i always snuggle but if not ill anymore but suffering from after affects then i break away from the too much fuss at bedtime

[cmotdibbler]

If he keeps coughing go back to the GP and ask that they do some investigations. My DS coughed really badly for months from 6 months to 1 year - turned out he had asthma and persistent recurring chest infections from it. Took me quite a few GP visits to make them take it seriously though

[bondgirl77]

Thanks for your advice ladies! bubblagirl, I have raised the end of the cot - how much do you raise it? I have rolled up a small quilt and put it underneath. Only problem is DS is quite an active sleeper and quite often ends up at the opposite end of the cot. Also, I will try opening the window a little too, that is a good point.

cmotdibbler, I am interested in how you got your GP to take notice? Did you just keep going back and back each week? What investigations did they do? I feel there must be something wrong and have seen two or three different GPs at our practice but difficult when you are told each time 'his chest is clear so there's nothing more we can do'.

[cmotdibbler]

I kept going back and back until someone finally took notice - DS had a chest x-ray (actually to rule out having inhaled a foreign object) which showed what they reported as pneumonia (actually it was where part of his lung had collapsed as it was blocked with mucus and then infected) so he had antibiotics for a week. Cough reduced, but by the time of his followup xray at 4 weeks it was back, and that x-ray showed no improvement. He was then referred urgently to a paed consultant (and put on further antibiotics) who did: further chest x-rays (4 weeks after that course of antibs), adenoid x-rays and referral to see ENT consultant to check that, allergy tests, cystic fibrosis tests, immune system tests. He then put him on a 6 week course of antibiotics at high strength, chest physio 4 times a day, plus inhalers.

Consultant said that true asthma is rare in under 2's, and that under 1's always need a referral if it is suspected as so many other things need to be ruled out.

[bubblagirl]

that sounds enough we just put a pillow under enough to keep head raised having the room ventilated with flow of fresh air helps hope it clears for him soon poor thing xx

[elmoandella]

friend is just back from hopital with a child like this. went to doctor. doctor sent to hospital. she got an inhaler to give every 4 hours for a couple of days. just a cold that turned a bit nasty aparently.

[bondgirl77]

Thanks everyone, I'm going to keep an eye on the cough and if not clearing I'll take him back to GP and insist! My goodness what a time you had cmot! Thanks for your advice!

[chunkybutt]

hi my son always had a persistent cough, for about a year before anyone took any notice. he ended up having asthma which he has an inhaler to take every day. definately goto the doctors though.

[dreamteamgirl]

Just to back up some of the others, my DS has asthma too- very rare in that he was diagnosed at 4 months and given first a reliever then preventer and now on stronger preventer. Like yours he would cough and cough at night. Nocturnal coughing distrurbing sleep with no infection is a good indicator, especially if it persists.

Like cmotdibbler he had many chest infections too. The inhalers changed our lives. Do see your GP again and raise the possibility of asthma if you think it is. If you read up on it, and maybe take a print out or two with you they may go along and prescribe a trial dose.