Persistent cough and runny nose in 10 month old

[Ceebee74]

My Ds has had a cough/runny nose for over 3 months now - it started the week after he started nursery so we assumed it was that - but it has gone on for so long now, I am worried that it might be something else.

It comes and goes, but has never disappeared - I can't think of a night where I haven't woken up with him coughing (it tends not to wake him up!)

Sometimes, the cough is bad and makes him vomit aswell.

Does this sound like normal 'starting nursery' bugs or should I take him to the GP?

[loomer]

FWIW my DD (now 15mo) picked up a nasty cold when she started nursery three months ago. Since then she has got rid of the cold, had chicken pox, and is now fighting a stomache bug (lovely D&V). Throughout all this she has retained a runny nose and a chesty cough.

DH took her to GP yesterday, and she said it's just a series of viruses and we have to ride it out. All part of them building up their immunity apparently.

I recall several people saying that this usually lasts 6 months when they start nursery, so is that's true we're only half way through !

[Ceebee74]

Loomer - thanks for that reassurance (!) - he has had a couple of nasty colds during these 3 months - but the symptoms are exactly the same as your DD - runnyn ose and chesty cough.

I guess we will just have to ride it out for another 3 months (aagh) - he isn't bothered by the cough other than it makes him sick which worries me a little.

[Elibean]

Ceebee, my dd2 (nearly six months) has had a runny nose and occasional cough for a couple of months, and isn't at nursery! She does have a big sister though, which is just as bad bug-wise

I think there are some really persistent viruses around, usually they clear up around April but we're in May already

Being sick when mucousy/coughing is pretty normal in little ones - I wouldn't worry about it unless its all the time, or he's not gaining weight. Or if he's coughing up green/yellow stuff, or has a temperature.

Building immunity, yup, but omg its not fun - you have my sympathy!

[bumbletoes]

Hi. My dd, now 15 months, coughed from about three months persistently. Her chest also sounded very 'crackly' all the time, especially after eating. I didn't think anything of it for ages as she clearly wasn't ill. She coughed loads at night but it only woke me! On a visit to outpatients for her excema at 6months a respiritory nurse was called because of the cough and dd was referred. Again I wasn't too bothered as she's fine. Long story - saw consultant when dd was 12 months and the cough was put down to what he called 'chesty bronchitis'. He said it affected lots of babies and they gew out of it. She has three inhalers but we don't use them and now she doesn't cough! I had been thinking of asthma, but so far so good. They're not too keen on diagnosing things like that in very young ones anyway.

She has gone to nusery since 7 months and the runny nose is fairly constant but she's okay. Trust your instincts, i think. If weight gain is fine and your ds is happy that's a good thing. Just take out shares in tissues manufacturers. I'm fed up of the green stuff .. . Oops - sorry to waffle on.

[Sunyshineymummy]

DS started nursery at 7 months and has had a cough and a cold pretty much non-stop since then (he's now almost 14m). I've taken him to the doctor and they also put it down to him building up his immunity, so I have assumed that it's normal.

[bumbletoes]

Sorry - meant 'wheezy bronchitis' - don't think it's very technical anyway! I think at nursery bugs just go from one to the next. I'm a teacher so I probably introduce my own batch of goodies from the local teens! We're awash with snuffles. Have to say, recently the runny nose has dried up with dd and it's great.

[mamijacacalys]

Agree with the others. Sounds normal.
My DD started nursery in January when she was 6mo. Also coincided with cutting teeth so we have had more or less non-stop snottiness and wheeziness since then, which always gets worse just before another tooth comes through.

[Ceebee74]

Thank you all for your messages - I feel sufficiently reassured that it is 'normal' not to go and bother my GP again!!