6yo getting a cough once a month?

[Crunchymum]

Posting for traffic.

Wondering what I should be doing?

Almost 7yo has had a cough in May, September, November, December (2021), and again now.

I am wondering if I need to seek medical investigation? (For what???)

• none of the coughs have been Covid (always has negative PCR tests).
• she's generally robust, eats very healthily and is very physically active
• always presents in same way (cold then within 48h she has a cough)
• always has a horrid 24h when she seems quite unwell but then rallies
• all coughs - barring the one last May - are just that. Coughs. She doesn't get a temperature, she doesn't lose her appetite, after the first 24h she is well in herself.
• she doesn't present any classic signs of asthma
• as a rule her coughs don't spread. I had one with her in November but my other 2 don't catch her coughs (she shares a room with sister)
• no known allergies (she was tested aged 13 months for numerous allergens as she reacted to cows milk but she has grown out of CMPA)
• we do have a cat but they predate the child.

2020 she was cough free for the period she wasn't on school (caught one as soon as she went back in Sept 2020!!)

I haven't kept a proper log before now the reason I am questioning it is because I have all the PCR test texts and ive realised how frequently she has had a cough recently

It's not normal though is it?

Sorry, shamelessly bumping

How long does the cough last? Does it resolve on its own?

My three year old sounds similar, cough triggered by a vital infection. He has trouble clearing the cough though and often needs steroids or he gets a secondary infection requiring antibiotics. He was being treated for asthma by the GP (Ventolin and preventer puffers), they didn't seem to help.

We've just seen a respiratory specialist who doesn't think he has asthma he seems to think he over produces mucus when sick and has trouble clearing/coughing it up. We're trialling a treatment of a nebuliser with a saline solution to see if it helps to break up the mucus so he can cough it up before it turns into a bacterial infection.

In summary, I guess it depends how long the cough lasts and if it resolves on its own. The specialist also advised, when well (after the viral infection had passed) lots of running and physical activity. Previously I was trying to limit his exertion to stop the coughing. But the coughing if necessary to get the mucus out of the lungs.

*coughing IS necessary.

Also probably why they don't recommend cough suppressants for young children.

Don't rule out asthma.

My DD has cough variant asthma and all she has is a cough and it's very frequent. No wheezing or shortness of breath, just a cough.

Thanks for for replies.

Yes the cough self resolves.

She had one day when she is rough (and I'd keep her at home regardless of Covid times or not) but even then she will be eating / drinking / playing (she just coughs a lot)

I didn't think she met the criteria of childhood asthma, maybe I need to revisit this.

had = has

My 5 year old is very similar. Pretty much every time she has a cold it turns into a cough - usually every 1-2 months. She has always been like that but like you Covid has made it more obvious with all the testing and realising none of my friends were having to test their children anywhere near as much. Like yours it's often one or sometimes two really bad days and then intermittent after that although often worse at night for a few days.

I raised asthma with the GP but she pretty much dismissed it as she doesn't have any risk factors (no family history, no allergies, no skin problems). She said it'll just be how she responds to viral infections. It's frustrating because it's exhausting for her, and makes quite mild colds much worse. But I'd pretty much come to the conclusion we can't do anything except hope she grows out of it, or at least has less colds once she's older.