Coughing as a symptom of asthma in toddlers

[MeadowHay]

Does anyone else have a toddler who has asthma/suspected asthma and develops long lasting coughs with every viral infection? She actually coughed most nights between the ages of 6 months and 20 months ish until she had s trial of a steroid inhaler. We stopped it after awhile to see if the coughing came back, which it didn't, but she now has a cold and back it is. Me and DH both had a cold last week so I'm certain she has the same, and her coughing is almost exclusively whilst she's sleeping (which is a symptom of asthma in small children) but there is some occasional coughing in the daytime. If she hadn't had the break from symptoms with the steroid inhaler there's no way I would describe this as a new persistent cough given she'd had it most of her life. However she does now have that break so am I to consider this a new persistent cough and isolate and order a test for her? I can't imagine I'm the only parent facing these kinds of situations? Nursery are aware that she coughs as a symptom of asthma and just prior to lockdown she had HFM and they were fine with that but I dunno how they'd feel about it now (understandably).

@Soubriquet

This is how dd’s asthma manifests

She had a bronchitis at 13 months which has left her vulnerable to coughs and colds. When she gets them, she needs her inhaler.

She doesn’t get the normal short of breath most asthmatics get. She gets a cough.

She’s 7 now and it’s rare she has to take her inhaler so I’m hoping she’s growing out of it

Very similar with DS2. Bronchiolitis at about 6m. Temporaily had an inhaler. Regular night cough as a toddler. Put on an asthma care plan He's become more resistant with age and is very fit. Occasional use of inhalers in cold season and tends to get a more persitant cough than DS1 when they have colds.

GP agreed today for her to go back on the steroid inhaler for the foreseeable.

But you'll never guess how effing annoyed we are right now - she literally hasn't coughed once since about 10am this morning. Not even during her naps which yesterday she coughed all the way through them both. Dunno what to do now as still awaiting the test but it clearly isn't covid is it?!

Nursery said they would take her tomorrow even in the absence of a negative test result if she stops daytime coughing as they know her asthma history. But I don't think DH will be allowed back to work anyway (hospital) as though his consultant said 'common sense' says it's asthma and not covid, he had to recommend to follow 111's advice who have told us to all isolate!

I am fucking dreading the winter like PP.

Ah that's good for her but yes this is going to be bloody hard for many of us with children and also asthmatic coughs.

In the winter Ds1 coughs after he runs unless we are on top of his clenil. But even then sometimes it pops through.

So we called 111 again this morning to update them and take advice given her cough has almost completely stopped. They told us it sounds like asthma and we don't need to isolate and don't need to do the covid test when it arrives.

Nursery said they'd take her based on that advice but said in an apologetic way that if she does cough a fair bit today they will have to send her home "because of the processes" despite 111's assurance that it is just asthma. I expressed my concern for the winter and they said they have been talking about it and are concerned themselves as she said many of the kids have permanent winter coughs and she's not sure what's going to happen. I do feel grateful that our nursery are so reasonable. If she gets sent home then we can test her as it's coming today but I doubt she will cough much whilst there especially since she's had clenil and ventolin this morning.

DH's work (hospital) also said they're happy for him to return to work.

Such a minefield this! I wish the gov/NHS would publish some tailored advice for people who have coughing as recurring symptom of asthma or other resp conditions particularly in young children to help us all going forwards and to help settings like nurseries.