How long can a babies cough last? (2 months so far)

[FunkyChicken]

DS is 1 yr 1mnth. Had a cough for ages - ie several weeks. Been to GP. Chest was 'clear' when checked. But he is often sounding far from clear to us - coughing at night and in day. Cough sounds 'chesty' not tickley. GP said we could try an inhaler - have tried but bloody impossible with a 1 yr old to get any in him. Have face mask thing but he freaks when we put it on - even with two adults holding him down we can't keep it on until he breathes. (I'm very mildly asthmatic but hardly ever need to use my inhaler). Any suggestions? Don't want to hassle GP with another visit if they can't do anything. Thanks in advance for any help.

I would try another GP, if you can.

DD1 had a cough that lasted for ages, doctor had said it's just a cough, then we sold a highchair to a woman on eBay and when she came to collect it, she said that sounds like croup to me. We whizzed her off to another GP that day and the woman was right - they put her on steroids and DD1 narrowly avoided a spell in hospital.

Sounds just like my DS 14mo.
Treated as croup once and then again as bronchilitis. Same treatment, oral steroids for 5 days. Ordinary reliever inhaler made no difference but now on preventative daily (be sure to brush teeth after use to prevent oral thrush) and seems to be vaguely under control.

Might be worth getting dc used to the inhaler - do you have the small child's aerochambet withthe bears on or a big rugby ball effort?

If it's the latter I'd go back and ask for the bear one. Also worth letting dc play with the spacer, let them put it on you, try giving it to favourite teddy etc. It must be quite frightening for them, so normalising the spacer and getting them used to acing it on their face when it's not an emergency certainly helps.

I would be goin back to the GP as it is an ongoing problem, but I'd also be looking to try and get better use of the inhaler to see if it does make a difference.

Sounds like croup or bronchiolosis. The second happened to my DS and can get worrying if left undiagnosed. Does your child also have fever?

My daughter had a cough from 2 months until about 8 months...she saw the Doctor repeatedly and was even referred to the hospital where we were told 'young children sometimes get coughs...sometimes it's a sign of asthma and sometimes it's just a cough'. It was just a cough and cleared up soon after. It was horrible at the time but now it's all gone. Please do try to remain calm with doctors and so on, they are only people themselves and do not know everything. There is so much unknown about childhood illness that it would be impossible for every little thing to have an answer. Be patient, go back to your doctor if you think it's getting worse, a good doctor will refer you on if they come to the end of their knowledge on the matter. It's often just for caution.

Thanks for these replies everyone - really helpful and I'll act on them. He doesn't have fever. I'll try and get him more used to playing with the inhaler (its the teddy one) but also get back to GP this week. Its a big practice so we'll probably get a different doc next time and I'll ask about the possibility its croup/ bronchilitis/bronchiolosis.

A tip for the inhaler - you can give it to him whilst he is asleep.

Also, my DS had a cough for about 3 months. I go back to the GP if I think the cough has worsened or if I think it has been dragging. Get the chest listened to again etc. I did go a few times over the 3 months - I don't think they can get too silly over it when it is the breathing of a baby you are concerned about.