It can be really difficult since as parents, we worry about our children. Doctors and nurses take a more realistic approach I guess, and can tell when a child is really ill. As for pneumonia, she will have a very high temperature and become quite listless with her breathing fairly labored, so I wouldn't worry to much about that at present. If the cough sounds dry then I suggest a vaporizer of some type. You can use these with just water, or you can add drops which help to ease breathing. A dry cough is generally caused by dry air and the cough can really sound awful.

There is one thing I can say, your kids are often the best guide when it comes to illnesses. If she is happy, eating well, then don't worry too much. Add some moisture to the air and let it run its course. Whatever you do, don't start sterilizing everything - read these posts first - Are We Becoming Too Clean and Cleanliness v Sterilizing

Let me know what happens :)

Les

I am a 2nd time mom and my 1st child did not get a real cold and cough untill a year after winter. But my soon to be 4 month old has a horrible sounding cough, greenish/yellow mucus. She is still happy and eats as usual. She usually sleeps through the night but lately she is waking up hungry and stuffy. I have taken her to the doctors and called the on call nurse over at Childrens Hospital and they both tell me that unless she is caving in at the colar bones when she breathes, turns blue (obvious) or coughs up blood to bring her in. But I am still wondering if I should get xrays and tests done for pneumonia cause the cough sounds so dry and rough for a 4 month old. Do I demand it even though the doc says there is nothing wrong?

Hi there! If your baby is 5 days old and has a cold, you should take her to the hospital now! That's very dangerous! Mine is 8 weeks with his first cold and I'm scared to death. I can't imagine 5 days!

my baby is 5 days old and she has a cold and a watery pooh its hard for her to sleep cause she wakes herself up by coughing or sneezing i breast feed so its a struggly for her to breath when shes eating i feel helpless and just want to take it away :(

My oldest didn't get her first cold til about 9 months. My 2nd and 3rd children didn't get sick til a year old. Now here I am with a 3 week old and she has her first cold. We went to the dr and it's only a cough, but it's nerve wracking bc you constantly worry. She's a January baby and being as my other 3 are in school (16, 7 and 8) it's really hard to keep germs away even though the kids have been keeping their distance. I just wish I could keep her in a bubble. :-(

I would suggest you take him to the doctor. There are many different reasons for coughing. With diarrhea it could be a lactose intolerance or an allergic reaction to other factors. There is a simple rule I follow for little ones under 12 months = when in doubt scream and shout - straight to your family doctor or the local hospital.

Thanks for visiting - let us know what the outcome is.

Les

My son has been coughing alot especially when he sleeps. He doesnt have a runny nose but he sounds congested when he coughs n when he sleeps at night. He hasnt had a fever yet but has diarrhea, sweats alot when he sleeps (in just a onesie) and wakes up crying most of the time. He doesnt drink his formula as much as he use to and he's about to be 4 months. I tried the humidifier, baby tyenol, baby vicks, and proping him up with a bobby pillow to help him. It seems like nothing is working. He's coughs up his formula and has been like this for 4 days now. HELP! What is wrong with him? What should i do?

I have an 11 year old and 4 week old newborn. The eldest attends school and I was hoping no bugs would find their way home but they have. My 4 week old has a stuffy nose and seems to be laboring at breathing (the pediatrician said that newborns breathe using their stomach muscles more) and to be concerned moreso if the baby is using her ribs and chest muscles to breathe. This is highly stressful to monitor since it's hard to differentiate. I am thankful to read one part of this article however because I had been worried about the nursing or possible lack-there-of. She is nursing and now that I know she doesn't have to be 15 to 20 min straight per breast, I know she'll recover under both my and the doctor's watchful eye.

I hope they don't read as haha comments. A young child with a cold is no laughing matter, especially a two week old. Some parents do get lucky and their children are cough and cold free early on. Breast fed is supposed to provide some protection but that is not always the case.

Our eldest was virtually free of coughs of colds for her first few years - now she is at school she brings every bug home with her. Our 14 month old seems to have had a cough or cold of some description every two months since birth.

What is important is how we deal with each cold that comes along, not the why or hows. I hope my article helps out in some way.

thanks for your comment and I hope your two week old gets over the congestion quickly.

Les

your right on the button about them "haha" parents writing that...my 2 week old baby had a bit of nasal congestion last night that was worrying me at 1 a.m. and reading that made me a bit more stressed thinking Im not doing something right...am I alone here?? hopefully not...so thanks for saying something :)

good write up, very interesting read
Your blog looks great... I liked it a lot.

Parents with children that are showing symptoms of a cold are referring to this page for help. Why on earth would you post notes about your kids never getting sick on this page? Thats great to read at the end of the article... it is almost a Ha-Ha, my kid never got sick. Go post this somewhere else!

My eldest didn't really get sick until she started school - then everyone had it. That's school for you.

Guess I was lucky, my kids never got sick for the first 2 years :)