Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFrequent and PersistentWhoopingCoughing With VomitingCoughing With FeverProductiveDry NighttimeBarkyWheezingComfort CareWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Frequent and Persistent
Whooping
Coughing With Vomiting
Coughing With Fever
Productive
Dry Nighttime
Barky
Wheezing
Comfort Care
When to See a Provider
A toddlercoughingat night is usually due to something minor, such as the common cold. When your toddler is lying down, mucus can run down the back of the throat causing them to cough.
This article explains the most common types of childhood coughs. You’ll also learn how to tell if your child’s cough means you need to make an appointment with their pediatrician or go to the ER.
Verywell / JR Bee
Reasons You Can’t Stop Coughing
Frequent and Persistent Cough
A child who is coughing a lot may haveasthma, a chronic condition where the airways of the lungs become inflamed and narrow. Although the reasons aren’t well understood, many people with asthma experience worsening symptoms at night, which can lead to nocturnal coughing.
Some additional symptoms of asthma in children include:
If your child has asthma, their healthcare provider can diagnose the condition and recommend treatment, likean inhalerornebulizer.
If your child’s cough is frequent—more than every five minutes for more than two hours—call your pediatrician.
Why do children cough more at night?Children and adults often cough more at night. There are a few reasons why.One, lying flat in bed can make a cough worse when fluids in the nose drip down the throat and cause irritation.Levels of the hormonecortisolalso drop at night, which can contribute to airway obstruction and make asthma or other respiratory conditions worse.
Why do children cough more at night?
Children and adults often cough more at night. There are a few reasons why.One, lying flat in bed can make a cough worse when fluids in the nose drip down the throat and cause irritation.Levels of the hormonecortisolalso drop at night, which can contribute to airway obstruction and make asthma or other respiratory conditions worse.
Children and adults often cough more at night. There are a few reasons why.
One, lying flat in bed can make a cough worse when fluids in the nose drip down the throat and cause irritation.
Levels of the hormonecortisolalso drop at night, which can contribute to airway obstruction and make asthma or other respiratory conditions worse.
When to See a Healthcare Provider for a Cough That Won’t Go Away
Whooping Cough
Whooping cough is a bacterial infection that causes a particular type of cough. Also calledpertussis, the infection causes a fast cough and a “whoop” sound when a child takes a breath.
People of any age can get whooping cough, but it is most serious for children younger than 1-year-old. Infants can die from whooping cough.
However, infants with pertussis do not always have a cough. Instead, they may briefly stop breathing (apnea) and their skin can turn blue (cyanosis).Severe whooping cough can also cause vomiting.
The combination vaccine can be given starting at 2 months old. Adults should get a booster (Tdap)—especially if they are pregnant or have young children at home.
Whooping cough is generally treated with antibiotics.Your child’s healthcare provider may also recommend antibiotics for family members who have been in close contact with your child.
Your child should get plenty of fluids and eat small meals spaced a few hours apart to help prevent vomiting. Don’t give your child cough medications; they aren’t recommended for children under 4 and are unlikely to help improve an older child’s symptoms.
My Infant Has a Cough, What Medicine Do I Use?
Some of the conditions that can cause coughing with vomiting include:
A cough with vomiting isn’t usually serious unless the vomiting is frequent, prevents them from keeping fluids down, or continues for more than 24 hours.
Many of the conditions that cause a cough also cause a fever. A mild fever is common in children who have the common cold, for example. If your child has a cough with a high fever (more than 102 F), it can be a sign of a serious illness such as pneumonia.Influenza and COVID-19 can also cause a cough with fever.
Your child’s healthcare provider may recommend a fever-reducing medication such as Advil (ibuprofen) or Tylenol (acetaminophen) to help make them more comfortable. Ask your child’s healthcare provider before giving one of these medications to a child younger than 2.
If your child has a high fever and other symptoms such as weakness and rapid breathing, call their healthcare provider right away.
Can Vick’s VapoRub help a child’s cough?Vicks VapoRubcan be used if your child is at least 2 years old. Vicks rubbed on the chest is thought to ease a child’s cough and cold symptoms and may help them sleep better, though there is limited evidence to support this.It’s made with ingredients that are cough suppressants, including menthol, camphor, and eucalyptus oil.
Can Vick’s VapoRub help a child’s cough?
Vicks VapoRubcan be used if your child is at least 2 years old. Vicks rubbed on the chest is thought to ease a child’s cough and cold symptoms and may help them sleep better, though there is limited evidence to support this.It’s made with ingredients that are cough suppressants, including menthol, camphor, and eucalyptus oil.
When to Worry About Your Child’s Fever
Productive (Wet) Cough
A child’scough that’s productive or “wet"brings up fluid likemucus. When your child coughs, you’ll be able to hear the fluid moving in their airways. Usually, the fluid has drained from the head or isphlegmthat’s being made in the respiratory tract.
The common cold and the flu are common causes of wet coughs in kids. These illnesses are usually not serious, and your child can be cared for at home.
While having a productive cough is no fun, it has an important purpose: it helps clear the lungs and prevent infection. That’s why healthcare providers don’t usually recommend trying to suppress a child’s cough unless it’s making it hard for them to rest or breathe.
Is My Child’s Cough COVID-19?People with COVID-19 often have adry (nonproductive) cough, but you can also have a wet cough from COVID.If your child has a cough and otherCOVID symptoms, or if they have been around someone who has COVID, they shouldbe tested.If your child’s cough from COVID lasts longer than three weeks, call their pediatrician. If at any point your child’s cough is so badthey can’t breathe, take them to the ER.
Is My Child’s Cough COVID-19?
People with COVID-19 often have adry (nonproductive) cough, but you can also have a wet cough from COVID.If your child has a cough and otherCOVID symptoms, or if they have been around someone who has COVID, they shouldbe tested.If your child’s cough from COVID lasts longer than three weeks, call their pediatrician. If at any point your child’s cough is so badthey can’t breathe, take them to the ER.
People with COVID-19 often have adry (nonproductive) cough, but you can also have a wet cough from COVID.If your child has a cough and otherCOVID symptoms, or if they have been around someone who has COVID, they shouldbe tested.
If your child’s cough from COVID lasts longer than three weeks, call their pediatrician. If at any point your child’s cough is so badthey can’t breathe, take them to the ER.
Which Type of Cough Does COVID Cause?
Infection
Sometimes, a loud, wet cough is a warning sign that your child has an illness or condition that needs medical treatment.
If your child’s cough is bringing upgreen or yellow mucus, and they have to sneeze or blow their nose a lot, they might have asinus infection.
You’ll want to take them to the pediatrician, as they might needantibioticsorallergy medicationto help clear up the infection and ease their symptoms.
Colds vs. Sinus Infections
Pneumonia
Even if you’ve already seen your child’s healthcare provider about their cough, call them again if your child has:
Bacterial pneumoniais treated with antibiotics, butviral pneumonianeeds to run its course. If your child getssevere pneumonia, they might need to be treated in the hospital.
What Are the Signs of Pneumonia in Kids?
Dry Nighttime Cough
If your child’s cough is an annoying “on-and-off” cough that gets worse at night and with activity, call your pediatrician. Adry coughat night can also mean your child’s body ismaking too much mucus.It can also be a sign ofasthma.
When to Call 911If your child is having trouble breathing or becomes unable to speak, eat, or drink, call 911 or go to the nearest ER right away.
When to Call 911
If your child is having trouble breathing or becomes unable to speak, eat, or drink, call 911 or go to the nearest ER right away.
Barking Cough (Croup)
A child’s cough that sounds like a seal or small dog barking is a sign of an upper airway infection calledcroup.
Croup is most common in younger children. Each year, between 2% and 6% of children will develop croup, and between 10% and 16% will get croup at least once during their childhood.
Croup usually starts or gets worse at night. A child may wake up with a barking cough and make a loud whistling sound when they breathe (stridor).
In a child, a cough that sounds like this can be scary for kids and parents, but they don’t always mean you have to go to the ER.
If your child wakes up with a barking cough, there are a few ways to help them at home. First, take them to the bathroom and turn on the hot water in the shower. Let the room steam up, and sit in it for about 15 minutes. You may want to try reading to them to help pass the time.
Often,sitting in a humid bathroomfor a while is enough to help with the coughing and stridor from croup—at least enough to get through the rest of the night. If it does help, you can go back to sleep and call your pediatrician in the morning.
Cool air can also help ease a croup cough. If the weather is cool, bundle your child up and bring them outside to see if it helps their cough.
If it doesn’t help and your child is still coughing and having trouble breathing, go to the ER right away. Depending on the severity of your child’s condition, they may be given medications such as dexamethasone and epinephrine. The ER staff may also want to observe them for a short time before you can return home.
Could Your Child’s Cough Be Croup?
Wheezing Cough
A child’s cough is not alwayswheezing, even if it sounds like it. People often confuse the term “wheezing” with the normal sounds acongestedchild makes when they breathe.
If you can hear mucus when your child is breathing, it probably is not a cause for concern. True wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound a child makes when they’re breathing out.
If your child is coughing and wheezing, you’ll want to call your pediatrician. If your child is having a hard time breathing, take them to the ER.
If your child has asthma and iscoughing and wheezing, follow your family’s asthma action plan.
What Causes Wheezing?
Comfort Care for a Child’s Cough
There are some things that you can do at home to help with your child’s cough.
Should I Give My Child Cough Medicine?
If you have older children, ask your pediatrician about which products are safe to give them for a cough.
Can I Give My Kid Cough Medicine?
When to See a Healthcare Provider for a Child’s Cough
A child’s cough is not always a reason to panic. With time and experience, caregivers learn when it’s time to call their child’s healthcare provider or head to the ER.
Some warning signs mean a child’s cough is not something you can handle at home. If your child is coughing and has these symptoms, you’ll need to get them medical care right away:
Summary
A child’s cough can be a common symptom of an illness that isn’t serious, but it can also be a sign of a more pressing problem. If in doubt, call your child’s healthcare provider. They will ask you to describe what the cough sounds like—or may even have you hold your phone up so they can hear your child’s cough.
There are different types of coughs that kids can get. You may need to take your child to the pediatrician to figure out what is causing their cough and get them a treatment that will help.
Even if your child’s cough can be managed at home at first, if they are not getting better, develop new or concerning symptoms, or are having trouble breathing, they need medical care right away.
Possible Reasons for a Lingering Cough
Is Your Child’s Cough Bronchitis?
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Children’s Health.What your child’s cough is telling you.Scheer FAJL, Hilton MF, Evoniuk HL, et al.The endogenous circadian system worsens asthma at night independent of sleep and other daily behavioral or environmental cycles.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021;118(37):e2018486118. doi:10.1073/pnas.2018486118Kanemitsu Y, Matsumoto H, Oguma T, et al.Independent factors contributing to daytime and nighttime asthmatic cough refractory to inhaled corticosteroids.J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2019;29(1):30-39. doi:10.18176/jiaci.0281Nemours KidsHealth.Coughing.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of whooping cough.Lam SHF, Homme J, Avarello J, et al.Use of antitussive medications in acute cough in young children.J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2021;2(3):e12467. doi:10.1002/emp2.12467Welte T, Ambrose LJ, Sibbring GC, Sheikh S, Müllerová H, Sabir I.Current evidence for COVID-19 therapies: a systematic literature review.Eur Respir Rev. 2021;30(159):200384. doi:10.1183/16000617.0384-2020Bower J, McBride JT.Croup in children (acute laryngotracheobronchitis). In:Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 2015:762–766.e1. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00061-8Cedars-Sinai.Croup in children.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Should you give kids medicine for coughs and colds?U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Use caution when giving cough and cold products to kids.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Children’s Health.What your child’s cough is telling you.Scheer FAJL, Hilton MF, Evoniuk HL, et al.The endogenous circadian system worsens asthma at night independent of sleep and other daily behavioral or environmental cycles.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021;118(37):e2018486118. doi:10.1073/pnas.2018486118Kanemitsu Y, Matsumoto H, Oguma T, et al.Independent factors contributing to daytime and nighttime asthmatic cough refractory to inhaled corticosteroids.J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2019;29(1):30-39. doi:10.18176/jiaci.0281Nemours KidsHealth.Coughing.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of whooping cough.Lam SHF, Homme J, Avarello J, et al.Use of antitussive medications in acute cough in young children.J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2021;2(3):e12467. doi:10.1002/emp2.12467Welte T, Ambrose LJ, Sibbring GC, Sheikh S, Müllerová H, Sabir I.Current evidence for COVID-19 therapies: a systematic literature review.Eur Respir Rev. 2021;30(159):200384. doi:10.1183/16000617.0384-2020Bower J, McBride JT.Croup in children (acute laryngotracheobronchitis). In:Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 2015:762–766.e1. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00061-8Cedars-Sinai.Croup in children.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Should you give kids medicine for coughs and colds?U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Use caution when giving cough and cold products to kids.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Children’s Health.What your child’s cough is telling you.Scheer FAJL, Hilton MF, Evoniuk HL, et al.The endogenous circadian system worsens asthma at night independent of sleep and other daily behavioral or environmental cycles.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021;118(37):e2018486118. doi:10.1073/pnas.2018486118Kanemitsu Y, Matsumoto H, Oguma T, et al.Independent factors contributing to daytime and nighttime asthmatic cough refractory to inhaled corticosteroids.J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2019;29(1):30-39. doi:10.18176/jiaci.0281Nemours KidsHealth.Coughing.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of whooping cough.Lam SHF, Homme J, Avarello J, et al.Use of antitussive medications in acute cough in young children.J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2021;2(3):e12467. doi:10.1002/emp2.12467Welte T, Ambrose LJ, Sibbring GC, Sheikh S, Müllerová H, Sabir I.Current evidence for COVID-19 therapies: a systematic literature review.Eur Respir Rev. 2021;30(159):200384. doi:10.1183/16000617.0384-2020Bower J, McBride JT.Croup in children (acute laryngotracheobronchitis). In:Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 2015:762–766.e1. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00061-8Cedars-Sinai.Croup in children.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Should you give kids medicine for coughs and colds?U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Use caution when giving cough and cold products to kids.
Children’s Health.What your child’s cough is telling you.
Scheer FAJL, Hilton MF, Evoniuk HL, et al.The endogenous circadian system worsens asthma at night independent of sleep and other daily behavioral or environmental cycles.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021;118(37):e2018486118. doi:10.1073/pnas.2018486118
Kanemitsu Y, Matsumoto H, Oguma T, et al.Independent factors contributing to daytime and nighttime asthmatic cough refractory to inhaled corticosteroids.J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2019;29(1):30-39. doi:10.18176/jiaci.0281
Nemours KidsHealth.Coughing.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Treatment of whooping cough.
Lam SHF, Homme J, Avarello J, et al.Use of antitussive medications in acute cough in young children.J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2021;2(3):e12467. doi:10.1002/emp2.12467
Welte T, Ambrose LJ, Sibbring GC, Sheikh S, Müllerová H, Sabir I.Current evidence for COVID-19 therapies: a systematic literature review.Eur Respir Rev. 2021;30(159):200384. doi:10.1183/16000617.0384-2020
Bower J, McBride JT.Croup in children (acute laryngotracheobronchitis). In:Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett’s Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 2015:762–766.e1. doi:10.1016/B978-1-4557-4801-3.00061-8
Cedars-Sinai.Croup in children.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Should you give kids medicine for coughs and colds?
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Use caution when giving cough and cold products to kids.
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