What's the best next step for my 4 month old's nagging cough?

Question

My daughter is 4-1/2 months old and has had nasal congestion and a nagging, dry cough for the past 6 weeks! We have been to the pediatrician's office 3 times and had her seen by different doctors in the practice - all agree nothing is out of the ordinary. "Nasal congestion is normal for formula fed babies" and "lungs are clear." 😩 The poor thing wakes up every night and has an hour long coughing fit! I'd like a second opinion, but don't know where to start. ENT? Allergist? (Is she too young for pet allergies?) Thanks!

Answer

Not a walk in clinic. They are not specialists. You’ve already had a handful of non-specialists all tell you the same thing. A walk in clinic is going to likely have the same knowledge and would be at a disadvantage because they wouldn’t have your LO’s medical records. 
Go to a specialist and have your baby‘s medical records sent over. Not sure which specialist though.

Answer

My 14 WO has had a nagging cough for 2+ weeks now. I took her to the GP, who checked her chest and said it sounded fine. She had a snotty nose and sneezing at first but that’s well gone now. She’s EBF. I have no idea what to do either!

Answer

the allergists don't like to see them before 2... 1 is the earliest typically and even then bc their skin is so sensitive they react to everything so the testing isn't typically done.

Answer

You could also try an aromatherapy diffuser. I watch my niece for my sister and over the winter she was constantly sick with a runny nose and coughing. I would put my diffuser on the end table next to my side of the couch and lay with her next to it, with the an oil blend called Breath Easy and it helped her a lot. My sister would drop her off the next day and say whatever I’m doing is working and to keep doing it. We did that on top of her Zarbees.

Answer

have you tried having someone watch her while you deep clean your house. if you have carpeting and own your home, remove it and put down hard flooring. any stuffed animals should be washed and dried and stored. all furniture cleaned as well. keep a minimalist household and if you run a humidifier make certain it's actually clean ore you are exacerbating her coughing. cool mist is best for coughing/congestion. all curtains should also be washed along with bedding.
all mattresses and pillows in the home should bee covered with allergen protectors.
these measures should make a big difference.
best to you

Answer

I tried seeing about my son going to an allergist.. He isnt even 2 yet and the pediatrician said he is still too young for the allergist bc the testing they do is too intense for a little one. I remember the skin test when I was a teen. I know if I was a few months old or a toddler.. something like that would've horrified me.

Answer

It is pretty normal. My son had a lot of those moments. He could have a cough for a solid 1-2 months easily. My suggestion to you before going to more doctors that will most likely tell you he’s fine would be to get a humidifier and crank that baby up at night for your little one. Use saline drops and the nose frida to make sure the nose t all cleared out. And you can buy some baby Vick’s (we use the zarbees brand) and put a little on the chest. You can also try raising the head of his mattress slightly by putting a towel underneath. I went thought this a bunch where I’d go back to the doctor a month later because he still had a cough and it was always that same thing “his lungs sound great”, “colds can last a good month in babies”, “just keep doing what you’re doing.” So I’d say try all that and if it doesn’t help then maybe go from there. Also I know zarbees does make a cough medicine good for ages 2 months+ now that would be up to you if you’d want to give it a go. We started using it when our son would get a cough again (but we didn’t start using it until he was about 9 months old because I didn’t know about it until then).

What's the best next step for my 4 month old's nagging cough?

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