(Photo provided)

Parents have been sounding off to me with questions about when to worry about their child’s cough, especially during the winter months.

Let me see if I can make some noise on the topic of coughing.

Coughing is one of the most common symptoms we see in children. However, it usually only represents a minor problem such as a cold caused by a virus. There are approximately 200 other viruses besides the viruses we have been seeing such as COVID, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza (flu virus) that can cause a cough and cold.

In fact, when your child coughs, it is actually healthy for them to do so since it represents a type of reflex in the body that is trying to clear out the germs that have gotten into the throat or the chest.

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Worrisome Coughs:

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¯ It sounds like how a barking seal might sound. And, if it tends to get worse in the night, often with a high fever, then this type of cough suggests a special viral infection called croup and warrants a call and possible visit to your child’s health care professional for further treatment.

¯ It sounds like your child is “whooping,” especially at the end of a several coughs. This may be pertussis or whooping cough, especially if your child has not been immunized fully to prevent this serious infection. This type of cough also warrants a call, if not a visit.

¯ The cough is heard along with wheezes. This means you need to consider asthma as the possible culprit, which requires special treatment with medicines that will help to open up or dilate the airways. Hence, a call to your child’s health care professional.

¯ It starts suddenly without other cold symptoms. This may be a signal that your child has choked on food or an unexpected object has gone down the wrong pipe and needs to be removed. This may be a medical emergency, so medical attention should certainly be sought.

¯ It lasts more than a week. And, if your child is also having any trouble breathing, appears blue in the face, has a thick and mucousy cough associated with fever that could be suggestive of an infection like pneumonia or COVID, or you’re just concerned about the cough, please call your child’s health care professional for further evaluation.

Hopefully, tips like these will air out any concerns you might have and allow you to breathe more comfortably the next time you are concerned about your child’s cough.

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Lewis First, MD, is Chief of Pediatrics at The University of Vermont Children’s Hospital and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. You can also catch “First with Kids” weekly on WOKO 98.9FM and NBC5.