What should I do if my baby has a cough with phlegm?

Generally, a baby's cough with phlegm may be caused by environmental factors, tracheal foreign bodies, upper airway cough syndrome, bronchitis, pneumonia, and other reasons. The solution needs to be selected according to the specific cause to achieve therapeutic effects. Prompt medical attention is required, and treatment should follow medical advice. Details are as follows:

1. Environmental factors: If the environment where the baby lives is excessively dry, cold, or contains a lot of smoke, it may irritate the baby's respiratory tract, causing moisture loss and fragility of the respiratory mucosa, which can lead to coughing with phlegm. Keeping indoor air humid by using a humidifier. When going out in cold weather, ensure the baby is properly kept warm. Try to avoid exposing the baby to polluted environments.

2. Tracheal foreign bodies: While playing or eating, babies may accidentally inhale small objects into their trachea, which can cause severe coughing accompanied by phlegm. Foreign bodies may block the airway, affecting breathing, which is a relatively dangerous situation. If a tracheal foreign body is suspected, seek immediate medical attention. Doctors will choose appropriate methods to remove the foreign body based on its location and nature. Once the foreign body is removed, the baby's coughing symptoms usually improve.

3. Upper airway cough syndrome: This condition is a common cause of chronic cough in children. Babies may present with rhinitis or postnasal drip, where nasal secretions flow backward into the throat, irritating the throat and causing symptoms such as coughing and expectoration, accompanied by nasal congestion. Follow medical advice to use medications such as ambroxol hydrochloride oral solution, ambroxol-triprolidine oral solution, roxithromycin granules, etc., for cough treatment.

4. Bronchitis: This condition is caused by infection with pathogens such as bacteria or viruses, which irritate the respiratory mucosa and cause coughing. Inflammation can also stimulate increased secretions in the bronchi, leading to coughing with phlegm in babies, often accompanied by white mucus. Under a doctor's guidance, medications such as amoxicillin granules, ribavirin granules, dextromethorphan hydrobromide granules, etc., can be used for treatment, which have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and cough-suppressing effects.

5. Pneumonia: This condition is caused by bacterial or viral infections. Due to lung inflammation, a large amount of secretion is produced, and the mucous membranes in the lungs are irritated by inflammatory secretions, resulting in reflexive coughing, leading to coughing with phlegm in babies, often accompanied by rapid breathing. Medications should be used following medical advice, such as azithromycin granules, cefaclor granules, Siji anti-virus mixture, etc., to combat infection and viruses.

In daily life, encourage the baby to drink more water and keep the indoor air moist, which helps alleviate symptoms.