Conference moira::parenting_v3

>                   <<< Note 506.0 by DNEAST::KRAMER_JULIE >>>
>                              -< Morning Cough? >-
>
>    I have a 3 month old boy that a few weeks ago, seems so, would
>    cough in the morning.  I called my Dr.s office and the nurse

>    throat, coughing was the way for him to move it.  After he coughs
>    and moves what ever around, he seems fine for the rest of the day.


Sounds like smokers' cough.  Does he smoke?  :)

    Dry air can cause that kind of cough because the body produces
    more mucus to protect the lining of the air passages from drying
    out. The excess runs into the back of the throat.  
    
    If you have forced hot air, you might also want to check that the
    vents are clean -- dust and other irritants in the air can cause
    this kind of cough.  
    
    --bonnie

>    I was wondering if this is normal and if anybody else has experienced
>    with this.  

Don't know about the first question, but as for the second questioned, in a 
word, yes.  We had very similar situations, and received very similar 
advice from our ped.

I wouldn't be suprised if the onset coincided with when you started running 
the heat.  If you have forced hot air heat, it's a simple matter to install a 
humidifier on your furnace.  We had a plumber do it -- I have no idea how easy 
or hard it is to do yourself.  That frees you from having to clean and fill up 
a humidifier every night.  I don't know why your humidifier hasn't helped you 
to date, though.

Clay

    My son (2.8 years old) has a similar cough - morning only. He hjas had 
    a series of colds months gone by and is just having a tough time getting 
    rid of the stuff caught in his lungs. 
    
    If your little one has had a cold, even a while back, or even just a
    runny nose can cause all those fluids to go down the throat undetected
    by us, that could be the culprit. When my son is teething, there is an
    increase in fluids so some slipping down his throat has to be expected. 
    Maybe your little one is starting to have some teeth move. 
    
    I did ask if such a cough could turn into pneumonia and the doctor told
    me that if he wasn't suffering signs of a cold, stuffy nose, teething,
    etc and the cough was getting much worse then they might consider a
    chest x-ray. So long as the cough isn't getting worse without a cause,
    you'll be all set. It is frustrating to hear that cough but the fluids
    just need to get resettled after laying down. 
    
    Keep an eye (or ear) on it, and if you aren't comfortable with it
    getting better, visit the pedi. I know my son took a "turn for the
    worse" when we moved into a furnished apartment while our furniture was
    being shipped, and the dust really got to him and his lungs seem to
    fill up. I'll qualify this with the fact that my husband is allergic to
    dust and has hayfever, so our son might just also be allergic to it
    (may present assumption so I guess I have to really dust now!!).
    
    Andrea

    We do not smoke, so I know thats not the cause.
    
    We burn wood and have an oil furnace for backup.  I know wood heat
    can be very dry.  Thats why we have a humidifier.  Now with the baby,
    I can see that we are going to have to pay more attention to the 
    humidity.  Were trying to keep it around 45 - 50%.  
    
    He cough again this morning but it didn't seem as much, maybe the
    combination of lifting the head of the mattress and the humidier
    will work, but may take time.
    
    I'm a first time mom, so all this is new to me.  
    Any input is welcomed.
    
    This notes file is great!
    Thanks,
    Julie
    

    I have a book called Childwise.  It list products that are safe/unsafe
    for children.  Anyway, this book does not recommend ultrasonic
    humidifiers (and a couple of other products) for children because mold
    and other bacteria can be released in the air.  You may want to check
    this.  I know that your son's cough came before the humidifier, but
    this may be making the problem worse.
    
    Maybe the smoke from the wood stove, or spores within the wood itself
    are irritating the little guy's breathing passages.

    re: .6
    
    Yes, I've heard this also.   However, the pedi's recommend the
    ultrasonic humidifiers because there is no risk of burns.  We 
    ended up buying the Sunbeam warm-mist humidifier (looks like
    the ultrasonic units but actually boils the water...the mist is
    warm, not hot).  We've had nothing but trouble with this unit
    and am not sure if the trouble is characteristic of this type
    of humidifier, this particular brand/model, or if we just have
    a defective unit.  I've lost track of the number of times my
    husband has had to open the thing up, resolder here, make 
    adjustments there, etc.
    
    As far as the morning cough, my son has had it for a few weeks
    also.  However, he shows other signs of an imminent cold (which
    will make the third already this season!).   
    
    carol

If you do use eoither a furnace or portable humidifier, ensure that it
is kept scrupulously clean ... I know people who have had problems like this
who had terrible problems when the humidifier was on ... when off they went
away ... the cause was bacteria and fungal spores in the humidifier.

There have been a couple of notes in Parenting re humidifiers (one in V2)
and in HOME_WORK re humidifiers ...

Stuart

    I have been up to my kazoo in work lately, have been really slow in
    responding to some of these.  But from what I understand from my son's
    Pedi-pulmonary specialist, is that if you child is given to bronchial
    type things, which sometimes turn into asthma, burning wood is the
    *worst* irritant.  Second only to pet hair.  We have friends who either
    won't come visit during wood stove season, or will give us two days
    notice that they'll be coming so we can air out the house, because
    their son is so allergic he'll cough the whole time he's there.
    
    I too was told that the ultrasonic humidifiers will draw bacteria laden
    mist deep into the lungs, but cleaning the machine once a week with
    some good disinfectant will be sufficient. Unless your child sits
    directly in the mist and literally sucks it in, there isn't a chance it
    could cause pneumonia.
    
    As a side note, there is a viral bug which causes a severe cough going
    around.  We're pretty sure AJ brought it home from daycare, and my
    husband and I still have the excess mucous, coughing fits-bigtime even
    after a full month of this.  My doctor said the bare minimum time for
    cure of this virus is at leasat 3 weeks.  Sounds like your child may
    just be a statistic of this virus.
    
    Hang in there!!
    Lyn