Version July 2025
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What is a cough? —
A cough is an important reflex that helps clear out the body's airways. The airways include the windpipe, or "trachea," and the bronchi, which are the tubes that carry air within the lungs. Coughing also helps keep people from breathing things into the airways and lungs that could cause problems (figure 1).
It is normal for children to cough once in a while. But sometimes, a cough is a symptom of an illness or other condition.
A cough is called "dry" if it doesn't bring up mucus, and "wet" if it does. The sound of a child's cough can be different depending on if it is wet or dry. Some coughs are mild, but others are severe. A severe cough can make it hard to breathe.
What causes a cough? —
In children, possible causes include:
●Infections of the airways or lungs – Often, a cough is related to the common cold. Other infections, including COVID-19, can also cause a cough.
●Having an object stuck in an airway
●Asthma – This is a lung condition that can make it hard to breathe.
●Breathing in smoke or polluted air – These things can irritate the airways. Other things, like dust, mold, or gases, can also cause a cough.
●Other lung problems, including conditions that some children are born with
●Coughing out of habit – This usually goes away when a child is sleeping.
Will the child need tests? —
Maybe. If your child sees a doctor, they will do an exam and ask about the child's symptoms. They might do tests, depending on the child's age and other symptoms.
There are different tests that doctors can do to see what's causing a cough. The most common include:
●Chest X-ray
●Tests to check for an infection – For example, the doctor can use a cotton swab to take a sample from the inside of the child's nose or throat. Then, they do lab tests on the sample.
●Breathing tests – These involve breathing hard into a tube. They show how the lungs are working. Most children 6 years old and older can do breathing tests.
●Bronchoscopy – This is a procedure in which a doctor uses a thin tube with a camera on the end (called a "bronchoscope") to look inside the child's airways. If the doctor finds an object stuck in the airway, they can remove it during this procedure.
How can I care for my child at home? —
If the cough is from a cold, croup, or another infection, you can:
●Have the child drink plenty of fluids. Warm liquids like tea or soup can help, if the child is old enough.
●If the child is older than 1 year, a small spoonful of honey might relieve their cough and help soothe their throat. Do not give honey to babies younger than 1 year.
●If the child is older than 4 to 5 years, sucking on lozenges or hard candy might help.
●Use a cool-mist humidifier in the child's sleeping area.
●Keep your child away from smoke and places where people are smoking.
If the cough is from croup, you can try running hot water in the shower to make steam. Sit in the bathroom with the child while they breathe in the steam. It might also help to have the child breathe outdoor air when it is cold out.
There are certain things that you should not do:
●Do not give over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to children, especially if they are younger than 6 years old. Cough and cold medicines are not likely to help, and they can cause serious problems in young children.
●Do not give aspirin to children younger than 18 years old. Aspirin can cause a life-threatening condition called Reye syndrome in young people.
How is a cough treated? —
Treatment depends on the cause of the child's cough. For example:
●Some infections are treated with antibiotic medicines. If an infection is caused by bacteria, doctors can treat it with antibiotics. Antibiotics do not work on infections caused by a virus, such as the common cold or COVID-19.
●Asthma is treated with medicines that a child usually breathes into their lungs.
●If a child has an object stuck in their airway, the doctor can do bronchoscopy to look for it and remove it.
Doctors do not usually give children medicines that "suppress" or quiet a cough. They don't usually work well, and they can have serious side effects in children.
When should I call the doctor? —
Call for emergency help right away (in the US and Canada, call 9-1-1) if:
●You can't wake your child up.
●Your child has trouble breathing, and has 1 or more of the following:
•Can only say 1 or 2 words at a time or cannot talk in a full sentence, or your baby has trouble crying
•Needs to sit upright at all times to breathe, or cannot lie down because their breathing is worse
•Is very tired from working to catch their breath
•Is making a grunting noise when they breathe
•Their skin pulls in between their ribs, below their ribcage, or above their collarbones (figure 2)
Call the doctor or nurse for advice if the child:
●Has a frequent cough and is younger than 4 months old
●Is having trouble breathing, has noisy breathing, or is breathing very fast (figure 2)
●Gets a cough after they choked on food or another object, even if they choked days or weeks ago
●Is coughing up blood, or yellow or green mucus
●Refuses to drink anything for a long time
●Has a fever, and is not acting like themselves
●Is coughing so hard that they vomit
●Has had the cough for more than 2 weeks, and is not getting any better
Patient education: Cough, runny nose, and colds (The Basics)
Patient education: Whooping cough in babies and children (The Basics)
Patient education: Coughing up blood (The Basics)
Patient education: Asthma in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Bronchiolitis and RSV in babies and children (The Basics)
Patient education: Pneumonia in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Croup (The Basics)
Patient education: Giving your child medicines (The Basics)
Patient education: Spirometry (The Basics)
Patient education: The common cold in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Asthma symptoms and diagnosis in children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Bronchiolitis and RSV in infants and children (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Croup in infants and children (Beyond the Basics)
