Belfast health and Social Care Trust: Coughs and Colds
Coughs and colds are extremely common in young children. Over the first year of life, your child is likely to have up to eight of these episodes. Coughing is the body’s natural way of clearing infection.
Most of these are likely to be caused by a virus, which means that antibiotics are of no benefit (and may actually result in side effects such as rash and diarrhoea, as well as increasing the risk of them developing antibiotic resistance). See the video on antibiotic awareness below.
Having green snot or a noisy chest does not mean that your child has an infection requiring antibiotics.
Antibiotic Awareness
It can sometimes be harder to identify the cause of a cough. In general, if it is associated with a runny nose, red eyes, ear pain or a wheeze, it is far more likely to be viral. Noisy chests are also common in young children with viral infections.
Coughing can wake a child in the night but does not mean the illness is more severe.
Children requiring antibiotics usually appear more unwell, with difficulty breathing, drowsiness, cold hands and feet and possibly blue lips – your child may need urgent medical attention if any of these features are present. Use the guidance below to help you decide what to do.