Cough and runny nose are common in young children. In most cases, these symptoms indicate the appearance of an inflammatory process in the airways. Most often, parents think that a cough and a runny nose occur against the background of ARVI. However, a child's cough can be allergic, and in infants it often appears during the period of teething. Therefore, in order to correctly determine the cause of a cough in a newborn, it is necessary to contact a pediatrician who will diagnose and prescribe the necessary treatment.
To treat a child's cough, you need to find out the cause.
Is it possible to walk with a baby when coughing
The appearance of colds, cough and runny nose, changes the entire daily routine of an infant. Parents cancel walks, wrap up the baby, carry out various procedures in order to quickly get rid of painful symptoms. Often they themselves get physically tired during childhood illness, since the baby's sleep and appetite are disturbed, he is a lot of capricious, he can cry for no reason. Therefore, as soon as the situation improves, despite the remaining signs of the disease, mothers begin to ask doctors whether it is possible to walk with a child when coughing.
Pediatricians explain to parents if an infant coughs, before planning a walk, it is necessary to understand the nature of the disease and the level of its course. Of great importance is the age of the newborn, the usual reaction of his body to irritating factors. If the cough has arisen due to a cold, then the first few days you should not walk with the child, since a cold can be difficult, especially at an early age. Against the background of ARVI, the general condition worsens, the temperature rises, weakness and chills, lethargy and apathy appear. In any case, at the onset of the disease, the baby needs bed rest, which should be observed until the temperature and general condition are normalized.
The benefits and harms of walking with a baby when coughing
Most pediatricians claim that walking in the fresh air contributes to the speedy recovery of a sick baby. However, parents may face a situation when an exacerbation of the disease appears after walking, for example, coughing and nasal flow intensify. Therefore, the decision to walk with a coughing baby should be discussed with a pediatrician.
Important! If the condition of a sick child is in a period of exacerbation, it means that exercise in frosty and windy weather will bring undoubted harm. In addition, the sick person himself becomes a source of spread of viruses. At this time, it is better to stay at home and observe the state of the crumbs.
As soon as the acute period of the disease begins to move into a more stable phase, pediatricians recommend going for a walk with the baby. It will only benefit him for a little cough.
Walking has a healing effect on coughs and runny nose
Walks have a health-improving effect, as the baby breathes cool air, especially away from highways and noisy streets, sleeps long and soundly, builds up appetite, and increases its immunity.
When you can walk with your child when coughing on the street
You should not rush to go out with a sick baby, no matter how tired the mother is from the home regime. Pediatricians advise to gradually resume walking when the exacerbation of the disease passes. Outdoor walks are considered part of therapy. Despite conflicting opinions, they have been proven to help get rid of coughs and help heal a child's body. The fact is that fresh air normalizes and deepens breathing, promotes the active removal of pathogenic nasal mucus.
Note. Pediatricians reassure mothers that a wet cough may worsen during a walk. There is no need to worry - this is a good sign, since the cool air dilutes the bronchial secretions, makes it easier to separate sputum, and allows the child to cough up. With a wet cough, the lumen of the bronchi reflexively expands, and breathing is facilitated even with a runny nose.
Children's doctor Komarovsky claims that a newborn who has a problem with the functioning of the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract needs fresh air much more than a healthy baby.
Pediatricians recommend that after a walk, measure body t, examine the throat. With an increase in cough, the appearance of snot and signs of intoxication, that is, the fight of immunity with harmful microorganisms, it is better to temporarily refuse exercise.
When you can't walk with your child when coughing on the street
You should refrain from staying in the fresh air when there is a strong wind or very low temperature outside. It is recommended to at least temporarily postpone going outside if the illness is accompanied by obvious violations in the general condition of the infant. For example, in infants, this may be characterized by sharp excitement or, conversely, lethargy, poor appetite, and frequent regurgitation.
It is highly undesirable to walk with a coughing child if he has a high fever and weakness
Pediatricians have identified the main reasons why walking with a cough can be canceled:
- Increase in body t, which does not decrease even with the use of antipyretic drugs;
- Sharp jumps in t from a normal reading to 39 degrees, which is typical in the case of a pulmonary disease, for example, pneumonia;
- Difficulty breathing with severe shortness of breath, paroxysmal cough, in which the child cannot clear his throat;
- Diagnoses confirmed by a doctor, for example, bronchitis, especially with an asthmatic component, severe laryngitis, purulent follicular tonsillitis and other diseases.
Important! In no case should you go outside immediately after medical procedures. It is necessary to wait at least half an hour after inhalation, massage or warming up, which allow the child to clear his throat well, only then can you take a walk. The first walk after illness should be short, no more than 20 minutes. If it goes well and the child's condition does not worsen, the time spent outdoors can be increased every day.
How to walk with a child when coughing on the street
The question of whether it is allowed to walk with the child while coughing often causes controversy among parents. Some are sure that a walk is harmful to health, while others prove its benefits. Pediatricians say that it is necessary to walk, but certain rules must be followed:
- Babies can be taken out into the street only under favorable weather conditions and good general health;
- When going out into the street, it is important to dress the baby correctly. The baby must not overheat or overcool, so clothing must be appropriate for the weather and seasonal patterns.
To walk with a sick child at any time of the year, you must adhere to the basic rules
Of particular concern to mothers is the question of whether a child can walk with a cough in winter. Winter is the season of mass illness of children with viral infections. In order for a winter walk to be beneficial and not worsen the patient's condition, it must be properly organized. For this, pediatricians have drawn up basic rules, for example, it is forbidden to walk, even if the air temperature is 0 degrees, but there is slush outside, damp weather, and a piercing wind.
Important! When walking with the baby, the mother needs to make sure that the baby breathes through the nose, does not catch cold air in his mouth. This can aggravate the disease due to the strong cooling of the bronchi. In the winter season, in the first days after the acute period of the disease, the walk should last about half an hour. If the cough worsens after being outdoors, you should stay at home for a couple of days, then resume walking.
In autumn and spring, the weather is often accompanied by dampness and strong winds. Therefore, the rules for conducting spring and autumn walks will be the same:
- It is not recommended to take the baby out to fresh air in case of rain, fog, chilly wind.
- It's better to choose good days for walking. Even if the day is cloudy, but there is no rain, you can take a great walk with your baby.
- Just as in winter, the first walks after an illness should not be long, twenty minutes is enough.
Many parents think that you can go for a walk indefinitely in the summer, but this is a misconception. On hot days, you should refuse to stay outside, since in such weather the air becomes too dry, which is a strong irritant for children's bronchi. On a hot day, it is better to go out for no more than half an hour, to the nearby reservoirs.
If the weather is comfortable, not hot, summer exercise in the first week after illness can be extended up to an hour. Mom should be attentive to the baby's condition, for example, if a newborn is sweating, you need to return home with him and change. This is important, as being in wet clothes for a long time can lead to an increase in the child's cough.
When dressing a child for a summer walk, you need to take into account the peculiarities of his thermoregulation.
Note. Parents need to know that thermoregulation in infants is not yet sufficiently developed, so they easily overcool or overheat. It is important to dress the baby correctly on summer days, in clothes that are comfortable for him. If it is very hot, pediatricians recommend going outside in the evening so that the hot air does not irritate the baby's airways.
Do not be afraid to walk with your child with a cough and a runny nose. A walk is a useful procedure for your baby's health. The main thing is to follow the basic rules and monitor the well-being of a sick child.
