Since birth my little girl has suffered from Asthma, as her lungs are still quite immature. She should grow out of it by the age of five, however every time she teethes or gets a cold we have endless nights of coughing that keeps us all awake.
It’s frustrating seeing her so exhausted only to wake seconds later as her cough disrupts her sleep, but it’s not only asthmatics that suffer from this, any baby can.
Teething causes an excess of saliva to be produced which can then irritate the throat leading to a cough, it also inflames the throat at times which narrows the airways, not in a dangerous way but enough to irritate.
Although we’ve battled through these sleepless nights, on the last occasion I reached out to two of my best friends, one is a GP and the other is Prescriptive Nurse so I knew any advice would be good.
They gave me some tips that I’d never heard before, so I thought I’d share as they certainly worked for us and if they work for an asthmatic baby, they must be twice as effective for a teething child.
Vapour Rub
They advised using adult strength vapour rub, not on the chest but on the soles of my daughter’s feet. Apparently it allows the camphor to be absorbed which is proven to calm a cough. It should be applied quite liberally and then socks put on over the top so baby can’t get to the rub.
Ibuprofen
Paracetamol is the first thing we usually reach for during a teething episode, yet ibuprofen makes much more sense. It reduces inflammation not only of the gums but of the airways too which can help ease a tickly cough. Goes without saying always read the label, stick to the doses and consult a midwife or doctor if in doubt.
Of course nothing replaces cuddles but these tips might help if you need a little sleep.
