Coughs and colds are extremely common in young children. Over the first few years of life, your child might have these every month.
- 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 don’t help. Antibiotics might cause side effects such as rash and diarrhoea, or increase the risk of developing antibiotic resistance.
- Having green snot or a noisy chest does not mean that your child has an infection needing antibiotics.
- Coughing can wake a child in the night but does not mean the illness is more severe.
We encourage you to visit this website for further information on managing common illnesses in children. It is incredibly helpful for parents of children of all ages and explains how to self-care for and treat common illnesses: www.healthiertogether.nhs.uk