HealthInfo Canterbury
Coughs are very common in tamariki (children), especially preschoolers. Tamariki will often cough for three weeks or more after a simple cold.
There are two main types of coughs:
Common causes include:
You can treat most coughs at home.
If your tamaiti child is eating, drinking and breathing normally, they probably do not need to see a doctor.
As most coughs are caused by viruses, antibiotics will not help and may cause side effects.
You should take your tamaiti to see a doctor if:
HealthInfo recommends the following videos
The video talks about how to recognise a chronic persistent wet cough, and what you should do about it.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
A factsheet about chronic persistent wet cough.
Information about coughs in tamariki.
Explains about the different types of coughs, common causes and when to take your tamaiti to see a doctor.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed November 2021.
Review key: HICGC-13294