A cough lasting more than four weeks in a child is a chronic cough, and it always has a cause. This free guide explains what those causes are, which symptoms mean you should not wait, and what a specialist assessment actually involves.
Download the guide (PDF, 3 pages) ↓
What the guide covers
- Normal versus abnormal coughs — why six to eight viral infections a year is normal in pre-schoolers, and what makes a cough different
- The common causes — asthma and cough-variant asthma, post-viral airway inflammation, allergic rhinitis and post-nasal drip, reflux, protracted bacterial bronchitis, and habit cough
- Rarer causes not to miss — inhaled foreign body, primary ciliary dyskinesia, cystic fibrosis, immune deficiency
- Red flags — the eight symptoms that mean your child should be seen without delay
- Six practical things to do at home — keeping a cough diary, managing the indoor environment, why most cough syrups do not help, and when honey is genuinely useful
- What happens at the appointment — spirometry, chest X-ray, allergy testing, bronchoscopy and airway sampling
Who it is for
Parents of children whose cough has lasted more than four weeks, who keep being told it is "just another virus", or who have finished several courses of antibiotics without the cough clearing. It is written in plain language and is free to download, print and share.
A note on the red flags
If your child's cough started suddenly and they may have inhaled something, if they are coughing blood, or if there is persistent fever, weight loss, poor growth or worsening breathlessness, do not wait for an appointment. Seek medical review the same day.
