Coughs up phlegm. Has difficulty breathing. Although in many cases it's best to leave a nighttime cough alone, doctors say there are steps you can take, when necessary, to make your child more comfortable. Offer lots to drink. Fluids such as juice, water or clear broth are some of the best expectorants around,'' explains Robert C. Beckerman, M.D., professor of pediatrics and physiology and section chief of pediatric pulmonology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans.
Fluids can loosen up a dry, hard cough and help expel phlegm.
When kids get stuffed up, they tend to breathe through the mouth, which dries out the throat and leads to a cough. Just keeping the mouth and throat moist may reduce the coughing,'' he says. Turn down the thermostat. Hot, dry air will irritate a cough. But if you set the thermostat lower, the cooler air will preserve some humidity,'' says Naomi Grobstein, M.D., a family physician in private practice in Montclair, New Jersey.