Most coughs are caused by a viral infection, inhaling bits of food or other foreign objects or exposure to secondhand smoke. When your child coughs repeatedly five to ten times without being able to take a breath, and when she does take a breath it makes a whooping sound, and coughing episodes are accompanied by fever and weight loss followed by vomiting, your child may have whooping cough. For relief of symptoms in older children, help them to sit up and lean forward during a coughing bout. A cool mist humidifier may help loosen bronchial secretions and soothe the cough. Don't give cough medicine unless prescribed by your child's doctor.
Whooping cough is most dangerous to infants.
Immunizations are available beginning at two months of age. This condition may be alarming. It is rarely dangerous. Croup is seen most often in children 3 months to 3 years of age. It generally lasts five to seven days and is worse at night.