A cough that has been present for more than four weeks in a child is defined as a chronic cough and warrants systematic assessment rather than repeated courses of cough syrups or antibiotics. The most common causes of chronic cough in children that benefit from specific treatment include asthma, where cough is often the predominant or only symptom particularly at night or with exercise; allergic rhinitis with post-nasal drip; protracted bacterial bronchitis, a low-grade airway infection that responds to a prolonged course of the right antibiotic; pertussis (whooping cough) that was missed or atypical in its initial presentation; and post-viral cough that follows a respiratory infection and resolves slowly over weeks. Less commonly, chronic cough in children can indicate a foreign body in the airway, bronchiectasis, or other structural or immunological conditions that require investigation. The history of the cough, its character, its triggers, its timing, and associated symptoms, combined with physical examination, spirometry where age-appropriate, and chest X-ray where indicated, guide the diagnosis. At my Child Care and Allergy-Asthma Center, Dhupguri, with my International Certification in Paediatric Pulmonology (ICCP), I assess chronic cough in children systematically, using objective lung function testing and a structured diagnostic approach rather than empirical sequential antibiotic prescribing.
Written by Dr. Debashish Roy, MBBS, MD (Paediatrics), AASC (Allergy Asthma Specialist Course), FAAP (Fellowship in Advanced Allergy Procedures), ICCP (International Certification in Paediatric Pulmonology), Senior Consultant Pediatrician, Allergy and Asthma Specialist, Pediatric Pulmonologist and Immunologist, Founder, Dr. Debashish Roy's Child Care and Allergy-Asthma Center, Ward No. 12, Madhyaara, Santiniketan Road, Purba Daukimari, Dhupguri, West Bengal 735210 (Monday to Sunday, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM). Also at Basak Medical Hall, Birpara Tea Garden, West Bengal 735204 (Monday to Sunday, 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM). 25+ years. 50,000+ patients. Phone: +91 9732822677 / 9332050468.
