I want to know what to do for my toddler my 2 yr old daughter had a fever and runny nose a few days ago that went away after one day/night. now she has a chest cough that sounds like it has mucous in it. a small fever that acetaminophen has helped and sne

It : It sounds like your daughter may have the common cold. This often presents with fever, runny nose, and a cough, and may last up to one week. If other family members have been sick, or if she is in school or child care with other children, this can increase the chance she caught a cold from someone else. It's great that she is acting so normally! I am always happy to see a toddler running around the exam room, and hear that she has been eating and drinking well! given your concerns about her chest cough, though, i'm glad you decided to take her to her doctor to make sure there wasn't anything more serious going on. I would worry if she had signs that it was hard to breathe (breathing hard or fast, having the skin between her ribs tug in or her nose flare when she breathes, or turning blue); i'd also worry if her nose was so congested that she was not able to drink fluids - some kids, especially little babies, have a very hard time with this. Young kids don't know how to blow their noses well, so they swallow a lot of that mucus which can upset their tummies, causing them to throw up. I'd be worried that she might be dehydrated - too dry - if she was not able to drink well, throwing up a lot, or making less wet diapers (or peeing in the potty, if she's already doing this!). I'd also worry if her fever got really high - over 102 of - especially if it didn't come down with Acetaminophen or ibuprofen, or if it lasted for over 5 days. Finally, if she was having any other symptoms that would make you concerned - take her to the doctor, because you know your child best! for colds, i often recommend using a humidifier in the room, trying to elevate the mattress (maybe books at one end?), using nasal saline (e.g. Ocean's, little noses 0.65% nacl) with a bulb suction (i know, it's hard in a 2 year old!), and Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen for pain or fever. Do not use cough and cold medicines in children under the age of 6 - they are not considered safe by the american academy of pediatrics (and most pediatricians!), and there is no solid evidence that they work in children like they are supposed to. Good luck! sincerely - dr. Marney gundlach.

Dr Levine agreed