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The Mother and Child Health and Education Trust
Facts for Life

Coughs, colds and more serious illnesses

Key Messages: What every health worker, family and community has a right to know
 

Why it is important - All key messages - Resources

  1. A child with a cough or cold should be kept warm and encouraged to eat and drink as much as possible.
  2. Sometimes, coughs are signs of a serious problem. A child who is breathing rapidly or with difficulty might have pneumonia, an infection of the lungs. This is a life-threatening disease. The child needs immediate treatment from a trained health worker, who can also provide a referral to a health facility.
  3. Families can help prevent pneumonia by making sure babies are exclusively breastfed for the first six months and that all children are well nourished and fully immunized.
  4. A child who has a prolonged cough that persists for more than three weeks needs immediate medical attention. The child may have tuberculosis, an infection in the lungs.
  5. Children and pregnant women exposed to smoke from tobacco or cooking fires are particularly at risk of pneumonia or other breathing illnesses.

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