Q&A: My 40-day-old baby is coughing and has chest congestion. What can I do?

I am very glad you asked this question, as it gives me the opportunity to tell you, as well as emphasize for all parents, the importance of having a doctor carefully evaluate any symptoms of concern in a newborn (which most definitely includes hoarseness and coughing, with or without vomiting). Newborns do not yet have fully developed immune systems equipped to fight infection, nor are they old enough to have been adequately protected by immunizations—both factors that can put them at significantly greater risk of having a more serious infection.

Given the symptoms you describe, this raises the concern of one infection in particular known as pertussis (or whooping cough) that can not only cause vomiting after coughing, but actually cause young babies to stop breathing. While it's true that newborns can get the same run-of-the-mill pesky colds that you or I get, it's extremely important not to just assume this is the case, or to make the mistake of turning to home remedies without medical evaluation and doctor approval first.