Cough That Keeps Coming Back? See a Child Specialist Doctor in Kolkata

The cough is back again, weeks after the last one settled, and you are searching for the best child specialist doctor in Kolkata to find out why. A cough that returns with every cold, a whistle in the chest at night, or sneezing every morning deserves a proper look, not another bottle from the chemist. At MCR Super Speciality Polyclinic & Pathology in Behala, a paediatrician examines your child and explains the next step.

Book now: call or WhatsApp 9830525004, or tap Book Now on the Paediatrics Department page. Note when the cough is worse and what sets it off.

Go to a hospital emergency instead, straight away, if your child:

is choking and cannot cough, cry or breathe: start choking first aid at once (back blows and chest thrusts for a baby under 1; back blows and abdominal thrusts for an older child) and have someone call 112. Go to emergency afterwards even if the object seems to come out.
started coughing or wheezing after choking on a peanut, seed, food or small object, even if it seemed to settle
has the lower chest or the skin between the ribs sucking in with each breath
has bluish or grey lips, tongue or face
is too breathless to talk, cry or feed, or grunts with every breath
makes a harsh, high-pitched sound when breathing in while calm and resting, or drools and cannot swallow
has pauses in breathing, or turns blue or dark red during coughing fits
is unusually drowsy, floppy or hard to wake
has a fit (convulsion), cannot drink, or vomits everything
is a baby under 2 months who is breathing fast (60 or more breaths a minute), feeding poorly, has a fever or feels cold
has asthma and the reliever inhaler is not helping, the relief lasts less than 4 hours, or the child's written asthma action plan says to go to hospital
after a food, medicine or insect sting, has swelling of the lips, face or tongue, a hoarse voice, noisy or wheezy breathing, repeated vomiting, or turns pale and floppy (use an adrenaline auto-injector first if one has been prescribed)

MCR is an outpatient clinic and cannot treat emergencies. For any of these signs, go straight to the nearest hospital emergency at any hour, even when the clinic is open; do not wait for a clinic appointment. For emergency help or an ambulance, call 112.

See a doctor the same day if your child

is breathing faster than usual (count breaths for one full minute while the child is calm: 50 or more at 2 to 12 months, 40 or more at 1 to 5 years)
has a cough with fever for more than 3 days, or a fever that comes back
has coughing fits that end in a whoop or in vomiting
is a baby under 3 months with any cough
coughs up blood

Call or WhatsApp 9830525004 and ask whether a paediatrician can see your child today. After 8 PM, on a Sunday, or if no paediatrician is free, see a doctor elsewhere the same day, such as at a hospital.

When a cough keeps returning, book a visit

A cough lasting more than two weeks, or one that returns with every cold. Tell the doctor if there is also fever, weight loss or poor appetite, night sweats, or anyone at home with TB.
Wheeze, or a cough worse at night, early morning, or after running or cold air
Sneezing, a blocked nose and itchy eyes most mornings
A child on an inhaler who still wakes at night, misses school or needs the reliever inhaler more than twice a week (more than once a week if aged 5 or under)

Who you can see

Looking for a child asthma doctor in Kolkata? Our paediatricians (spelt "pediatrician" in American English) are child specialist doctors who see children with cough, wheeze, allergy and asthma. Ask for:

Doctor – Background – Languages – Fee
Dr. Dikpati Mukherjee – 12 years of experience managing childhood illnesses and development – Bengali, Hindi, English – Rs 800
Dr. Pallabi Hui – Paediatrician; sees children by appointment – Ask when booking – Ask when booking

Asthma and allergy are usually reviewed over several visits, so a clinic close to home matters. See every MCR paediatrician on the Paediatrics Department page.

Child allergy, cough and wheeze: what we help with

Cough that lingers after a cold or returns every few weeks
Wheeze, and whether the pattern points to asthma or to colds alone
Asthma reviews: inhaler and spacer technique, triggers, a written action plan
Allergic rhinitis: sneezing, blocked nose, itchy eyes
Blood or urine tests the doctor advises, at MCR's own pathology lab in the same building

Please do not start antibiotics or cough syrups on your own. Most childhood coughs are viral, and antibiotics do not treat viruses.

Winter and pollution: steps at home

From Kali Puja onwards, Kolkata's air turns hazy.

On firecracker nights, keep your child indoors, windows shut.
Skip mosquito coils in a closed bedroom; use a bed net.
Keep agarbatti and dhuno smoke away from your child. No smoking at home or in the car, even in another room or by the door.
If the doctor thinks dust-mite allergy plays a part, wash bedsheets and pillow covers weekly in hot water and sun-dry them.
Send the reliever inhaler, its spacer and a copy of the written asthma action plan to school, and tell the class teacher.

How to reach us

MCR Super Speciality Polyclinic & Pathology, 11A, Sourin Roy Road, near Behala Tram Depot, beside Ellora Cinema Hall, Behala, Kolkata 700034. Close to Sarsuna, Thakurpukur, Joka, Parnasree, Barisha, Silpara, Taratala, New Alipore and Tollygunge.

Clinic hours: Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 8 PM. Sunday closed. Doctors keep their own timings, so please book first.

Quick answers

Does a wheeze always mean asthma? No. Many young children wheeze only with viral colds and outgrow it. The paediatrician looks at the pattern first.

Will my child need inhalers for life? Not necessarily. Many young children who wheeze only with colds outgrow it, and a child with asthma often needs less medicine once it is under control. Inhalers with a spacer are not addictive. Do not stop a preventer inhaler on your own when your child seems well; the paediatrician reviews the plan at each visit.

Should my child have the flu vaccine? IAP recommends a flu vaccine every year for all children aged 6 months to 5 years, and for older children with asthma. In Kolkata, aim to give it before the monsoon. Children under 9 having it for the first time need two doses, four weeks apart. If it was missed this year, ask your paediatrician whether to give it now.

Can a follow-up be online? A new or worsening cough needs an in-person examination. Online consultation can suit a review of reports.