Chronic cough in children

Abstract

Cough is one of the common symptoms, which is usually related to respiratory infections for children. This symptom is not considered crucial. Published data reported that the community prevalence of chronic cough in primary school children is 5%-10%, while the prevalence is likely to be higher in younger children. The cause of persistent cough should be investigated. There were significant differences in the causes and management for cough according to age. Chronic cough is defined as duration of 4 weeks or longer. Common culprits for chronic cough in children are different from those in adults. The authors reviewed articles about chronic cough of children to help improve the understanding and management for pediatric chronic cough.