Ok, so my youngest (4 1/2 months), is incredibly congested sounding, though nothing comes out with the nasal aspirator. Last week, he started coughing, gagging, and choking with his feedings, especially at night. Long story short, we are now thickening his feedings which seems to help. However, he still coughs some after many of his feedings. He sounds so congested, and you can even feel it when you hold him. This occurs every day, many times a day. The coughing still wakes him up at night. This only started after all the coughing/choking/gagging with feedings episodes. His pedi tells me it is probably just some "upper airway" stuff. He's had that before, that goes away, this isn't. Am I just paranoid??

Tis the seasonal for fall environmental allergies. I'm not saying that's what your little guy has, but it can be a reason for longer periods of congestion. A lot of babies sound congested and it is just in their throats. There is so little distance between a baby's nose and lungs that it's hard to determine exactly where the rattle is coming from, but it's almost always in the throat.

Does the coughing bother your son, or does it bother you more that he's doing it? Trying running a warm mist vaporizer in his room when he sleeps. That might help.

Perhaps his reflux is flaring up? If the thickening helped, it might be the reflux acting up and rearing its ugly head. Maybe the doctor could try to increase the dosage.

I'm not sure what is causing this in your son but I do know that whenever Alex's reflux flares up, he gets really congested along with it. They always told me it was in his upper air way but I was really paranoid about it. I would take him to the dr just so they could listen to his lungs to make sure it wasn't pneumonia. It never was but it always made me feel better after they checked him out.

With someone so young it never hurts to have them checked out just in case it is in the chest and is not upper airway. As Lesley pointed out, it is in the throat most of the time but if you feel concerned about it get the peace of mind and have his chest checked.

I have two boys who are frequently congested due to reflux. Iain does aspirate so I keep a good eye on him and Curran always goes "chesty" when given opportunity to do so and that means trips to the ped to make sure he does not have pneumonia again.

The fact that he gags, coughs, etc. after feeds is a sign of GERD with a possible asthma connection as my youngest has and it does take time for diagnosis of this. I do not want to worry you, but rather you know it is a possibility to watch for. It took about 7 months for my guy to be put on constant asthma meds for this and another 7 months for him to be diagnosed with reflux. Take heart in that you have part of the picture already with reflux meds and diagnosis already.:wink:

My son gets incredible congested when he is off reflux meds. If it doesn't get any better with meds I would definatly get it checked out.

Maybe make a log about when it is happening and for how long, so that when you go to the Dr you have actual dates.

The same situation is occuring with my son. he is 6 months and has had a chronic congestion since middle of June. The doctor kept insisting he would grow out of and that the sound was coming from the throat and not the lungs. After being at the doctor's every week I demanded a chest X-ray. of course, they found something in the right lung which sshe can't either determine what it is. She puts him on antibiotics and Albuterol via nebulizer, but the rattling sound in the throat continues. I have sugested GERD many times but she refuses to diagnose him with it. He spits up, especially when it is liquids, coughs after feediings, and is constantly congested. I'm getting a second opinion tomorrow! I need to know what is really wrong with my son.
So I would suggest you take your child to the doctor to check him out. It's better safe than sorry.

My boys have been chronically congested since their reflux came on. It has gotten better as of late, but now they both have colds. The cough sounds like something to watch though.

Also, have you tried using saline drops before using the aspirator? This can help loosen any mucous. This works well with our boys when they have congestion from colds but when they are just congested b/c of reflux it doesn't do much when we aspirate. I still use the drops though as it seems to provide temporary relief. They are the non-medicated kind. I actually use a spray call Baby Simply Saline, I find it easier as it shoots a little thin stream into their nose. Those little bottles of drops I can never get them into their noses!

Ditto!
I want you to read this thread I started awhile back
http://www.infantrefluxdisease.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13182&highlight=snot

Look into laryngomalacia, or tracheomalacia.

Now I DO think Eric aspirated and it did effect his airways, but now that I know about laryngomalacia, and tracheomalacia, I don't think it happened as often as I originally thought.

I also could "feel" it when I held him.
Does it sound worse while on his back? While crying?
Anyway, check it out