Here’s a fact – babies pretend to cough or sneeze all the time. It is completely normal and is one of the first ways they try to communicate with their parents. Your little one is not able to communicate with words just yet, so the next best option is to make noises like a cough or sneeze. Babies start to do this when they are around six months old. Having said that, if your baby does not fake cough, there isn’t any reason why you should be alarmed. Other than making coughing and sneezing sounds, babies could make gurgling noises or just cry. All of these are different forms of communication that an infant uses. But, what is the kid trying to communicate by fake coughing?
Here are some the reasons why babies fake cough.
1. FOR ATTENTION
Most of the time, a baby pretends to cough only to get your attention. Babies are extremely smart. Your little munchkin must have figured out that when he or she coughs, you’re all ears, running to check on the baby. Once the baby has established that coughing gains your attention, there’s no stopping him
2. FOR FUN
Babies are playful. In fact, the first few years of a baby’s life is pretty much all play. Sometimes, babies cough just for fun. This shouldn’t be a surprise, because all that they do is a fun activity for them.
3. DUE TO THE SALIVARY GLANDS
We all know just how much babies drool. This is because their salivary glands get active once they hit two months. Babies don’t really know what to do with all that saliva. Should they spit it? Should they swallow it? They have no clue. So, they do the next best thing – they play with it. With the act of playing comes coughing
4. TEETHING
Teething can be a difficult time for babies, and it can cause a range of symptoms, including drooling, irritability, and coughing. Some babies may start fake coughing during teething because they are trying to alleviate the discomfort in their gums by creating extra saliva or because they have a post-nasal drip
5. HABITUAL BEHAVIOUR
Sometimes, babies start fake coughing because it has become a habit for them. They might have initially started doing it for attention or as a way to mimic others, but now they continue to do it even when they don’t necessarily want attention or hear someone else coughing. This is more common in older babies who have been fake coughing for a while.
6. ANXIETY
Just like adults, babies can experience anxiety or stress, especially when they are separated from their parents or in unfamiliar situations. Fake coughing can be a way for them to cope with their emotions or to signal that they are feeling anxious or stressed. If you notice that your baby is fake coughing more often in certain situations, such as at daycare or around strangers, it could be a sign that they are feeling uneasy.
7. FASCINATION ABOUT SOUND
Babies can hear way before they are even born. They start to hear when the mother is at the twenty-fifth or twenty-sixth week of pregnancy. Sounds fascinate babies to no extent, which is why several toys for kids come with different noises. In fact, sounds play a huge roll in the development of your little one because babies cannot see very clearly during the first few months after birth. Therefore, they depend a lot on their hearing. Sometimes, babies fake a cough simply because they are fascinated by the sound of the cough.