Archive · 10 Jan 2026
Perfume Linked to Chronic Cough in Infants
Doctors in Pune found out that a baby's long-lasting cough was caused by the mother's strong perfume.
The baby had been coughing for eight months, and doctors couldn't find the reason until they noticed the perfume.
Babies' lungs are very sensitive, and strong smells can irritate them.
The doctors said that perfumes have lots of chemicals that can make babies cough.
They advised using perfumes carefully and avoiding strong scents around babies.
If someone keeps coughing after being around perfumes, it might be a sign that the perfume is causing the problem.
Doctors also said to use fragrance-free products and keep the air fresh around babies.
A child under two in Pune had a persistent cough for eight months, with no clear cause found through extensive medical tests.
Doctors discovered the cough was triggered by the mother's use of strong perfume, which irritated the child's sensitive airways.
Infants are more vulnerable to environmental irritants like perfumes because their respiratory systems are still developing.
Perfumes contain complex chemical cocktails that can irritate the nose, throat, and lungs, leading to coughing and other symptoms.
Experts advise using perfumes sparingly, avoiding spraying them near the face, and choosing fragrance-free products, especially around infants.
- Who
- A child under the age of two and their mother in Pune, Maharashtra, India
- What
- A persistent cough in the child that was linked to the mother's use of strong perfume
- When
- The cough persisted for nearly eight months before the trigger was identified
- Where
- The incident occurred in Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Why
- The child's sensitive airways were irritated by the strong fragrance from the perfume, leading to a persistent cough
- Location
- Pune, Maharashtra, India
- Age of Child
- Under 2 years
- Duration of Cough
- 8 months
- Trigger
- Perfume used by the child's mother
- Symptoms
- Persistent cough, no fever, no breathing distress, no weight loss, no developmental delay
- Expert
- Dr. A S Sandhya, Consultant in Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine
- Management Advice
- Use perfumes sparingly, avoid spraying near face, neck, or chest, ensure good ventilation, choose fragrance-free products