fluid in lungs after cough is gone

[Evelynmia'smom]

my 17 month old just got over a cold/cough...however, when she breathes I can still hear the mucus there and can feel it when I have my hand on her back....like her back is rattling...is this something to be concerned about or normal at the end of a bad cough?

[Traceround]

It is normal for me. Take that with a grain of salt though as I have asthma and so colds affect me a bit more than the typical person.

Usually for me the rattle is the goopy mucus and other crud left over from the cold that will eventually work its way out of the lungs.

Is she still coughing? If so, make sure that her fluid intake is high so that it can help thin out the mucus. Steamy bathrooms will also help a bit.

However, if she is still rattling for more than a couple days and showing other signs of respiratory distress then I would take her in just to make sure there isn't anything else going on.