Cough is one of the major reasons for outpatient visits in pediatric clinics. Frequently the sound of the cough leads to the right diagnosis. Diseases accompanied with acute cough are very often. In most cases viral infections of the upper airways are responsible for the symptoms. Contrary to viral infections in adults, cough is a major symptom in children. Usually there is no need for further diagnostic procedures. Chronic cough on the other hand should always initiate more profound diagnostic steps. Next to prolonged respiratory infections, symptoms of atopy, of congenital malformation or of a chronic disease should be realized. Actually the evidence for a specific therapy in respiratory diseases accompanied with cough is very low. Most of the studies are of low methodological quality and especially pediatric studies are rare. Therefore further studies are urgently needed.