If your child has had a cold or the flu, and her coughing gets worse when you thought it was getting better, it could be pneumonia. "Pneumonia is an infection inside the lungs. It occurs when either bacteria or viruses get stuck in the lungs," explains pediatrician and author William Sears, M.D., on his AskDrSears.com website. When that happens, the germs and bacteria multiply, he says, and mucus in the lungs gets infected. It's not always easy to tell if a child has pneumonia, but if she exhibits numerous symptoms---not just one or two---it's very likely.
Fever, Chills and Aches
Children with pneumonia will have a medium to high fever between 101 and 105 degrees F, but usually over 102. The high temperature often comes on suddenly and is usually accompanied by severe chills, as well as possible muscle aches and headaches.
Respiratory Problems
The most important three indicators of pneumonia are fever combined with both a cough and sustained rapid or labored breathing, says Sears. He describes the typical cough as being "often junky sounding," and says that rather than the temporary rapid breathing brought on by a fever, a child with pneumonia will have it continually. Other respiratory issues associated with pneumonia are wheezing or grunting sounds, stabbing chest pains that continue after a coughing fit has subsided and sometimes a blue color on the face---especially around the lips---because of a lack of oxygen. However, the nonprofit health website KidsHealth.org points out that sometimes rapid breathing is a child's only symptom, and if the pneumonia is in the lower lungs, there might not be a breathing problem at all---just the other symptoms, including fever, vomiting and abdominal pain. This wide variation in symptoms is due to the origin. If the illness is caused by a bacterial infection, it results in sudden high fever, very rapid breathing and the coughing up of phlegm. On the other hand, if it's caused by a virus, the symptoms are less severe, come on more slowly and are more likely to include wheezing, a dry hacking cough and body ache.
Digestive Problems
Vomiting is a common symptom in children with pneumonia, and it doesn't just happen because of coughing; it can come on in between coughing fits as well. This may be accompanied by abdominal pain and a loss of appetite, which in babies will show up as poor feeding. In addition, kids with pneumonia will often be slightly less active than normal due to a lack of energy.
