Abnormal breathing in infants can be a scary situation for parents. An infant can experience several different types of heavy breathing that can range in severity from mild to severe. The breathing can be accompanied by a combination of other respiratory symptoms. There are normal patterns of heavy breathing that children will display throughout infancy. Recognizing signs that your infant might be experiencing respiratory distress can be lifesaving.
Normal Heavy Breathing
A common cause of normal heavy breathing is periodic breathing. This is a pause in breathing or shallow breathing followed by an episode of rapid, heavy breathing without any other associated symptoms. This is caused by an infant's immature breathing center in the brain. However, a pause in breathing lasting 20 seconds or longer is called apnea and requires medical evaluation. Nasal congestion can cause heavy breathing that can be eliminated by using a bulb syringe to remove mucus from the nose.
Abnormal Heavy Breathing
Heavy breathing accompanied by other respiratory symptoms indicate distress. Retractions and cyanosis will probably be the most noticeable to a parent. Retractions are an inward pulling of the ribs and sternum during breathing and usually appear just below the breast lines. They happen when respiratory muscles have to work harder than usual. The retractions get deeper with increasing distress. Cyanosis, which means to turn blue, happens when there is a lack of oxygen circulating through the body. Early indications of cyanosis can be seen as a blue ring around the mouth and/or blue lips. Other symptoms are nasal flaring, tachypnea (rapid breathing), and grunting.
Causes
Heavy breathing due to respiratory distress in infants usually is a result of a respiratory infection or pneumonia. Infection can lead to bronchitis or bronchiolitis. Bronchitis is inflammation of the airway, and bronchiolitis is inflammation of the smaller parts of the airway closer to the opening of the lungs. Respiratory infections can be either bacterial or viral. Respiratory syncitial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of pneumonia in infants.
Treatments
Treatment will vary based on the underlying cause and severity of the abnormal breathing. Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics. Viral infections might be treated with prophylactic antibiotics to prevent a bacterial infection from starting. The baby also might need respiratory treatments and breathing support. Infants needing minimal support can take oxygen by nasal cannula. Infants needing more support can be placed on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or intubated and placed on a ventilator.
Consideratons
Some infants, especially ones born prematurely, have congenital respiratory or cardiovascular problems. This means that they were born with a condition that causes them to breath abnormally or exhibit other respiratory symptoms that would indicate distress in a normal infant. For these infants, an increase in severity of symptoms or new symptoms can indicate the need for medical evaluation.
