Infants have such a delicate immune system that they can contract viruses more easily than older children or adults. Taking certain precautions can help protect your little one but even then, you can't protect them from all illnesses. If your infant develops an irregular breathing pattern, talk to his physician right away.
Features
Whether your infant is breathing hard and fast or slow and shallow, you can look for other signs and symptoms to discuss with your infant's pediatrician. Irregular breathing can be accompanied by a runny or stuffy nose, a cough, chest congestion, wheezing, rattling in her chest, decreased appetite, fever or extreme fatigue. You may also want to take note of when these symptoms began to develop.
Types
Different illnesses and conditions will have varying effects on your baby. He could have a medical condition such as asthma or a respiratory infection. He may have a bacterial or viral infection in his lungs. A bacterial infection could be pneumonia or bronchiolitis, while a viral infection could be respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. If you delivered him prematurely, he could be suffering from neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, or RDS. Only his pediatrician can give a definite diagnosis after proper testing.
Time Frame
Depending upon the illness or condition she's suffering from, symptoms can come on sporadically, such as an asthma attack, or it could take a few days if she contracted a virus. Other varying symptoms such as fever or decreased appetite may take place just before or after she begins to breathe irregularly.
Warning
The normal breathing rate for an infant, according to MedlinePlus, is up to 44 breaths per minute. If your baby is breathing drastically faster or slower than the normal rate, seek immediate medical care. Cyanosis is a medical condition which occurs when you're not receiving an adequate amount of oxygen and your skin starts to blue in color. If your infant begins to turn blue, he could be in immediate danger of a life-threatening condition.
Considerations
If your infant is experiencing irregular breathing, do not try to self-diagnose her and treat her at home. Waiting for proper medical attention can turn a minor situation into a major situation. If you know other children at daycare are sick, consider keeping your infant at home or ask a trusted family member or friend to watch her to reduce the risk of illness to your child. After your baby has contracted an illness, sanitize all of her toys to reduce the chance that she could get the illness all over again.
