When your baby has breathing difficulty, she might be short of breath, unable to take a deep breath, gasping for air, or feel like she is not getting enough air. Do not give her anything to eat or drink, move her unnecessarily, put a pillow under her head if she is lying down. Seek medical attention if she is experiencing respiratory distress.
Types of Breathing Conditions
Apnea, pneumonia, asthma and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are causes of breathing problems in infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics defines apnea as "an unexplained episode of cessation of breathing for 20 seconds or longer." Pneumonia is an infection in the lungs that makes breathing difficult, asthma causes swelling of the airways, and RSV is the most common cause of lung and airway infections in infants and young children.
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Symptoms
Babies with apnea experience snoring followed by gasping for air. Apnea also causes labored breathing while your baby sleeps, restless sleep and changes to your baby's color. Some infants do not cough when they have acquired pneumonia, but if they do cough, green, yellow or bloody mucus might be expelled from the lungs. Your baby might have a fever ranging from mild to high if he has pneumonia. Asthma causes your baby to wheeze, cough and have difficulty catching his breath. Babies with RSV might experience an array of symptoms, including labored breathing, coughing, fever, nasal flaring and stuffy nose.
Causes
The cause for apnea in babies is still unknown. Pneumonia is caused by coming into contact with bacteria, viruses, and fungus. Asthma is linked to genetics, environmental sensitivities and allergies, and RSV is acquired when a baby comes into contact with the virus.
Treatment
Keeping your baby elevated and her throat open will help control apnea, though sometimes a continuous positive airway pressure machine is necessary to force air into her lungs. Oxygen therapy and penicillin are common treatments for pneumonia. Many asthma medications are on the market, but prevention also involves avoiding substances that trigger asthma. Mild RSV infections can resolve themselves without treatment, but severe infections might require hospitalization for oxygen, humidified air and fluids to be administered.
Considerations
Encourage proper hand washing before anyone touches your baby to reduce his exposure to germs that spread pneumonia, RSV and other pathogens that cause illness. Keep your infant away from smoke, animals and other allergens to avoid asthma flare-ups.
