Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. According to the Children's Hospital Boston, pneumonia tends to occur more during the winter and spring, and is more common in boys than girls. The most common causes of pneumonia in children are bacteria, viruses and chemical irritants. Treatment for pneumonia depends on its cause.
Causes
The most common causes of pneumonia in children are bacteria, viruses and chemical irritants. The symptoms for the different types of pneumonia are similar, except that bacteria tend to cause more severe disease than viruses. Bacteria that cause pneumonia include Streptococcus pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus. Certain bacteria such as chlamydia and mycoplasma can cause atypical pneumonia, also known as walking pneumonia.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of pneumonia in children are cough and respiratory distress. The cough can be dry or rattling in viral pneumonia, or productive with yellow-green phlegm in bacterial disease. The cough can be persistent and cause irritation of the chest wall, resulting in pleuritic pain, a sharp sudden pain worse on inspiration of air. The manifestations of respiratory distress in children with pneumonia include rapid breathing, also called tachypnea, retractions, or pulling-in of abdominal and chest muscles in an effort to improve air exchange, and wheezing, a high-pitch whistling sound that results from air trying to pass through inflamed or narrowed airways.
Considerations
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, people with pneumonia might have other symptoms. Newborns might only show general symptoms of pneumonia. These include high fevers, decreased activity level, decreased eating and drinking, and dehydration. Abdominal pain and vomiting are common symptoms of pneumonia in children, especially if the infection is localized to the lower segments of the lungs, which are adjacent to the abdomen. Dehydration can lead to electrolyte imbalances, causing cardiac rhythm abnormalities, decreased urine output, dried lips and mouth, and rapid heart rate.
Complications
The complications of pneumonia in children include lung abscess and pleural effusion. An abscess is a collection of pus and other cellular debris that the body forms to wall off an infection. A pleural effusion is a collection of fluid in the pleura, the space between the lung and the chest wall. Children with these complications have worsening of respiratory symptoms, appear ill and pale, and can have severe dehydration.
Warning
Cyanosis, a bluish tinge around the lips and on the fingernails that signals decreased oxygen content in the blood, can be present in cases of complicated pneumonia. A child with a pleural effusion will have decreased breath sounds on the affected lung and might prefer to lie down on the side of affected lung to improve the expansion and breathing mechanics of the healthy lung.
