Bringing home a newborn baby from the hospital is an exciting and somewhat worrisome experience. Parents tend to worry about every detail of their infant's health, especially their breathing pattern. Newborn babies breathe heavily and noisily for the first few weeks of life as they typically have stuffy noses. In most cases, this irregular breathing pattern is normal and expected.
Breathing Noises
As reported by Babies Today, when babies are in the womb, they are essentially under water. After birth, newborns must clear amniotic fluid from their airways; this can cause some coughing and noisy breathing. Additionally, it takes time for the baby to adjust to breathing on his own. In fact, the majority of newborn babies will have a congested nose and chest for several weeks postpartum as the airway is still immature during this time period. This may result in noisy or rapid breathing. While this can affect the infant's breathing pattern, as well as interfere with his feeding, it is not usually a consistent problem. It is safe to use a nasal saline solution, squirted directly into the nose, and suction with a bulb syringe.
What is Normal?
BabyCenter emphasizes that newborn babies breathe in cycles, with breaths getting progressively faster and deeper, then slower and shallower. Infants may even pause for up to five or more seconds and then start in again with deepening breaths. This is called periodic breathing and is completely normal among newborn babies. Within the first few months of life, as the infant's respiratory system becomes fully developed, her breathing will change into a more mature pattern with occasional sighs.
How to Check
If a parent needs reassurance, BabyCenter recommends three easy ways to check that a newborn baby's breathing is normal without waking him. A parent can place her ear next to the baby's mouth or nose and listen for breath sounds. Bending down to eye level with the baby, a parent can watch for the up and down movement of the chest. Also, a parent can place her hand on the baby's mouth or nose and feel his tiny breath against her skin.
Respiratory Distress
MedlinePlus reports that respiratory distress or difficulty breathing can occur for a number of reasons among infants, but is usually indicative of a problem with the lungs. Symptoms to watch for in newborns include bluish color of the skin, decreased urine output, grunting, nasal flaring, puffy or swollen extremities, rapid breathing, shortness of breath, wheezing or sweating.
When to See a Doctor
Hub Pages suggests that parents know best when it comes to breathing patterns of their baby. Any sign that a baby's breathing is irregular will be of concern, therefore it is a good idea to listen and observe an infant's normal versus abnormal patterns. However, it is important to trust your instincts and contact your health care professional if you believe your baby's health and safety are at risk. It is important to remember that newborn babies have different breathing patterns from adults; this is normal and to be expected.
