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 respiratory process is a complex system of breathing in and out: bringing in oxygen and eliminating carbon dioxide from the body. An infant takes in air through the mouth and nose, which then enters one of two lungs. Each lung is filled with...
Being a new parent can be scary when bringing home a fragile newborn. Breathing patterns of newborns are new and unfamiliar to parents. Babies breathe much differently from adults. Faster breathing and unusual noises can be frightening....
Infants breathe primarily through their nose, so when a stuffy nose hits your baby, you'll probably find out quickly from the snuffling, snorting, fussing and crying that the child resorts to in her attempts to breathe properly. A stuffy or...
If you're like many new parents, you may feel the need to watch your baby breathe just to be sure she's still safe and healthy. Rest assured that infants --- particularly in their first few months --- often make strange breathing sounds and don't...
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...
Often called obligate or preferential nasal breathers, infants show a propensity for breathing through their noses. Although typically infrequent, mouth breathing plays a key role in helping keep your infant alive and healthy. Learn the facts...
Newborns frequently develop hoarse, raspy breathing during times of illness or congestion. In general, brief episodes of raspy breathing are harmless and not indicative of a serious medical condition. However, noisy breath may on rare occasions be...
Bad breath, or halitosis, may be completely harmless, even in children. If your infant sucks on his thumb or a pacifier, bacteria may spread from the mouth to the hand or pacifier. The bacteria may begin to smell, which will make your infant's...
Rapid breathing, often described as panting, is quite common in newborns. When no other symptoms are present--and rapid breathing comes and goes and the baby appears otherwise healthy and comfortable--there's usually no cause for concern. However,...
During the first several months of life, many babies experience mild, transient changes in the pace and depth of breathing. According to Dr. William Sears, a renowned pediatrician, rapid breathing and panting are extremely common in newborns and...
Infant breathing issues can occur as early as the day of birth, or develop later in the child's life. If your child is born with breathing issues, know the doctors at the hospital will take good care of your infant. If you are at home and your...
Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that causes heavy breathing, a fever and vomiting. Young infants are at high risk for pneumonia; if the infection is left untreated, complications can arise, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome....
The first time your baby cried was the moment he first started breathing. Ever since that moment, you may have been preoccupied with when he will take his next breath, you wonder whether his breathing rate is normal and you can't help but be...
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...
The smell of a freshly bathed baby can an intoxicating aroma for many new parents, and there are no shortage of creams, lotions and powders available to keep baby smelling sweet. But in some infants, the scent can be marred by bad breath, a...
Noisy breathing in infants can be very worrisome for parents. While most noisy breathing can be chalked up to a runny nose or some other temporary condition, persistent noisy breathing merits further evaluation. Once the underlying cause is...
Obligate nasal breathing is a term that describes the tendency of newborns and infants to breathe through their noses. Understanding exactly why infants are classified as obligate nose breathers requires basic knowledge of their physical...
Dry cough causes pain and interferes with rest. Unfortunately, over-the-counter remedies designed to treat it aren’t approved for use in infants. On the bright side, a number of home remedies may combat dry cough in babies. Consult the...
A fetus in the womb does not begin its existence with fully functioning lungs. Instead, the infant relies on its mother to provide the oxygen required for living. A fetus doesn't really breathe in the womb. The lungs are full of amniotic fluid....
Breathing problems are always scary, particularly when it is an infant who is having trouble breathing. It is normal for babies get sick several times during the first year of life, and the number of illnesses generally increases if the baby is...
The breathing process for infants is similar to that of adults, but infants have physical differences that affect their respiratory process. Because infant airways are smaller than those of adults, obstruction occurs more frequently from mucous or...
Congestion is a common symptom that arises in many illnesses. It usually does not pose a serious health risk but it can be uncomfortable for both children and adults. Some babies might become more irritable because of the congestion, depending on...
Premature infants are babies born after 37 weeks or less of a woman's pregnancy. Being born prematurely significantly raises a newborn's risks for a number of serious breathing ailments related to incomplete brain development, muscle weakness or...
While some infants are born with no problems, there are a number of infants who are born with, or develop, lung problems during the first year of life. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, asthma, cystic fibrosis and...
The H1N1 influenza virus causes swine flu. Unlike previous influenza viruses, which usually affected the elderly, H1N1 has an increased prevalence among young people and children. It is spread from person to person by contact with infected...
Pneumonia, a lung infection, is caused by several microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi, states KidsHealth, a medical resource provided by the Nemours Foundation. Depending on the cause, infants with pneumonia may...
Wheezing is a high-pitched, whistling sound that occurs when air travels through tightened airways in the chest, according to MayoClinic.com. In most cases, wheezing can be heard when the airways collapse upon exhaling. If your infant is wheezing,...
Respiratory distress is a serious complication that many infants face, especially those born premature. The signs that a baby cannot breathe are similar to those in an adult with one notable exception: A newborn infant can't tell you what is...
Wheezing is continued coarse or troubled breathing often associated with a lung disease. Learn about wheezing in this respiratory health video.