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...
Babies who have breathing problems exhibit certain symptoms that show they are in distress. The normal rate of respirations for a newborn is between 40 and 60 breaths per minute, although this may slow when a baby is sleeping or may be faster if...
New parents often worry about their newborn's breathing rate. The irregular nature of most babies' breathing patterns can confuse parents and leave them wondering what is normal and what might be a sign of a medical problem in their new baby. It...
A baby who is struggling for breath shortly after birth may present with persistent blue color around the mouth and nose, flaring nostrils, grunting noises and chest retractions, clear signs of labored breathing. Rapid, shallow respirations and...
To the parents of newborns, any changes in a baby's respiratory pattern may seem alarming. Although many babies experience brief episodes of rapid breathing, a condition clinically known as tachypnea, this symptom is only rarely a sign of a...
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...
Newborn babies are at risk for a variety of lung and respiratory illnesses. The risk level greatly increases if the baby is born prematurely, even by just a few weeks. Full-term newborns also have risks, however, and prevention of lung problems is...
Babies do not actually breathe in the womb---at least, not in the usual sense. Fetal lungs are not fully functional, and are not even able to fully expand, until after birth. During the later stages of gestation, the fetus may "practice" breathing...
Life with a newborn baby would be less stressful if babies came with an instruction manual. Many new parents don't know when to take a newborn to the emergency room -- or to the doctor's office, for that matter. When you have a sick baby, every...
Acording to the American Pregnancy Association, water birth is gaining popularity throughout the United States. In fact, major hospitals are regularly offering water births in their birthing suites, making the process more accessible to women and...
Newborn babies often have irregular sleep and breathing patterns that distress their parents. In most cases, grunts and other noises are harmless. However, they can indicate a more serious condition. It's important to know the causes and signs so...
According to Drs. Guoyang Luo, and Errol R Norwitz, the lungs are among the last of the fetal organs to mature. These authors state in a study published in 2008 in the journal "Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology" that immature lungs are a major...
A diaphragmatic hernia can occur in a newborn baby as a birth defect. It means, essentially, there is a hole in the breathing mechanism known as the diaphragm. The hole or hernia allows other organs in the baby's abdominal area from rising toward...
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....
Laboring and birthing in water is becoming a popular choice for many moms. In Europe, it is often offered as a routine option, and now many U.S. hospitals are offering this choice to their patients. For the low risk to mom and baby, water births...
Until your baby was born, you would never have understood how such a tiny bundle could cause so much stress. With each of her hiccups, grunts, squeaks and cries you are concerned that she isn't okay and wonder if you should be doing something more...
Apnea, or the cessation of breathing, can develop in any newborn, especially those who are born prematurely. Although newborns tend to outgrow apnea, it is a very dangerous condition that requires close monitoring. This makes it imperative to...
Respiration, or breathing rate, in children is one measurement of cardiovascular health. By assessing how many breaths a child takes per minute, you can infer how well her lungs are working to deliver oxygen to the body. The normal rate of...
Lortab is a pain-relieving medication composed of 2 medications called acetaminophen and hydrocodone. It contains 7.5 milligrams of hydrocodone and 500 milligrams of acetaminophen. Tell your doctor whether you have a history of asthma, liver or...
Halitosis or bad breath occurs when an offensive odor emanates from a person's mouth. This condition can affect children as much as adults, and more rarely newborns. Infants can develop halitosis even though they are in perfectly good health,...
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,...
Breathing rate is primarily regulated by neural and chemical mechanisms. Respiration is controlled by spontaneous neural discharge from the brain to nerves that innervate respiratory muscles. The primary respiratory muscle is the diaphragm, which...
Rocking a baby to sleep is instinctual for many new parents, but the reasons why this gentle motion comforts an infant aren't fully clear. Gentle rocking helps settle a baby who is already upset and could even relax a baby enough to prevent the...
Cold and flu are the common names for overlapping syndromes of respiratory infection caused by a number of viruses. According to FamilyDoctor, the two are mainly differentiated by onset and severity: Flu symptoms usually onset abruptly and are...
Breathing rate, also known as a respiratory rate, is the number of breaths that you take per minute at rest. Breathing rate is a general indicator of the health of your lungs and cardiovascular system. It changes very rapidly in response to...
Many diseases in infants can lead to an enlarged heart, also known as cardiac hypertrophy. Congenital defects, acquired cardiac problems that occur right after birth and maternal diseases such as diabetes can cause enlarged hearts. The right or...
Chest congestion, often accompanied by a runny nose and cough, can make it difficult for your baby to follow her normal eating and sleeping patterns. She also might appear to suffer with difficult breathing, which can worry parents, who hate to...
Metformin is an oral medication called a hypoglycemic, which is used to lower blood sugar in patients with diabetes. Metformin can also be used to treat polycystic ovarian syndrome. Like any medication, metformin should be used under the careful...
Calcium is vital for cells to function properly, and to strengthen bones and teeth. Hypocalcemia describes the condition of too-low blood calcium; it most often results when the body loses too much calcium through urine, or when the bones are not...
An Apgar score is used to determine the health of a newborn baby by measuring pulse, breathing, muscle tone, reflex and appearance. Learn how to use the Apgar score in this pregnancy video.
