Infant Breathing - What Might be Problems
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All the childcare manuals and classes in the world won’t prepare you for the joy and worry of the first night home with a new baby. You realize then that you’re on your own, and that can be an overwhelming feeling, particularly when it comes to worrying about your infant’s breathing.
All babies make odd noises while breathing: snuffles and whistles and what sounds like irregular intake of breath, but usually these abnormalities are normal occurrences. There are some signs to watch and listen for, though, that may indicate breathing problems in infants.
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Breathing problems
The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offers a concise overview of problems that may indicate breathing problems in infants. While babies’ breathing rate slows to about 20 to 40 times per minute when they are sleeping, they may have fast breaths followed by a brief rest (10 seconds), and then breath again. While this is scary to witness, it is called period breathing, and is normal.
Signs of abnormal breathing include rapid (over 60 breaths per minute) or irregular breathing (breathing that stops for more than 10 seconds). Overheated or agitated babies may have an increase in breathing that is normal, but it should slow back down when the baby is cooler and calmer.
Babies who cannot get enough air will flare their nostrils and show signs of retracting – pulling in the chest at the ribs, above the collarbones, or below the breastbone.
A baby who is blue in color is not getting enough oxygen. This condition appears particularly in the face and around the mouth.
Grunting and moaning can indicate breathing problems. Grunting means the baby is trying to keep air in his lungs, and can indicate a problem. A moan or sigh upon exhaling can be a sign of a breathing problem, too.
Babies often choke or cough during feedings, when they take in too much milk at one time. If you baby coughs or chokes persistently, though, he may have a breathing problem unrelated to feeding.
Play it Safe
Of course, any concerns you have about infant breathing are going to elicit your worry. Babies breathe differently than adults do, and the sounds they make and pauses they take while breathing can be alarming. Watch for the symptoms of breathing problems, but trust your instincts, too. If you have concerns that your infant is having trouble breathing, contact your pediatrician right away.
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My daughter is 6 weeks old and has done the exact same thing I was able to resolve the issue on my own by useing a bulb syringe and my finger to dig her airway clean of muscus.I have carried her to doc and they tell me its normal and they see nothing wrong i wish i could get answer as well it is very scary and do not know what to do.
My daughter is 6 weeks old and has done the exact same thing I was able to resolve the issue on my own by useing a bulb syringe and my finger to dig her airway clean of muscus.I have carried her to doc and they tell me its normal and they see nothing wrong i wish i could get answer as well it is very scary and do not know what to do.
My newborn son did something similar, he was struggling very hard to breath at only 5 days old. It scared me to death. The nurse said to use saline and suction, and I got tons of goop out of his nose and then he was breathing better. But it was awful. I don't know why babies won't breath through their mouths if their nose is clogged!
If anyone can answer this? Is it possible for a infant to break its own ribs , if the baby has a sever breathing problem?
sounds like your child might have had a mucus plug, it is not uncommon, and it is what they originally tried to say happened to my daughter when she stopped breathing in the car... however due to certain circumstances they investigated further and discovered she had severe trachea & bronchio malaycia (there is also laryngo malaycia which she doesnt has) but basically the condition is a floppy windpipe so tiny bits of mucus or congestion can really cause problems as everyday she has difficulties to breath
hope this was somewhat helpful
My son was in and out of the hospital for breathing problems was then diagnosed with boncholitis on March 2, and passed away March 10. resons are still unknown. He was only 7 months old.
If yours kids are on vite D milk switch it to soy see if u can tell a diffrance
The reasons I say this my son did the same thing I was told he was to young to have asthma when it first started so I switched his diet around.. to see if could control it that way after hours of research milk causes a build up and dose not allow the body to process it like someone that dose not have asthma...since then my don is now 11 has been told he has asthma since he was 2 years and with diet and a few mess he doing great a lot of docs. Miss this because they think they know it all
Harriet Mitchell 3 years ago
could anyone give me anymore details on what happened to our 1 week old baby daughter. she is two years old now thankfully however this bothers me greatly that what happened to her hasnt got a name. basically my husband found her struggling to breathe, arched back, eyes bulging and streaming. got her to a doctor who was really worried, ambulance was called meanwhile doctor had to insert a tube into both her nostrils and clear her airways from muscus. her breathing rate improved slowly after this and was took to hospital, she had xrays and blood tests and was given the all clear however we were told by the doctor our daughter was very lucky to have survived. is there a name for this freak incident that nearly cost us our daughters life?