When it comes to symptoms of sickness in my kids, the one that confuses and scares me most is breathing trouble. If you suspect a fever, you can consult a thermometer. Runny noses and coughs make themselves known, noisily. Stomach upset? There are (all-too) many tip-offs that, too. But respiratory distress can be sneaky. Labored breathing is often inaudible, invisible, and difficult for children, especially very little ones, to recognize and articulate. The problem is, it can potentially signal some of the most serious childhood emergencies, including pneumonia, asthma, and life-threatening allergies.
photo credit: Hey Paul Studios via photopin cc
Case in point: One winter’s day five years ago, when my friend’s son was five months old, he seemed to be having trouble breathing. As a nurse, she knew to bring him to her son’s pediatrician’s office to get him checked out. A new pediatrician at the practice told her that the baby looked fine, that his difficulty breathing was probably just due to congestion, and that she could return in a couple of days “if (she) was nervous.” My friend, indeed, was still concerned, but went home, and undressed her son to bring him into the shower to try to clear his nasal passages. She saw that his ribs were protruding with the effort to breathe. “Screw the follow-up visit—I headed straight for the E.R.,” she says. Doctors there diagnosed the baby with pneumonia, and he spent five days in the hospital receiving supplemental oxygen and I.V. antibiotics.
You’ve probably read about the outbreak of Enterovirus D68, a serious respiratory infection that’s sending kids to the hospital in more than 10 states. With officials warning that the Enterovirus outbreak will likely continue to spread, and cold and flu season looming, it’s important to know what respiratory distress looks like in your child. Drs. Julie Kardos, M.D. and Naline Lai, M.D., HHK’s resident pediatrician advisers, recently wrote a post about this very subject on their blog, Two Peds in a Pod. Here, I share their nine telltale signs of breathing trouble, all of which warrant a visit to the doctor. (When in doubt, or if your doctor is inaccessible or your gut instinct is telling you to get a second opinion, always seek emergency help.)
| Signs Of Breathing Trouble Call A Doctor, Head to the E.R. or Call 911 ASAP |
|---|
Breathing faster than normal |
| Flaring his nostrils with each breath |
| Chest or belly moves upward dramatically with each breath (lift up her shirt to look for this) |
| Ribs are sticking out with each breath (lift up his shirt to look for this) |
| Making grunting or wheezing sounds at the end of each exhalation |
| Refusal to breastfeed or bottle-feed (if an infant) |
| Difficulty talking (an older child) |
| Seems anxious or tired as he becomes "air hungry" (struggles to breathe) |
| Pale or blue at the lips |
Leave a Reply