Wow to detect breathing problems in infants?

The colder months are propitious for the transmission of viruses that cause alterations in the respiratory tract. This is the case of respiratory syncytial virus, bronchitis, pneumonia… But, in addition, there are other diseases that also cause respiratory distress. It is important that parents know the symptoms to be able to act as soon as possible.

Diseases that cause respiratory distress

There are diseases that affect the control of breathing, such as some that have to do with the central nervous system, as well as those that impact the rib cage, such as scoliosis or neuromuscular diseases, and other serious systemic infections that, especially in small patients, They can manifest with respiratory distress, as explained by the expert.

But in healthy children there are times when there may be respiratory distress due to a disease that affects the respiratory tract or the lungs, such as bronchitis, pneumonia or asthma attacks. In the latter case, when the episodes recur, the parents usually know how to handle the situation. But, especially in very young children, respiratory distress in the face of specific processes can be very alert.

Breathing difficulty, according to the age of the child

Depending on the age of the child, respiratory distress will have some manifestations or others. It is not the same in a newborn, a premature child or an older child or adolescent. For example, in asthma attacks, the patient cannot speak and refers to chest pain as manifestations of the difficulty in breathing.

Very young children, those born prematurely or neonates during the first month of life more frequently present apnea (respiratory arrest) in the context of viral infections. In these cases, respiratory distress is often also accompanied by difficulty in eating.

When we talk about infants or young children, but who have normal muscle strength and tone, respiratory distress is shown with intercostal intraction and in the jugulum, compared to older children and adolescents. Intercostal indrawing occurs when the muscles between the ribs pull ‘inward’ on inspiration. Yugulum indrawing is when there is a marked depression above the sternum during inspiration.

In normal situations, the intercostal muscles, which are the ones between the ribs, fill with air during breathing and pull the ribcage up. It is the mechanism for the thorax to expand and the lungs to fill with air.

Why does that circulation that warns of respiratory distress occur? It is due to the difficulty for air to enter the thorax. This can happen if the upper airway (trachea), or the small airways in the lungs (bronchioles), are partially obstructed.

What other symptoms does respiratory distress have?

In addition to indrawing, which can be confirmed by observing the child, since the way of breathing changes significantly, there are other symptoms that can help parents to know if their child is going through this situation.

• Breathing frequency. In general, the normal respiratory rate decreases as the child turns years old when there is no health problem. But in asthma attacks and other conditions such as bronchiolitis, the respiratory rate increases.
• Wheezing. Wheezing is defined as a high-pitched, whistling noise during breathing that occurs as air moves through the respiratory passages (lower airways, small airways). In this case, the air has to pass through narrower ducts. They also occur before the accumulation of secretions.
• Rejection of shots. As the representative of the SENP points out, it is a symptom typical of the youngest children.
• Inability to speak. It occurs especially in older children.
• Persistent and irritating cough. It is a cough that interferes with daily activities such as eating, sleeping, speaking…
• Change in level of consciousness. The child is very low-pitched and has sleepiness not attributable to another cause.
• Fever. It is very common for it to appear in situations of respiratory distress, since it is associated with viral infections that are the most frequent trigger for respiratory distress crises in children.
• Digestive alterations. Including vomiting and other abdominal symptoms.

How to act when there is respiratory distress?

Going through an episode where your child can’t breathe well can be very distressing for parents. How should they act in that case? If it is the first episode, they should go to the emergency room or request medical attention depending on the severity they assess.

But if it is a child who has already gone through more similar situations, they should follow the instructions they have previously received. The main objective is to reduce the risks to prevent respiratory distress from worsening and evolving into a more serious episode of respiratory failure.