pneumonia symptoms in babies

Pneumonia Symptoms in Babies

Know the common pneumonia symptoms in babies and their levels of seriousness. All symptoms of pneumonia in children are listed in this article for you to go through. Read on...

An infection in the lungs caused by viruses and bacteria is termed as pneumonia. Pneumonia can be of two types; Bacterial and Viral. Newborn babies might develop pneumonia from Group B Streptococcus (GBS) or from Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Pneumonia symptoms differ in each child. A baby older than this might develop bacterial pneumonia due to bacterial and viral infections and may show symptoms like coughing and rapid breathing. Bacterial pneumonia is usually more severe than viral pneumonia though the later can't progress into the former. Pneumonia is caused due to viruses such as the flu virus, Adenovirus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus and Parainfluenza Virus. In the case of bacterial pneumonia, the bacteria usually involved is the Streptococcus Pneumoniae. However, other bacteria such as Chlamydia Pneumoniae and Staphylococcus Aureus may also be causes of pneumonia at times. Pneumonia in babies is more serious a case because babies have a weak immune system than adults. The main problem in detecting pneumonia in babies comes when there are certain symptoms like chest pain that you can't detect. Here are few pneumonia symptoms in babies that will help you out when you're trying to detect whether your baby really has pneumonia. Don't wait too long as even though pneumonia is not a really serious illness, it can get to serious stages. Normal pneumonia symptoms and walking pneumonia symptoms are a bit different, making it important for us to know both. 6 Pneumonia Symptoms You Should Look Out For Breathing Problems Observe your infants breathing and see if you can notice any irregular patterns of breathing. Breathing that may seem rapid or labored with too many fluctuations, is a common pneumonia symptom. Breathing is usually affected first before affecting any other process in the body. If the breathing is not regular and at even intervals, you should probably look for other symptoms of pneumonia too. Grunting or similar sounds are signs of breathing problems and difficulty during breathing. Coughing Just like chest pain, coughing is another symptom that you can't look for in babies younger than 3 months. Babies over that age usually cough during the start of pneumonia. Cold and flu and coughing are usually symptoms that go side by side with difficulty in breathing problems when you are developing pneumonia. Remember to look for more than one of these symptoms before going for consultation to a doctor. Feeding Issues Observe your child's eating habits, if you are looking for more than one symptom of pneumonia. S/he may no longer seem interested in eating or having milk, as they have difficulty in breathing which does not let them eat properly. If you see a sudden change in feeding or notice anything that may seem not normal, you should take your child to the doctor immediately. Digestive Problems Digestive problems may be either vomiting or having diarrhea. If you see your child vomiting after consuming the usual foods that he's used to, it may be time to take him to your doctor. Diarrhea is another problem that arises out of improper digestion and this too is one of the pneumonia symptoms is babies. Diarrhea and vomiting usually happen at a little later stage, but nevertheless should be looked out for as symptoms of pneumonia. High Fever This is one of the earliest pneumonia symptoms, and stays throughout, till you get it treated. It is amongst the consistent pneumonia symptoms in toddlers. High fever more than or even up to 101.5 degree F, is usually seen as a symptom during pneumonia. Breathing problems, coughing and high fever usually start approximately during the same time, being the early symptoms of pneumonia. Weakness Weakness is one of the most common pneumonia symptoms in children. If you see your baby being less active than usual or tired most of the time, it is probably a symptom that you are missing. Weakness also is a result of coughing and diarrhea. When you lose out on all the food through diarrhea and vomiting, you hardly have anything left to give you energy. This is usually one of the later stages of pneumonia, but can sometimes be noticed even during the early stages. Consult a doctor before using any medication or before deciding any pneumonia vaccine as medical assistance is absolutely necessary, while dealing with illnesses in kids. Pneumonia is an illness that can usually be treated easily with medication and antibiotics. Children who have been detected with pneumonia should be breathing hot water steam for approximately 10 minutes to ease out the breathing. Very few times and only in the later stages does the pneumonia get you bed ridden and hospitalized. Hope this information helps you detect pneumonia early.

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