The child is a little out of breath, what's going on?

When children at home show some discomfort, parents will feel very worried. Some small problems are caused by many reasons. It is common for children to have a little wheezing. For such phenomena, children should be taken to the hospital to check out the specific cause and receive symptomatic treatment according to the cause. When caring for children, attention should be paid to a light diet and keeping the indoor air circulating.

Why does the child wheeze?

Children have vigorous physiological metabolism, and their oxygen demand calculated based on body surface area is close to that of adults. Children can generally only meet collective needs by increasing the number of breaths. The younger the age, the higher the respiratory rate. A normal newborn breathes 40-44 times per minute; 30 times per minute for children under 1 year old; and about 24 times per minute for children between 1 and 3 years old. To observe the breathing rate, it must be done in a quiet or sleeping state for accuracy. Increased respiratory rate is a characteristic sign of pneumonia in infants and children under 3 years of age. In mild pneumonia, the child coughs, is short of breath, and has a faster respiratory rate, which may be more than 50 times per minute for children under 2 months old, 40-50 times per minute for children between 2-12 months old, and more than 40 times per minute after one year old. In severe pneumonia, the child may breathe more than 60 times per minute for children under 2 months old, greater than or equal to 50 times per minute for children between 2-12 months old, and greater than or equal to 40 times per minute after one year old.

Things to note when your baby is wheezing

The living room should be arranged with fresh and circulating air, free of dust, soot, smog, paint fumes and any other irritating substances. It is also crucial to adjust the room temperature appropriately. Most asthma patients cannot tolerate cold and are particularly sensitive to temperature changes. The bedding should be moderately warm, and the bed should have a backrest to support it so that the patient can use it when he is short of breath and cannot lie flat. Two to three pillows should be prepared, and it is best not to fill the pillows with feathers or old fluff to prevent some patients from allergic reactions due to inhalation of such substances. Try not to place flowers and plants such as tuberose or roses indoors. Although the pollen of these plants may not necessarily cause allergies, their fragrance may also induce asthma. Do not keep pets at home to prevent the patient from inhaling or coming into contact with their fur and causing wheezing attacks. During an acute attack, the diet should be liquid or semi-liquid, the seasoning should be light and delicious, and cold drinks and cold food should be avoided. Eat small meals frequently and don't overeat. Many attacks are caused by overeating.

How to prevent your baby from wheezing

Keep indoor air fresh; increase or decrease air volume as the weather changes; eat light food with adequate nutrition; avoid crowded places; do not let children come into contact with antibiotics too early; supplementing vitamin A can reduce asthma attacks; allergic rhinitis and asthma are the same disease and should be treated together; the main symptoms of allergic rhinitis are sneezing, itchy nose, clear runny nose, nasal congestion, etc. More than half of these patients have a 4-month symptomatic period each year, while 20% of patients with allergic rhinitis have a symptomatic period of more than 9 months each year, and some of these children develop asthma. It must be emphasized that allergic rhinitis and asthma should be treated together. Since nasal contact with allergens can lead to airway inflammation, timely treatment of allergic rhinitis can reduce the entire airway inflammation, improve airway function, and thereby improve and control asthma symptoms.