What causes shortness of breath in children?

Children's breathing rate is generally faster. This is because children have a fast metabolism and limited lung capacity, so they have to speed up their breathing rate to increase their oxygen intake. However, some children show symptoms of long-term shortness of breath, which is different from the breathing rate of ordinary children. So, what causes children's rapid breathing? Let's take a look at the explanation below.

If your baby's breathing is loud and rapid, there may be problems with the lungs. Find out as soon as possible whether your baby has pneumonia. If your baby's breathing is rapid for a period of time but returns to normal after a period of time, do not take it lightly, especially when your baby is sleeping at night. Make sure your baby's breathing is normal, and each inhalation and exhalation is very smooth.

If your baby is breathing rapidly, it may be due to phlegm, blocked nasal passages, underdeveloped laryngeal cartilages, or heart disease, which can also be worrying for parents. What’s worse is that the baby breathes rapidly and chokes on milk, which is very worrying for a new mother. But don’t panic. Some mothers say that the situation will improve as the baby grows a little bit.

In fact, the most worrying issues are the following.

Respiratory tract infection. The baby's laryngeal cartilage hypoplasia and upper airway stenosis can cause the baby to have shortness of breath. In fact, it could also be asthma or pneumonia causing sepsis and respiratory distress.

The lungs are immature. It is possible that the baby has congenital structural abnormalities, such as abnormal blood vessel structure, compression of the respiratory tract, or congenital abnormalities of organs. Babies with heart disease may also have shortness of breath. Another possibility is diaphragmatic disease, where poor lung function can cause diaphragmatic hernia.

Take different self-help measures according to the different manifestations of your baby's rapid breathing. For example, if the baby's face turns blue or even groans due to rapid breathing, the baby's condition is not optimistic and you must take the baby to the hospital in time.

If the baby is choking, has no breathing within 1 minute, or has intermittent, shallow breathing, then it can be determined that it is suffocation. Parents should perform artificial respiration and call 120 for help in time.

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