What disease does wheezing in infants warn of?

My baby is over a month old, his breathing makes a wheezing sound like a light snore, sometimes with a whistling sound when feeding and sleeping. Does he have any health problems? (Truc Quynh, Lam Dong )

Reply:

Wheezing in infants while sleeping and breastfeeding can be a warning sign of respiratory problems. Most cases are caused by bacterial attacks that cause the bronchi to constrict, swell and edema, causing a lot of secretions to stagnate and block the bronchi or lungs. Therefore, the baby has difficulty breathing, manifested by irregular breathing, emitting a wheezing sound like a light snore.

This could also be a sign of bronchiolitis - a lower respiratory tract infection, mainly caused by viruses, which often occurs when the seasons change or the weather turns cold. The disease causes the child's body to produce a lot of phlegm and mucus, blocking the respiratory tract.

Exposure to allergens, dust, and cigarette smoke can also cause phlegm and mucus to be produced. Infants cannot clear their throats like adults, so phlegm and mucus accumulate, leading to airway obstruction.

In case of gastroesophageal reflux, the baby can also inhale a small amount of liquid into the lungs, causing irritation, swelling of the respiratory tract, making it difficult to breathe. In addition, congenital abnormalities of laryngeal cartilage softening, foreign objects in the respiratory tract, acute laryngobronchitis, acute tonsillitis, cardiovascular diseases, lung tumors... also cause wheezing in the baby.

If the condition is not detected and treated properly, it can be dangerous, leading to sleep apnea. Therefore, parents should take their children to the hospital for early examination and treatment.

In mild cases, doctors recommend home treatment by giving the baby enough milk and increasing the number of feedings per day to replenish water. Parents who use some rehydration and electrolyte solutions for newborns should consult a doctor. Parents should use a nasal aspirator and saline to clean the nose and remove mucus from the baby's respiratory tract according to the doctor's instructions. Medications should be used in the correct dose and on the prescribed schedule.

Children with severe wheezing need oxygen through a mask. Photo: Freepik — Children with severe wheezing need oxygen through a mask. Illustration: *Freepik*

To take good care of children, parents need to keep the living environment clean, avoid dust, mold, cigarette smoke, air humidity is not too humid or dry; keep warm properly in cold weather, especially the neck, chest and nose areas. Do not let the air conditioner or fan blow directly on the body, avoid letting children come into contact with people with respiratory symptoms and go to crowded public places.

Parents should take their children to the hospital for a follow-up examination if they have persistent wheezing. Children with one of the severe symptoms such as vomiting, high fever, difficulty breathing, chest retraction when breathing, pale skin, shortness of breath, sudden apnea... need to be taken to the hospital immediately.

MD.CKI Ha Thi Nga
Neonatal Center, Tam Anh General Hospital Hanoi

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