Symptoms of pneumonia in infants. Treatment, consequences of the disease

Pneumonia is an infectious lung disease caused by several types of viruses and bacteria. The lungs become inflamed and filled with fluid, as a result of which the patient develops a cough and it becomes difficult for him to breathe.

How to recognize the symptoms of pneumonia in infants?

The disease can proceed quickly and develop literally in one or two days, however, in some cases, the infection process is slow and lasts for several days. Often a layman is not able to distinguish pneumonia from an ordinary cold.

The very first sign of pneumonia is a cough. Call the local pediatrician at home if the infant or infant:

• often occurs in attacks of severe cough with mucous secretions;
• obviously feels bad;
• lost my appetite.

Severe cases of pneumonia require adequate treatment in a hospital. Call an ambulance if you find the following symptoms of pneumonia in a baby:

• the cough gradually worsens, and the mucus becomes yellow, brown, or bloody;
• the child’s body temperature rises;
• the child wheezes (or whistles hoarsely when breathing);
• the baby refuses to drink water, and the total amount of fluid consumed in the last day does not exceed half of its norm;
• the child breathes often and shallowly, with each breath, the skin is drawn between the ribs, above the collarbone or under the chest;
• the child’s lips and nails are blue.

Risk factors

There are circumstances that increase the risk of developing some infectious diseases (which include pneumonia in infants). Symptoms, reviews about childbirth, especially the behavior of the baby during feeding - all this information will allow the doctor to determine whether the baby is at risk.

The following groups of children are most susceptible to pneumonia:

• the youngest;
• daily exposed to cigarette smoke;
• left without vaccinations or vaccinated in violation of the schedule;
• with diagnoses affecting the condition of the lungs (asthma, bronchiectasis - expansion of the bronchi, cystic fibrosis);
• born prematurely;
• choking and coughing during feeding;
• suffering from chronic diseases (regardless of the lesion).

Diagnostics

At a home examination, it is very difficult to diagnose such a serious disease as pneumonia in the baby. Symptoms without fever can be confusing even for doctors, since the first manifestations of pneumonia are in many ways similar to the usual, much more common cold. That is why it is necessary to show a small child to a pediatrician as soon as possible. He will listen to the lungs with a stethoscope and determine if there is fluid in the paired organ. The doctor will also check the heart rate of the baby, listen to the breath, check with the parents what other symptoms of the disease they found.

If the condition of the child seems unsatisfactory to the local pediatrician, he will suggest that you go to the hospital to have a chest x-ray. An X-ray will show how infected the lungs are. You can also take a blood or sputum test to determine the causative agent of the infection and its nature (viral or bacterial).

Treatment

If the doctor finds mild symptoms of pneumonia in the baby (without coughing and complications), he will likely prescribe treatment at home. Bacterial pneumonia is fought with antibiotics. A viral disease can go away on its own - as the baby's immune system suppresses the effects of the harmful virus.

However, in order to accurately determine the type of infection, it is necessary to take the baby to the hospital for testing. In the case of a mild infection, the doctor may prescribe antibiotics without tests to ensure that both the virus and bacteria are cured. There are other ways to alleviate the condition of a small child.

What can you do yourself?

Whatever type of pneumonia in infants would be, the symptoms of the disease are always extremely unpleasant and can interfere with sleep, nutrition and the child’s regimen. To minimize the discomfort experienced by the baby and contribute to a speedy cure, try to follow the following medical recommendations:

1. Create the baby all possible conditions for a good rest.
2. To lower the temperature, give the child infant paracetamol or ibuprofen (Nurofen), strictly following the instructions for use of the drug. Paracetamol can be given to infants starting at two months old if they were born at 37 weeks or later and currently weigh more than four kilograms. Ibuprofen ("Nurofen") is safe in the treatment of children from three months weighing at least five kilograms. If you doubt the correct dosage of the drug, strictly follow the instructions or consult your pediatrician.
3. Pneumonia in infants, the symptoms of which are expressed in airway congestion and coughing, can lead to dehydration, because with the listed manifestations of the infection, it is difficult for a small child to drink. Constantly offer the baby a breast or a bottle with the mixture, regardless of the established feeding schedule, and give an additional clean boiled water. If you have the financial ability, it is advisable to buy special drinking water for babies, intended for babies and sold in baby food departments.

Precautions

Do not give a small child any cough or cold medications sold in pharmacies on an over-the-counter basis. Almost all medicines of this kind are intended for children over six years of age due to the increased risk of side effects in the smallest patients.

If a pediatrician is diagnosed with severe pneumonia in infants, the symptoms (treatment with folk remedies in such cases almost never helps) gradually worsen, and antipyretic children’s medicines have an extremely limited duration, you should go to the hospital and go to hospital. Remember that a dangerous condition does not always develop quickly - sometimes it takes several days before the baby's health worsens. Be sure to go to the hospital if the child has difficulty absorbing food or breathing.

In the hospital

During inpatient treatment, doctors will provide the child with a full volume of fluids and oxygen. If necessary, the baby will be given a dropper through which antibiotics will be administered or, in case of severe dehydration, special fluids. In cases where pneumonia develops in infants, symptoms, treatment with alternative methods of medicine, ignoring the recommendations of a pediatrician and insufficient attention to relatives from relatives can lead to serious complications of the disease. If the baby has difficulty breathing and the blood oxygen level has reached a critical level, a special oxygen mask will be placed on his face.

Effects

Usually, in a common disease such as pneumonia in infants, the consequences do not pose any danger: most young children are successfully cured, and they soon return to their former well-being. However, in some cases, pneumonia is accompanied by complications requiring special treatment and extreme attention to the condition of the baby.

The dangerous effects of pneumonia in a child

1. Bacteremia (the presence of microbes in the blood of a patient). Penetrating from the lungs into the bloodstream, bacteria are able to spread the infection to other internal organs and thereby cause dysfunction of these organs.
2. Abscess of the lung. An abscess means an accumulation of pus in the lung cavity. This condition is treated with antibiotics. Sometimes, to remove pus, a surgical operation or the installation of drainage with a long needle or tube, which is placed in an abscess, is required.
3. Pleural effusion (exudative pleurisy) - accumulation of fluid around the lungs. Pneumonia can cause fluid to accumulate in a narrow space between the layers of tissue, the underlying cavity of the lungs and chest (pleura). If bacteria get into this liquid, most likely, it will be necessary to pump it out with the help of drainage or remove it with the help of a surgical operation.
4. Labored breathing. In severe pneumonia, breathing problems occur and the sick child is not able to inhale enough oxygen. In this case, treatment is necessary in an inpatient setting, where a small patient is connected to special equipment that minimizes the worst symptoms of pneumonia in infants.

Prevention

In order to provide a small child with all the conditions for a healthy life and minimize the risk of pneumonia, take the following preventive measures in time:

1. Do not refuse vaccinations. The pneumococcal vaccine (Prevenar 13) protects the baby from pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis (blood poisoning). In order not to look for symptoms of pneumonia in a baby who has an ordinary cold, it is also useful to get vaccinations against hemophilic infection of type b, diphtheria and pertussis. The last two vaccines are part of DTP.
2. Do not forget about the rules of personal hygiene. Cover your mouth and nose while coughing, and wash your hands often for yourself and your child to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses that cause infections.
3. Make every effort to minimize the negative effects of cigarette smoke on infant health. If you or your partner smoke, consider quitting a bad habit. Infants living with smoking parents are much more likely to get sick and are more prone to illnesses such as pneumonia, colds, asthma, and ear infections.

If you pay attention to your baby, you can not only suspect the disease in the early stages, but also prevent it altogether.