respiratory disstress -Sriramakrishnahospital

Nothing is more distressing than seeing your kids going through respiratory distress. At the same time, respiratory distress is one of the common conditions among children, luckily there are numerous ways to safeguard your child and ensure they breathe easily. Further, in this blog, let’s see comprehensive details about respiratory distress and how you can protect your child’s respiratory health.

What is respiratory distress?

Before knowing how to protect your child’s respiratory health, it’s crucial to understand what respiratory distress is. We call a condition respiratory distress when there are issues with breathing. There may be numerous causes for this condition, like infections, congenital conditions, and environmental factors. To know what causes respiratory distress in your baby, reach out to a neonatology specialist in Coimbatore.

How do I know my baby is having trouble breathing?

Understanding whether your baby has respiratory distress, you need to observe for several signs and symptoms. Notice if there are any abnormalities in your kid’s breathing, such as faster breathing or pauses in their breathing. Also, look for nasal flaring, when the nostrils will widen with each breath, and grounding sound when exhaling, which denotes that there are issues with keeping their airway open. Further, look for color changes in the skin like a bluish tint around the mouth, lips, or fingertips, which highlights that there are no sufficient oxygen levels. Also, you can notice changes in behavior such as lethargy, extreme fussiness, or difficulty feeding are also some of the warning signs. Whenever you notice these signs, reach out for medical help, which can help your baby to resolve their condition.

When to worry about newborn breathing?

You need to be worried only when you notice specific signs of difficulty or distress in your baby. If there is fast breathing, that is over 60 breaths per minute, or very slow breathing that is a pause in breathing lasting more than 10 seconds, it’s time to be worried. As we mentioned earlier, nasal flaring, grunting sounds during exhalation, or retractions where the skin pulls in around the ribs, collarbone, or under the ribs indicate that your baby is struggling to breathe. Simply, listen to your instincts, if you feel that something is not going well in your baby’s breathing, it’s recommended to seek medical advice promptly.

What are the causes of respiratory distress in infants?

As we mentioned, above there may be several causes for respiratory distress, further let’s see some of the common causes:

Infections: Respiratory infections like pneumonia, bronchitis, and the common cold will cause respiratory distress in babies. The culprits behind this condition are viruses such as Respiratory Syncytial Virus(RSV), which is very common among kids.
Prematurity: Usually premature babies lack complete development especially lungs, which may cause significant health issues such as Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). Kids will encounter this issue when their lungs lack surfactant, which is a substance that helps keep the airways open. Simply, prematurity stands as significant causes of RDS in newborns.
Congenital conditions: A few babies are born with congenital anomalies that impair their respiratory system. For instance, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, tracheomalacia, and congenital heart defects.
Environmental factors: Highly exposing your babies to pollution, tobacco smoke, and allergens can also cause respiratory distress in babies.

What are the symptoms of respiratory distress?

Not just for respiratory distress but for all health issues, when you diagnose that issue in its early stage it will greatly help you and your healthcare provider in treating it in the finest ways and can get better outcomes. Further, let’s see some common signs of respiratory distress:

Rapid breathing: Whenever you notice abnormal breathing like fast breathing in your kid, it can also be a sign of respiratory distress.

Nasal flaring: The other common breathing sign is the widening of the nostrils, which indicates that your baby is struggling to breathe.

Grunting: When exhaling, the grunting sound indicates difficulty in keeping the airway open.

Retractions: This takes place when the skin between the ribs pulls in with each breath, which shows that your baby is struggling to breathe.

Cyanosis: A bluish tint on the skin, notably around the fingertips and lips, indicates low oxygen levels.

Lethargy or irritability: Sudden behavioral changes, like excessive sleepiness or fussiness, can also be an indicator of respiratory distress.

Can respiratory distress in newborns be cured?

When treating the underlying cause of respiratory distress in your child, it can be effectively treated. We can say that frequent monitoring is crucial to getting the desired outcomes in infants. Conditions such as acute respiratory distress syndrome in newborns are very common among premature babies. There are effective treatments for this, such as surfactant replacement therapy and respiratory support, or mechanical ventilation. While infection causing respiratory distress like bronchitis or pneumonia requires antibiotics or antiviral medications along with supportive care to ensure sufficient oxygenation. For congenital problems, surgeries or specialized medical treatment is recommended. Simply, with early diagnosis and proper medicine, several newborns can completely recover from respiratory distress, also few babies may go through long-term respiratory problems based on the severity and root cause of the issue.

What are the steps to protect your baby from respiratory distress?

Above we have seen what respiratory distress is, what causes it, and its symptoms. Further, let’s dive into practical steps you can take to protect your infant from respiratory distress. Also, try different steps because one in ten steps may help your baby to overcome their respiratory distress.

1) Ensure a healthy environment:

One of the finest ways to protect your child from respiratory distress is by creating a healthy living environment, which will greatly assist them in combating their respiratory distress.

Try to be in an environment with good air:

Stay away from smoke: Inhaling tobacco smoke can potentially increase the risk of respiratory distress in your baby. Simply, make sure that no one smokes around your baby or inside your home.
Use air purifiers: Try using air purifiers in your home, they will remove all the allergens, dust, and pollutants from the air. To get the maximum effectiveness, choose purifiers with HEPA filters.
Maintain humidity levels: Your baby’s airways can get irritated with dry air, so use humidifiers to maintain a humidity level in your home between 30-50%.

Stay away from allergens:

Regular cleaning: Frequently dust and vacuum your home to reduce allergens. As we mentioned above, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to capture fine particles.

Wash bedding: Often wash your baby’s bedding, other soft toys, and stuffed animals in hot water to kill dust mites.
Avoid strong scents: Simply, the air fresheners, scents, and cleaning products with strong smell will affect your baby’s respiratory system. Instead, try some fragrance-free products.

2) Practice good hygiene:

Usually, by maintaining hygiene habits, you can safeguard your child from respiratory infection, a significant cause of respiratory distress in kids.

Handwash:

Wash hands frequently: Ask everyone to wash their hands with soap and water who’s handling your baby. This is vital during cold and flu season.
Use hand sanitizer: When there is no soap, try using alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Respiratory etiquette:

Cover when sneezing or coughing: Practice other kids in your home to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or elbow when sneezing or coughing.
Avoid close contact: Keep your baby away from the people who are sick as much as possible. Even if you are ill, wear a mask, or avoid close contact with your baby.

3) Ensure proper nutrition:

Simply, by feeding your baby healthy foods, you can maintain their overall health, especially their respiratory system.

Breastfeeding:

Do breastfeed: Breast milk offers vital nutrients and antibodies that assist in strengthening your baby’s immune system, it will greatly safeguard your baby from infections.
Healthy diet for mothers: When breastfeeding, try to consume a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. When you consume healthy foods automatically, your baby will get optimal nutrition through your milk.

Inclusion of solids:

Balanced diet for babies: Once you start feeding your baby with solids, ensure to give them nutrient-rich foods to support their growth and immune function.
Avoid allergic foods: With the guidance of your healthcare professional, start feeding your baby with eggs, fish, and peanuts.

4) Concentrate on vaccines:

Vaccines are the best defense for several respiratory distress syndromes.

Stick to the schedule: Make sure that your baby gets all the recommended vaccines on time. This includes vaccines for influenza, cough, and pneumococcal disease.
Annual flu vaccine: Doctors recommend an annual flu vaccine for babies older than six months. This greatly assists in protecting your child from seasonal flu, which causes extreme respiratory distress in young children.

5) Look for symptoms of illness:

Timely detection and appropriate treatment for respiratory issues can prevent complications and reduce the risk of respiratory distress.

Frequent check-ups:

Frequent screening: Without fail, attend all scheduled well-baby visits to your pediatrician. During the visit, your baby’s growth and development will be monitored, and if there are any health issues you can find them.
Immunizations: Also, you can use this chance to stay on track with your child’s vaccination schedule.

Timely diagnosis:

Know the signs: Educate yourself about the common respiratory infections and symptoms of respiratory distress. Timely intervention can make a significant difference in your baby’s recovery.
Get medical treatment at the proper time: Whenever you notice symptoms of respiratory distress or if your baby seems unwell, immediately seek medical treatment. Never hesitate to reach out to your pediatrician.

6) Develop a safe sleeping environment:

Just sleeping under a safe and secure environment can prevent several issues that contribute to respiratory distress, even (SIDS).

Sleep position:

Back to sleep: Prefer to make your baby sleep on their back, this will reduce the risk of SIDS and ensure an open airway.
Firm mattress: Use a flat, firm mattress to avoid unnecessary issues.

Room sharing:

Don’t share the bed: Ensure that both you and your baby sleep in the same room but in their individual crib or bassinet at least for six months from the birth. This practice reduces the risk of SIDS by 50%.

7) Be prepared for emergencies:

You can stay more precautious, even though emergencies may occur, so save your baby’s life in those emergency situations.

Learn CPR:

Infant CPR training: Get to know more about CPR, and learn how to perform it on your baby. It can be really lifesaving in case of emergency.
First aid kit: Keep a first aid kit in your home, and know how to use them.

Still, you are confused and unclear about how to safeguard your baby from respiratory distress just reach out to the best hospital for neonatology in Coimbatore, there the healthcare professionals will diagnose your little one’s conditions and prescribe medications based on their health condition, further they will guide to cope this condition effectively.

Final Thoughts:

In conclusion, we can say that to protect your kid from respiratory distress there are lots of preventive measures, timely detection, and prompt intervention. By developing a healthy environment, practicing good hygiene, ensuring vital nutrition, being updated about vaccinations, observing for signs of illness, maintaining a safe sleeping environment, and staying prepared for emergencies, you can potentially reduce the risk of respiratory distress in your baby. Just keep in mind that every baby is different, and what works for other kids may not work for your baby. Reach out to your pediatrician for specialized treatment based on your kid’s condition and needs. Simply, with the precise knowledge and staying precautious, you can help your child to breathe easily.