Babies With Breathing Problems

When your baby is having trouble breathing---she is wheezing, her nostrils are flared, or her skin is turning blue---you want answers right away. Fortunately, aside from lung diseases, there are only a handful of causes for breathing problems in infants. The most common are apnea of prematurity, sleep apnea, and asthma or illnesses that mimic asthma. All are treatable.

Apnea of Prematurity

• One of the most common causes of breathing problems in infants is called apnea of prematurity. Among babies born before 37 weeks gestation, 25 percent of those born at about 5½ pounds and 85 percent of newborns weighing about 2 pounds have this type of apnea. Typically, apnea of prematurity goes away on its own by the time the baby reaches a gestational age of 44 weeks.

  Apnea of prematurity occurs because the baby's immature central nervous system cannot fully control her breathing. This results in periods of normal breathing followed by periods of shallow breaths or no breathing at all.

  Treatment includes the use of a ventilator that "breathes" for the baby or a CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine, which offers both supplemental oxygen and pressure to help keep the baby's lungs open. In less serious cases, the preemie is monitored for breathing and a nasal cannula may be used to provide supplemental oxygen. Nurses may also employ methods like tickling to "remind" the baby to breathe.

Sleep Apnea

• Just as adults can snore and experience periods of apnea while they sleep, so can babies. Sometimes sleep apnea is caused by a blockage or obstruction in the airway; other times it's caused by the brain not reminding the baby's body to breathe; and sometimes both problems contribute to sleep apnea. Although it's normal for all babies to occasionally have irregular breathing patterns while sleeping, babies with sleep apnea regularly stop breathing for 20 seconds or more at a time.

  According to BabyCenter.com, prematurity, brain bleeds, drugs and toxins, respiratory diseases, infections, acid reflux, and congenital conditions like Down syndrome and heart problems are common causes of sleep apnea in babies. In most cases, your baby's pediatrician will encourage you to use a medical-grade breathing monitor. Sometimes a CPAP machine may also be necessary.

Asthma

• Nearly one out of 10 children in the United States has asthma, according to Children & Asthma in America, and some of them show signs of the disease within their first year of life. Asthma is a type of chronic lung inflammation that causes a baby's airways to narrow, which in turn makes breathing difficult or even impossible. However, it's difficult to diagnose asthma before the age of 3, and common respiratory tract infections can cause wheezing that might be mistaken for asthma.

  Nonetheless, if your baby is having difficulty breathing because of an infection or asthma, his pediatrician may prescribe an asthma medication to widen the passages in his lungs. Often this is administered through an oxygen-type mask and an inhaler.

Non-Chronic Breathing Problems

• Sometimes a relatively minor illness can cause breathing problems in babies. For example, the common cold, bronchitis or an infection can cause congestion that makes breathing difficult. In cases like these, pediatricians recommend running a hot shower and holding the baby in the steamy bathroom (away from the running water) for about 15 minutes, especially before bed; using a gentle saline solution made just for babies; and using a warm mist humidifier in the baby's bedroom. Each of these things can help break up the congestion that makes breathing difficult.

  Nonetheless, if your baby begins wheezing, if her skin turns blue or gray, or if her nostrils flare in her attempt to breathe, take her to the doctor right away.