What If Your Infant Has Asthma?
The lungs of an infant do
not function as efficiently as the lungs of an older child. As a result, a
severe episode of asthma in an infant can quickly result in lung failure.
Things
to be aware of
- Asthma
is sometimes more difficult to diagnose in young infants compared to older
children. Many "nonasthma" diseases can mimic asthma.
- Over
one-third of children with asthma will have symptoms under
1 year of age, and more than half will have had symptoms by 2 years of
age.
- Even
in infants, there are many medicines available to treat asthma.
What
to do
- Follow
the appointment schedule for checking on your infant's asthma. Your
physician will want to see your baby regularly, even if your baby is not
having symptoms.
- If
your infant has asthma symptoms, act quickly. Follow the asthma action
plan that you and your physician developed for handling symptoms.
- Watch
your infant closely for signs to seek emergency care. These signs include:
o
Breathing
rate increases (to over 40 breaths per minute while the infant is sleeping).
Count the number of breaths in 15 seconds and multiply by 4.
o
Suckling
or feeding stops, or becomes difficult.
o
Skin
between your infant's ribs is pulled tight.
o
Chest
gets bigger.
o
Coloring
changes (pale or red face; fingernails turn blue).
o
Cry
changes in quality - becomes softer and shorter.
o
Nostrils
open wider (nasal flaring).
o
Grunting.
Be
prepared. Do not wait until the last minute to learn how to handle an
emergency. Have an asthma action plan that includes how you'll get to your
physician or hospital and who will watch your other children.
Concerns
about medications
- Many
of the same medicines used for older children and adults can be safely
used in infants.
- Most
asthma medications have no long-term effects, that is, their use during
infancy will not cause problems when your child is older or becomes an
adult.
Updated
on
© Copyright 1997 American Medical
Association