Take note when your child breathes over 50 times a minute.
Smaller children normally have a faster rate of breathing those older children, but we should immediately show the child to a doctor if the rate of breathing is as follows:
Up to 2 months of age | 60 or more per minute |
2 months to 1 year | 50 or more per minute |
1 to 5 year | 40 or more per minute |
Older children | 30 or more per minute |
To count the rate, place the watch (with a second’s hand) over the chest of the child and count the number of breaths per minute.
Along with fast breathing, if the spaces between the lower ribs of a child’s chest go in as the child breathes, rush to the doctor. If such child is unable to drink anything, it is a medical emergency and the child should be taken to hospital immediately.
Common causes: A few common causes of breathlessness discussed under individual headings are pneumonia, Asthma, Bronchiolitis, Stridor associated with a foreign body or serious infection of the throat, Heart failure due to congenital or acquired heart disease.
Source: Book - Guide to Child Care by Dr R K Anand
To consult Dr R K Anand in person, click here
Source for banner image: ox.ac.uk