Baby breath sounds are usually not a dangerous thing. But mothers still need to be vigilant, especially if the baby's breath sounds accompanied by shortness of breath, cough, fever, and the baby looks weak. This condition may require immediate treatment.
The baby's breath sounds can be because the lungs and respiratory tract of the Little One still need time to adapt to a new environment that is different from the uterus.
The sound of this baby's breath may make parents worry, but this condition is actually not dangerous. Usually, this condition lasts for several weeks. And after he gets bigger, this breath sound will disappear by itself.
Baby's Breath Sounds Normal and Not
Generally, baby wheezing that occurs occasionally is normal. Breath sounds in babies can be caused because the baby's respiratory tract is still narrow and the baby has not been able to cough or expel mucus in the airways as in children and adults.
In newborns, this makes the mucus in the nose easily trapped and obstructs the flow of air, so the baby makes a sound when breathing.
Types of sounds that are normal for babies include:
- The sound like gargling, occurs because of the saliva that collects in the mouth and throat.
- Sounds like sniffing, occur when the baby is sleeping soundly.
- Hiccup sound. Newborns are prone to hiccups when they drink too much or too fast, or swallow a lot of air.
- A whistling sound occurs because the baby's nasal passages are still narrow, so they make a whistling sound when they inhale.
However, wheezing in babies can sometimes indicate that there is a problem with the respiratory system. The following are types of breath sounds in babies to watch out for:
The sound of snoring breaths.
This breath sound is also known as stridor. This condition usually occurs when there is a blockage or narrowing of the baby's airway.
Baby breath sounds like this are usually caused by epiglottitis, croup, congenital abnormalities in the vocal cords and throat, or the entry of foreign objects in the baby's airways, for example due to choking.
In addition to different breath sounds than usual, babies with stridor may also experience cough, hoarseness, shortness of breath, and fever.
Wheezing breath sound
This is a breath sound that sounds like a high pitched squeak. In contrast to normal whistling sounds, babies with wheezing sounds will usually appear short of breath, weak, coughing, and need to struggle to breathe.
This wheezing sound is usually caused by inflammation or infection of the airways, such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis. This infection usually appears with fever and cough. If there is no fever, wheezing in the baby may be caused by allergies.
Handling Baby's Breath Sounds
If your little one's breathing sounds but he seems normal (not fussy or weak), there are several things you can do to help him breathe more smoothly, namely:
1. Remove mucus from the nosehis
Mothers can remove mucus from the little one's nose with a special baby mucus suction device. To help thin the phlegm or mucus, you can drip a few drops of saline solution (sterile salt water) before removing the mucus.
2. Maintain cleanliness and humidity of the air
Keep the air around your little one clean and moist. If necessary, you can use an air humidifier (humidifier), especially when using indoor air conditioning.
Avoid your little one from exposure to pollution, such as cigarette smoke, motor vehicles, or smoke from burning garbage. Also avoid your little one from perfume because it can irritate the respiratory tract.
3. Put the baby to sleep in the right position
Always put your baby in a supine position when sleeping. This is to avoid sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
4. Give more breast milk
Give breast milk more often because breast milk contains immune-forming substances that can prevent your little one from getting infections. Adequate breastfeeding can also prevent your little one from becoming dehydrated.
Mothers need to be alert and immediately take your little one to the nearest doctor or emergency room if his breath sounds accompanied by the following signs:
- Breathe more than 60 times a minute.
- Seems to be having trouble breathing. The sign is if he grunts constantly and his nostrils inflate when he breathes.
- High-pitched hoarse voice and persistent cough.
- The muscles in the chest and neck appear to rise and fall or are pulled tight when breathing.
- His breathing stopped for more than 10 seconds.
- His lips, mouth, and skin appear bluish. This indicates that the oxygen levels in the body are starting to decrease.
- No appetite.
- Look sluggish.
- Fever.
Although baby wheezing is generally a normal condition, mothers still need to be alert and recognize wheezing in babies caused by dangerous conditions. If you are in doubt, you should immediately consult a pediatrician for proper examination and treatment.