Why are babies susceptible to pneumonia?

The article was consulted professionally by Resident Doctor Duong Van Sy – Pediatric Resident Doctor – Pediatrics – Newborn Department – Share99 Hai Phong International Health Hub.

Pneumonia is a common form of infection in babies. Without timely and active treatment, newborn pneumonia can be fatal for babies, especially in premature, underweight babies.

Newborn pneumonia is an inflammation or infection of the lung mesenterosis. Pneumonia can occur before, during or after birth.

• Congenital pneumonia: Occurs before birth, in the last months of pregnancy, bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Treponema Pallidum, Listeria monocytogenes), viruses (Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex) pass through the placenta into the fetus causing pneumonia early after birth.
• Pneumonia occurs during childbirth: Mainly due to the mother with genital infections or premature amnioticrupture , the bacteria that attack babies cause pneumonia. Common bacteria include Listeria monocytogenes, Enterobacter, E.Coli,Streptococcus group B, Klebsiella, Proteus. Your child may also have pneumonia caused by inhaling stools. This is a case of severe pneumonia, which should be dealt with immediately;
• Post-birth pneumonia: Pneumonia is caused by bacterial infections from the surrounding environment, mostly encountered in hospitalized children or poorly sancitation mothers. Some of the bacteria that usually cause post-birth pneumonia in babies are: Klebsiella, S.Aureus, S.Pneumoniae, H.influenzae, Pseudomonas

Since the respiratory tract of babies is still immature, clinical symptoms are often unclear, easily ignored. The warning signs of pneumonia in babies are:

• Symptoms of infection: Poor feeding, breastfeeding, vomiting, abdominal obstruction, fever above 37.5 degrees Celsius, hypothermia, fatigue, separation, decreased reflexes,…;
• Respiratory symptoms: Shortness of breath, wheezing, cough, breathing rate 60 times /min, chest concave breathing, moaning, having a shortness of breath lasting more than 20 seconds, cyanosis of the lips and skin,…

• Infants may become infected with lung infections before, during or after birth due to the duration of amniotic rupture.
• Babies may have pneumonia during childbirth due to inhalation of amniotic fluid, infected stools, or secretion in the genitals of the maternity;
• While supporting childbirth, post-delivery resuscitation and caring for babies, if eptic requirements are not guaranteed, the child is susceptible to infection from medical instruments, the environment and from caregivers, causing pneumonia;
• Premature babies, underweight due to impersible encephalitis reflexes, irregular muscle movement or gastric reflux – encephalitis lead to pneumonia;
• When breastfeeding, babies often vomit, ironically. If the child mistakenly inhales milk into the intestate, it will cause symptoms such as shortness of breath, shortness of breath, cyanosis of the skin, lips. The more milk inhaled, the more likely it is to cause pneumonia;
• Babies are susceptible to pneumonia caused by diseases such as dermatitis, inflammation of the oral cavity, inflammation of the,…
• Improper childcare habits: Incubate your child too warmly, sweat out a lot but do not change clothes, causing sweat to permeate and the child to get cold; misuse of cooling equipment; let your child out early in the morning or late at night without keeping warm,… also causes pneumonia in children.

The respiratory apparatus in babies and young children is immature, not complete, the respiratory tract is narrow and short, so when inflamed it is easy to cause edema of the airway mucosa, causing children to have difficulty breathing and inflammation is easily spread. That is why pneumonia in children usually progresses very quickly and severely.

• During pregnancy, pregnant women need to have a routine check-up to promptly detect and intervene when there are abnormal health problems that can adversely affect the fetus;
• Giving birth at reputable medical facilities to ensure the safety of mothers and babies;
• Careful care for the mother and baby after birth;
• Breastfeeding babies completely, properly to strengthen the resistance of the baby;
• Caregivers should wash their hands of soap before and after caring for the child to avoid bacterial infections;
• Childcare tools should be clean, dry, ile and avoid contact with sources of infection.

Babies are prone to pneumonia. This is a serious disease, which can lead to death, especially in premature, underweight babies. However, the symptoms of pneumonia in babies are often unclear, so they are easily ignored. Therefore, parents should pay special attention to the manifestations of inflammation of the respiratory tract of the child such as breastfeeding, coughing, shortness of breath, fussing,… if a child with pneumonia is suspected, he/she should be taken to the doctor immediately for timely and effective treatment.

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SEE MORE:

• Signs of inflammation of the upper respiratory tract in babies
• Seasonality, vigilance of upper respiratory tract inflammation in children
• Symptoms of acute respiratory inflammation in a child