The common cause of breathing difficulty in children is respiratory infections like pneumonia, whooping cough, inflammation of the trachea and larynges (a structure that contains the vocal cords).
Flu can also cause breathing difficulty. When a viral infection spreads to the lungs, it causes bronchitis (inflamation of the main air passages to the lungs).
Acute asthma can also trigger breathing difficulty especially in children less than 5 years. Foreign bodies in the nasal passage eg beans, g.nuts and popcorns. It can also be caused by metabolic problems eg heart, kidney and liver failure.
How to help babies with breathing difficulties: Babies born prematurely find it difficult to breastfeed and breathe at first attempt as they have not got skills or strength to suckle, which affects their ability to get enough milk and can’t stimulate the mothers’ breasts to release the milk. So mothers’ are encouraged to express the milk and feed the babies through tubes. Some breathing difficulties also discourage our babies from breastfeeding.
At premature birth and breathing difficulties, breasts cover babies stuffy or block their noses making it difficult for our babies to breathe through the mouth and swallow at the same time. If your baby finds it difficult to breastfeed and breath you need to consult a health expert as your baby may die.
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