Flem In Her Lungs

by misty hoodman
(fresno,ca)

My 8 month old has flem in her lungs and coughing. It sounds like she's in pain. I stopped giving her formula for a few days and took her to a doctor and she told me to keep giving her her formula. She is really bad now and I can hear her breath loudly. I put her in the bathroom with steam and a vaporize next to her bed. How can I help her?

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Baby Help Line:

Tips For Baby With Flem In Lungs

If your baby makes noises when breathing, it is important to pay attention on what they sound like. This will help to decide if there is an air flow obstruction and where.

A whistling noise, a hoarse cry, a "barking" cough or a deep raspy sound might be signs of an upper respiratory tract infection.

Deep cough and wheezing might be signs of lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia.

Symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections get better within 2 weeks and do not need medical treatment because they are self-limited. Cold medications only reduce the severity of the symptoms but will not cure your baby.

Furthermore, cough medicine is usually not recommended as coughing is helpful to eliminate lung secretions and should not be eliminated.

You can do several things to help your baby to feel better. For example, if your baby has a stopped up nose, you may want to use saline nose drops. You can make these by adding ½ teaspoon of table salt to 1 cup of boiled water (as an alternative and if you are breast feeding, you can also use your own milk instead of saline drops). After the solution has come to room temperature, put one drop in each nostril then suck with the 1 ounce rubber syringe (suction bulb). Do this before each feeding and at bed time. This will make it easier for the child to breathe.

Lower respiratory tract infections usually start after an upper respiratory tract infection and need medical attention. Depending on the cause of the infection your doctor will recommend a specific treatment. Your doctor will decide whether your baby can be treated at home or not.

Most children treated at home with the right medication are much improved after 2 days of treatment.

You did well putting your baby in the bathroom with steam and placing a vaporizer next to her bed because it will help your baby to dissolve and eliminate the secretions in her airways.

It is important that you follow the recommendations from your doctor. Continue giving your baby formula and water because it is important to keep her hydrated.

If your baby get worse or/and her symptoms last more than 2 weeks, it would be better that your doctor examines your baby again.

Things to worry about when your baby has noisy breathe include:

• Increase rate of breathing (more than 50 breaths per minute)


• Shortness of breath or increased work to breathe (dyspnea)


• Grunting noise at the end of respiration (grunting)


• Nostrils flare during breathing (flaring)


• Muscles of chest or neck are seeing going in and out more deeply than usual (retractions)


• Fever


• Poor feeding


• Lethargy

I hope this helps,

Paula

(Answer approved by our Medical Reference Team)

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