Breathing difficulties

Breathing difficulties can be caused by a range of conditions, such as bronchiolitis, asthma or pneumonia. It’s important to consult your doctor if your baby or child has breathing difficulties so that the cause can be diagnosed. The following are danger signs which indicate a serious and urgent problem and the need to call a doctor immediately or dial 999 for ambulance help:

• A blue colour of the lips and mouth
• Unnatural drowsiness in children, or floppiness in babies
• A sucking in of the skin between the ribs and a visible tensing of the neck muscles during breathing in, together with a wheeze
• A wheeze that has become quieter, with increasing (not decreasing) difficulty in breathing, especially if the child is so short of breath he cannot speak
• A harsh, seal-like sound as the child breathes in (stridor), especially if associated with drooling of saliva and/or a blue colour of the lips and mouth

What to do

• Ring your doctor for advice or dial 999 for an ambulance if your child shows any of the signs listed above
• If your child seems to be having slight breathing difficulties, ring your doctor for an appointment the same day