Question
My baby has been coughing up foamy saliva and experiencing diarrhea since yesterday. Their breathing sounds loud when they are sleeping. Is this a sign of neonatal pneumonia?
Answer
The clinical manifestations of neonatal pneumonia differ from those in older children and adults. There are several methods for diagnosing it. The first is the respiratory rate, which should be between 35 and 45 breaths per minute in a healthy neonate. A higher rate indicates an abnormal condition. Secondly, there is the presence of a sunken chest wall, also known as the suprasternal notch, where the chest rises very high, causing the intercostal spaces and the suprasternal notch to become sunken. Foamy saliva coughing in a neonate may also indicate pneumonia.