Question
Our two-month-old baby developed pneumonia due to a cold, showing slight fever (37-38 degrees), mild cough, and generally good spirits but reduced appetite. How long does it usually take to treat pneumonia in such a case?
Answer
Pneumonia refers to inflammation of the terminal airways, alveoli, and interstitium of the lungs, common symptoms including fever, rapid breathing, persistent dry cough, possibly accompanied by unilateral chest pain, chest pain exacerbated during deep breathing or coughing, varying amounts of sputum, and possibly congestion. In infants with pneumonia, symptoms are often not obvious, sometimes only mild cough or no coughing at all. Immediate medical treatment should be sought. The symptoms of pneumonia in children have certain age characteristics; typically, infants are more susceptible to bacterial or viral infections leading to bronchopneumonia and bronchiolitis. Older children, due to increased resistance, can limit the extent of the disease and mainly suffer from lobar pneumonia and mycoplasma pneumonia. Generally, the treatment period is about 1 to 2 weeks.