Question
The newborn has symptoms of rapid breathing and mild cough, is not crying or fussy, and loves to take naps. The illness has lasted over 24 hours, and the cause may be choking while breastfeeding. There is a recurrence of coughing and rapid breathing, and there is concern that it might be due to milk entering the airway from vomiting.
Answer
Since the child is prone to choking while breastfeeding and currently has coughing and rapid breathing, it is recommended to observe the color of the child’s lips. If there is no cyanosis and the child is not crying or fussy, there is no need to worry excessively; just keep a close watch. However, if there is rapid breathing and the lips are cyanotic, immediate medical attention should be sought for percussion examination, and if necessary, suctioning to clear the milk from the airway. Additionally, if milk aspiration occurs frequently and is accompanied by cyanotic lips, medical consultation for cardiac percussion or cardiac Doppler ultrasound should be sought to rule out congenital heart disease.