Question
My newborn is 16 days old, with a breathing rate of 57, heart rate between 110 to 120. Sometimes there is movement of the nostrils, occasional coughing, and a few times while breastfeeding, I feel short of breath. After breastfeeding, I need to breathe calmly for a while before it feels better. There is sticky saliva in the mouth with bubbles, no blue discoloration around the mouth and nose, and the abdomen rises and falls irregularly when breathing. No indentation symptoms were found on the chest. When held in the arms, the head moves during breathing, but it’s not noticeable when lying flat on the bed. I went to the hospital yesterday and had a doctor perform a percussion exam. The doctor listened to the sounds in both calm and crying states and said there were no issues with the percussion exam. I want to ask if these symptoms are normal? Can pneumonia be ruled out?
Answer
Based on your detailed description, I recommend taking your child to a regular hospital newborn department for a systematic detailed examination, such as an X-ray of the chest and routine blood tests. It cannot be solely relied upon to judge whether there is pneumonia based on percussion exams and symptoms. I hope my explanation can help you. The above is a suggestion for the question “Are symptoms at 16 days old in newborns normal?” I hope it is helpful to you, and wish the patient a speedy recovery!