Question
Is it normal for a baby two weeks old to breathe 55 times a minute? The baby’s breathing sounds like an adult’s heavy panting after vigorous exercise, and the head moves with each breath. The average rate is 55 breaths per minute. It is said that 60 breaths per minute could possibly indicate pneumonia, which is very concerning.
Answer
Pneumonia can be caused by pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, and physical-chemical factors such as radiation or inhalation of foreign objects. Bacterial pneumonia can often be cured within seven to ten days with appropriate antibiotic treatment. Viral pneumonia is milder in severity and does not respond to drug therapy, but the condition rarely lasts more than seven days. The classification is based on several factors including the type of pathogen, the course of the disease, and histopathological features. Histopathological classification: Pneumonia is divided into lobar pneumonia, bronchopneumonia, interstitial pneumonia, and bronchiolitis. According to the type of pathogen: including bacterial pneumonia, common bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Haemophilus influenzae. Viral pneumonia, common viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, etc. Other types include fungal pneumonia, mycoplasma pneumonia, chlamydia pneumonia. According to the course of the disease: it is classified into acute pneumonia, subacute pneumonia, and chronic pneumonia. Generally, subacute pneumonia lasts 1 to 3 months, while less than 3 months is chronic pneumonia. Pediatric pneumonia has certain age characteristics; typically, infants are prone to bronchopneumonia or bronchiolitis caused by bacterial or viral infections. However, school-age children, due to increased resistance and the ability to limit inflammation, mainly suffer from lobar pneumonia and mycoplasma pneumonia.