Questions
My ten-month-old daughter has pediatric pneumonia and vomits after eating. How should I handle it?
Answers
Hello: After a child has a cold, they may experience fever and coughing, which can lead to pneumonia in severe cases. How can parents determine if their child has pneumonia? Observe the breathing rate and chest indentation. Since the 1980s, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been promoting the management of acute respiratory infection cases in developing countries, establishing a simple “Routine for Acute Respiratory Infections” that can be mastered by primary healthcare workers and parents. This routine determines the severity of pediatric pneumonia by observing the breathing rate and chest indentation. The breathing rate in children varies with age. For infants under 2 months old, the breathing rate should be less than 60 times per minute; for those between 2 and 12 months, it should be less than 50 times per minute; and for children between 1 and 4 years old, it should be less than 40 times per minute. Chest indentation refers to the inward indentation of the lower chest wall when the baby inhales. If coughing is accompanied by an increased breathing rate, it indicates mild pneumonia; if there is an increased breathing rate and chest indentation, it indicates severe pneumonia; and if there is difficulty drinking or cyanosis, it indicates extremely severe pneumonia. Mild pneumonia can be treated at home, but severe pneumonia requires hospitalization. However, once symptoms are detected, immediate medical attention should be sought for a doctor’s diagnosis.