A 32-year-old male asked:
Why does a newborn have breathing difficulties? she is 7 weeks old and has had breathing difficulties almost from the beginning. five visits to the pediatrician did not produce answers. she had an irregular heartbeat in her first visit which was normal
3 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in
Dr. Joy Jacksonanswered
Family Medicine 21 years experience
The : The symptoms you described are not normal and should be evaluated as such, especially the hand discoloration and respiratory difficulty.Your concerns about her development should also be addressed.
Bring her back to the pediatricain. If you are not pleased with the care or explanation, then seek a second opinion.
If the baby appears to be in respiratory distress (shallow or rapid breathing, turning pale or blue) bring her to the er or call 911.
Best of luck.
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5.3k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Dr. Beth Summersanswered
Pediatrics 22 years experience
Depends: It's hard to answer your question about breathing problems in your baby without more details. However, in general, babies can have noisy, gurgly breathing. They will sneeze and hiccup. All this is normal as long as their color has not changed (i.e. Turn blue or become cyanotic) and they look comfortable. In addition, a baby's heartbeat can very with their breathing pattern and this can be normal.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.2k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. James Fergusonanswered
Pediatrics 48 years experience
Define difficulties: A newborn spends the first 4-6 wks setting the breathing mechanism that was unneeded in the womb.They must learn how to pair rate & depth of breathing to activities like sleep/eating/crying. This "variable"breathing includes pauses up to 15 sec or panting. If this is what you mean, it is normal and will normalize.If the kid is robust, ignore it.If the kid is sickly, get a second opinion
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated Oct 3, 2016
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