Patient's question:
Medical Description: The child is three months old. A few days ago, they might have caught a cold and have been coughing. When taken to the hospital, the doctor diagnosed them with pneumonia. When the child coughs, their face turns bluish and they have phlegm.Treatment History and Effect: The child has been treated for a week without significant improvement. They still cough and have phlegm and have been in the intensive care unit. Since going to the hospital, they have been on antibiotics and undergoing treatments such as inhalation, oxygen therapy, and sputum suction.
Help Needed: The parents are very anxious and do not know when the child will show significant improvement or when they will recover. Is it necessary to transfer to another hospital for treatment?
Doctor's answer:
Hello, pneumonia can manifest symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. It is a common pediatric illness, usually caused by bacterial or viral infections, and with active treatment, the course of the disease typically lasts around 12 weeks.Guidelines
The principle of treating this condition is anti-inflammatory, bronchodilatory, and expectorant. The child should drink plenty of fluids, and family members can help with chest physiotherapy to promote (phlegm) expulsion.
In daily life, family members are the primary source of infection for newborns. Close contact with newborns by family members who have respiratory infections or carry respiratory pathogens can transmit bacteria to the newborn through the air or direct contact. Since newborns have weak immunity, if an adult has a common cold, the child may develop pneumonia.
Therefore, if a newborn coughs—even just 1-2 times—this can indicate lung inflammation. Currently, the child is experiencing rapid breathing, and there are no obvious lung abnormalities. However, if the child coughs persistently, it may progress, especially in the early stages of pneumonia, where coughing may worsen progressively. Even if medication is administered and the cough does not worsen, it still takes 7-10 days.
However, parents can rest assured that recent cases of newborn pneumonia, especially those occurring during winter, are easier to treat and have shorter durations. Wishing your baby a speedy recovery!