Earlier this year my one year suffered a breathing attack. If she was a little older it may have been diagnosed as an asthma attack, however asthma is extremely difficult to diagnose in under 5s. Instead, it was given the general term 'breathing problems' which can incorporate a range of conditions from choking, COPD, secondary drowning and even an allergic reaction. My little girl's breathing problems were caused by a viral infection, which she had for 3 days prior to the incident happening.
For a few days she had been clinging and feverish, which was managed at home with Calpol and cuddles. On the third day she development a wheezy sound when breathing, which soon got worse. She was still a good colour, including her fingers and toes, a sign oxygen is still getting to the extremities and her lips were pink. With server breathing problems the lips and face can go grey/blue, this is known as cyanosis. As I was not seeing any of this, I phoned the GP for an appointment. By the time we got to the doctor a short time later, she was showing real effort to breathe.
- Every time she breathed, the area just below the ribs was being sucked in
- Her head was bobbing with effort
- She was grunting
- Taking pauses between each breathe
- Other signs could be difficulty to cry or speak more than a few words without stopping to breathe
She was taken to A&E and treated with inhalers given via a spacer (a large plastic tube), she was not keen on this and cried, refusing treatment. Her breathing did not improve, so was taken to intensive care, where she was sedated and given IV medication for 2 days. With rest and support her breathing on the ventilator improved, helping her to recover. On the third day, it was just like nothing had happened, she was running around back to her normal self.
It is important if you notice these breathing signs, as I did, you seek urgent medical attention by calling 999.
Breathing problems like this are part of the content in our First Aid Course for Parents. You can find out more about this short course which will give you peace of mind here https://www.surreyfirstaid.com/specialist-courses/parents-first-aid-courses.html