What Infant Asthma Symptoms And Triggers Might My Child Have?

Question: What Infant Asthma Symptoms And Triggers Might My Child Have?

Answer:

Infant asthma symptoms are similar to asthma symptoms in adults. Of course, that can be hard to know, since your infant cannot talk to you. It can sometimes be very difficult to figure out if what your child is experiencing is asthma based on observation alone.

In general, asthma patients experience:

• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath
• Cough

While many adults will often experience all three of the above mentioned symptoms, infant asthma symptoms can vary widely. Some infants may experience lots of coughing and wheezing at night, but not experience symptoms during the day. Some will only have a cough, while others may have what seems to be an endless cold or chest infection.

It's important to note that you may not notice any infant asthma symptoms until your little one experiences a trigger.

The following questions may help you determine if you need to get your child checked out for asthma:

• Has your infant ever wheezed? Though your infant may wheeze, that doesn't necessarily mean that she has asthma. Infants may experience some wheezing after an upper respiratory infection, but if the breathing trouble is frequent, there's a greater chance that asthma may be to blame.
• Does your infant cough at night? While more common in toddlers and older children, nighttime cough is an infant asthma symptom that should be checked out and can be used to monitor asthma control.
• Does your infant wheeze after exposure to allergens? If wheezing occurs after exposure to allergens, then your child could have infant asthma. These allergens include:
• Animal dander
• Dust mites
• Cockroaches
• Mold
• Does your child wheeze when exposed to tobacco smoke? Smoke is a lung irritant that can lead to asthma symptoms.
• Does crying or laughing cause wheezing? If your child wheezes after laughing or crying, you should consider a visit to your doctor so that she can evaluated for asthma.
• Does your child have difficulty finishing a bottle or is not able to stay on the breast? Poor feeding can be an infant asthma symptom and needs to be checked out.

_Sources:

_{National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Accessed: February 21, 2010. Expert Panel Report 3 (EPR3): Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma}