My sisters 1 month old son gasps for breaths alot, when he is eating, sleeping, playing, and anytime inbetween. She has been to the ER twice once they told her that she was just a worried new parent. EXACT WORDS given to her in writing, ya know on the discharge papers. Second time they told her it was his gerd and to give him his meds. But we don't think he has the bad of a case of GERD. We think that cause my son has gerd and when he was his age food would come up every 20-30 min. He is on the formula gentlease, and when he drinks his formula he always chokes on it. Like it comes out too fast, but she has used every bottle available. It is really scary to hear him breathe like that. Its almost like when you get scared of something and that high pitched gasp of air you take right as you see your child in danger. thats the only way i know to expain it. Has anyone experienced this?? He was a premie, I think he was a month premature and he didn't spend any extra time in the hospital, no steriods. HELP!!
One of my twins did this. When we went to see her doctor she told us that she had reflux. She doesn't spit up a lot so I didn't think it was reflux, but the doctor told us that all babies are different. So some do not spit up a lot with reflux and some do. She put her on Zantax and it hasn't happened since.
Good luck!
My youngest son did this and he was not a preemie, did not have GERD, and is totally healthy! It scared me to death though - it sounded like a high pitched whistle. Thank goodness that I LOVE and TRUST my pedi, Dr. McGehee who assured me that this was okay and that he would out grow it. Guess what - he did! Trust your gut moms, but also trust your pedi!
I would take him to the Pedi. My daughter did this and then her lips started turning blue. She turned out to have Reactive Airways Diease, its totally managble. He may have a form of sleep apenia. Make an appoitment with your ENT as well. Good Luck hope it get better.
I really have no clue, so this is just a shot in the dark, but could he be a mouth breather. Lots of people breathe through their mouth and not their nose. If so he is having to hold his breath while he eats, etc...so he is making up with a large gasp type breath??? Maybe he has a small lung capacity???
Maybe his little nose is stuffed up and that makes him do it as well??
Just some thoughts...that sounds scary! She should NEVER let them push her off as just a new mom! If it worries her she should push it until she finds a doc that listens... Good luck!
Consider going to see an Ear Nose & Throat specialist. I highly recommend Dr. Timothy Trone at Medical City. He removed my daughter's tonsils last year. He is a pediatric specialist in the ENT field. I have talked with him about his area of expertise, and apparently there are quite a few children with problems that you describe, and he treats those children in his practice. My daughter had different problems; she kept running a high fever; like 104.5. Her pediatrician just kept minimizing it; it's a virus and there's not much that can be done, keep her comfy, etc. - kinda seems like the stock answer. I took her to see Dr. Trone and he put her in the hospital. She ran high fevers for a week, even with high level intravenous antibiotics, motrin etc. Finally he ran a CT Scan and found the problem in her tonsils. Long story short, he commended me on bringing her in. You sometimes have to rely on your instincts. Maybe the pediatrician and the ER docs are right, but you can take him to a specialist and probably should as scary as that situation is. If the ENT says there's no big problem, at least you will understand better and feel more comfortable; if there is a realy problem, including reflux, the ENT can treat and monitor it. Be sure to get appropriate referrals if your insurance requires it. Good luck.
Maybe try a very small amount of cereal in his formula to thicken it up to help keep it down. If your not comfortable with using rice cereal you can also get a formula thickener from the drug store. My son has been diagnosed with infant reflux since he was an infant and he does seem have alot of upper resp problems. He also has always sounded rattly to me when he breathes.
If you feel that something more is going on then continue to bother the doctors until somethings done about it.
C.
First of all the WORST place to take a new born is the ER, especially right now with it being cold, and flu season. If the child has been to see its primary physcian, and was listened too, I think that is very reassuring. As for some of the other comments, babies are NOT mouth breathers. They breathe from their nose for at least the first 6 months. He doesnt need to see an ENT either.(no offense ladies):) A lot of babies just sound funny when they are breathing. Some signs of resp distress are going to be: 1) a baby that small is going to turn purple around the lips. 2)Mom is going to see a definate sinking in of the skin in between the rib cage. Reflux oddly enough can make babies have a chockin sound, b/c what happens is the formula is trying to come up, and instead they kind of choke, and swallow it. If mom is not happy w/ her doctor she should SWITCH. I am a pediatric office nurse in case you are wondering where I am getting my info from :)
Hope this helps!
First...let me preface this with when in doubt, call a pediatrician, and if you aren't happy, call another.
However, I have two full term boys, and both of them did this as infants. My pedi said it was just a breathing immaturity thing, and they would grow out of it. My oldest gasped like that quite a bit for the first 2 months or so, and has always had a strong gag reflex as well. My youngest is only 3 weeks, and does this occasionally, but always starts breathing again right where he left off.
Like I said, you should check around if you are really worried, but as far as I know, this is normal.
