Breathing issues

[momtoethan]

I noticed my ds has a tendency to breath hard when he crawls, plays on the floor with toys that require him to move around, or gets excited at something. Is this normal or could it be an indication of something?

[MNmomtobe]

How is his color during these episodes? Are his lips or fingers bluish at all? Does he seem in distress? Heart and lungs all checked out okay at his well-checks? Could be he is just excited. I don't know why he would be doing this but my DD did a lot of different stuff that worried me when she was an infant. She did this weird gasping thing that scared the heck out of me. Had her checked. The docs thought either she liked the reaction she got when she did it or it was possibly her esophageal reflux causing her to do that.
Most likely it is nothing but it never hurts to call the ped's office be sure and to give you some peace of mind. Of course, if he is in any respiratory distress, call 911.

[momtoethan]

Thanks for reassuring me. Maybe it's nothing.
I didn't notice any bluish coloring on his finger or lips luckily. My first thought was anemia? Luckily he does have a 9 month wellness check coming up this Wednesday. And I think routine bloodwork will also be done with this check up. Hopefully it will be nothing.

[MNmomtobe]

I hope it is nothing as well. Keep us posted here. Be sure to share your concerns at the well check appt.(I'm sure you would anyway!) They may do more than just the routine testing if they feel any of his symptoms needs further investigation. Hope everything goes well! :)

[dhano923]

I don't know how old your DS is, but do you have a history of allergies or asthma in your family? I had asthma as a child, and my brother also had it badly, and now my DD has it. She also used to get out of breath while playing, and would wheeze sometimes. She uses an inhaler now (only when needed) and it helps tremendously.

[egoldber]

It sounds like it could be asthma. Allergy induced asthma is rampant in the spring and summer. I would call your ped and ask, especially if it happens every time.

[Laurel]

Another remote possibility is nasal polyps. My DD was always a super heavy breather as an infant, and after multiple tests and screenings we figured it out. Occasional nasal steroids keep her breathing clear.

If your ped doesn't find anything as the cause, you could have an ENT take a look.

[Melbel]

DS and DD1 both have asthma. Exercise is a well known asthma trigger (as well as viral illness, allergies, etc.). I would learn to recognize signs of labored breathing (i.e. persistent cough, flared nostrils, retractions in ribcage, turning blue, baby seems in distress) just to be on the safe side and be sure to discuss during next dr. visit.

[hollybloom24]

My daughter has been a heavy breather and snorer since she was born. We took her to an ENT last week and they x-rayed her head, and her adenoids are so enlarged that they are cutting off her airway, and she needs to have them removed. Might want to look into this as a possibility.

[elephantmeg]

sounds suspicous of a number of things to me, all of which have been mentioned. Be sure to bring it up at your appointment.

[momtoethan]

So I took Ethan to his 9 month checkup and brought up the breathing hard issue. She asked me a series of questions like do you have asthma or allergies in your family? Fortunately there's not asthma in my family, but allergies does run in my family and I did notice that Ethan sneezes on and off throughout the day even though he doesn't have a cold. My doctor said that possibly he may have inherited the tendency to have allergies. I then played a recording of the type of breathing that I was noticing from Ethan and she didn't seem to concerned. She pulled up his shirt to listen to his heart and then said that I should keep an eye and it and if it becomes more frequent, she'll refer me to an ENT. For now, she said it doesn't appear to be anything other than normal exertion. For now, I'll take her word for it especially since in the last day or two, I haven't noticed it as much.

[ShanaMama]

What a smart idea- I'd never think of recording it. Ifyour ped is not concerned it sounds like nothing to worry about. I'd just keep my eye on it and most importantly trust your instincts. If your Mommy instinct tells you there's more going on then there probably is & you should check it out further.