The baby is gasping or breathing irregularly. This frightens many parents. However, you need not worry at first if your baby gasps. In fact, it is not unusual for a baby to grasp or to breathe heavily during sleep.
Sometimes it seems as if fluid from the nose or throat is in the wrong place. This rattling certainly seems unusual, and in most cases, it is absolutely harmless.
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Is Your Baby Making Strange Noises?
For many moms and dads, there’s nothing better than watching their offspring sleep and dream. When a soft grunting or snoring sound is heard, it is extremely cute. Sometimes. Because there are also situations in which it sounds strange when the baby rattles.
This may be due to a cold so that there is some mucus in the throat – or your baby has hiccups. This is also harmless and usually goes away after a few moments.
When observing their child, many parents notice that babies in particular go through different cycles of breathing during the night. Similar to the “big ones”, individual sleep phases are very deep and almost soundless. Following this, it becomes apparent that the baby is gasping.
Sometimes there is a soft grunting or swallowing sound, sometimes followed by small pauses in breathing. These usually last about three to five seconds, so they are by no means cause for concern.
What causes it can have if the baby rattles and what signs indicate that you should immediately see a doctor – you will learn that and more in this article.
When Can I Do Something If My Baby Is Wheezing?
In the medical world, it’s called “carping” when a baby gasps. The sound is caused when mucus is in the throat and covers the small larynx. Infants and young children are not yet able to clear their throat to get rid of the mucus in their throat this way.
If the baby clears his throat and the noticeable breathing sounds, it is nothing “earth-shattering”. Usually, the mucus in the throat usually appears right after birth and subsides on its own with time.
By the time your baby is 5 months old, the problem with mucus in the throat will have settled. Then the little ones can clear their throat and get rid of the mucus in the throat. Mucus in the throat can also be an indication of a long-term cold.
If the baby’s cold lasts too long, it may be due to another illness. It is therefore very important that you always keep a close eye on your little treasure in order to identify any unusual abnormalities in good time.
If the cold lasts and the breathing noises do not subside, it is time to see the pediatrician. Consultation with a physician is recommended for these signs:
If the cold is permanent and the discomfort from the baby’s cold does not noticeably subside even after five to seven days, action is called for. If your little darling breathes more frequently than about 50 to 55 times a minute, this can also be an indication that something is wrong.
A cold that lasts for a long time is not necessarily life-threatening. But if your baby is having a lot of trouble breathing and is coughing loudly and “barking” frequently, you should not wait any longer to visit the pediatrician’s office.
If your baby is wheezing, making squawking noises, and flared nostrils, this may be a sign of lung disease. The same applies if the chest muscles are visibly tense at the same time.
A baby cold is sometimes accompanied by a respiratory infection. This means that the baby not only gasps but also makes a whistling sound when breathing in and out. While this is usually harmless, it can also be a signal that bronchitis is present.
If the baby suffers from a cold or has hiccups, there is certainly no need to panic. But the situation is different if the baby has a cold, with frequent pauses in breathing.
This is known as apnea if the pauses in breathing last longer than about ten seconds. If a baby occasionally stops breathing for between three and five seconds during sleep, this is absolutely normal. Longer-lasting pauses in breathing, on the other hand, are life-threatening.
If your baby is gasping and there is a bluish discoloration on the face or fingers, this indicates a lack of oxygen. In such a situation, contact the emergency doctor immediately.
So That The Cold Does Not Last
Is your little darling’s nose running or is there mucus in his throat? Is your baby gasping and visibly uncomfortable? Then there are often the typical symptoms of a baby cold. To make sure the cold doesn’t last, you should take a few tricks to heart.
Experience has shown that babies who are initially still fully breastfed suffer far less frequently from a cold that lasts. The valuable breast milk is rich in precious ingredients that, among other things, strengthen the immune system.
With such a good supply of nutrients, the child’s organism can more easily deal with bacteria, germs, and other pathogens.
Will A Breast Pump Help Me Breastfeed?
Some mothers do not want to breastfeed for fear of possible mastitis or pain in the breast. However, these are not really reasons to stop breastfeeding in advance.
The use of a breast pump is a very helpful alternative in this regard because the suction mechanism is very consistent and the risk of breast infection can accordingly be reduced to a minimum.
If the child receives the expressed breast milk from the bottle, it will also benefit from the valuable ingredients contained in the breast milk. If you have a cold yourself, it is advisable to wear a mouthguard and disinfect your hands.
This reduces the risk of infection. Even the tiny droplets from coughing could infect your little bundle of joy and cause a baby cold.
Can My Baby Catch It?
It is certainly in the nature of things that many mothers fear they could infect their child with the cold viruses via breast milk. Even when they have a fever or other symptoms, breastfeeding women are often reluctant to give their baby the breast because they want to protect it from infection.
The fact is, however, that breast milk contains extremely valuable antibodies that can protect your baby from possible infection. You should therefore by no means give up breastfeeding even if you have a cold.
If your baby is wheezing because his nose is blocked, it is often just an infection. Babies’ mucous membranes are highly sensitive, so it is not just a baby cold that can cause them to rattle.
An air-conditioned environment or dry heating air can also dry out the mucous membranes in young children and contribute to the baby’s wheezing.
Tip
Use a saline nasal spray to treat the swollen mucous membranes. While doing so, hold your baby in a supine position and drip no more than two small drops into each nostril. Even if such a moment is unpleasant for the little one – the spray will certainly help the baby and clear the nose again.
In addition, you would be well advised to place a bowl of water in the bedroom and in every other room where you spend time with your little one at home. A room humidifier is certainly the best alternative in this regard – but also the more expensive.
Conclusion: Is It Bad If My Baby Rattles?
If the baby rattles, it is harmless in most cases. Certainly, it stands to reason that inexperienced mothers and fathers, in particular, will take their infant to the emergency room in case of doubt to get help when the baby is rattling.
On the other hand, however, parents should also bear in mind that in this way a “real” emergency may be treated in an emergency department with a time delay. It is therefore important to weigh up in advance whether home remedies might be sufficient or whether you should actually go to the hospital when your baby is wheezing.
Sources
https://www.netmoms.de/magazin/baby/babyschlaf/seltsame-atemgeraeusche-dein-baby-roechelt-im-schlaf/
