One of the most common concerns of parents in the first months of life has to do with the breathing of their newborn baby. Many have come while you sleep to check if you breathe properly. It is normal and expected that this is the case, a manifestation of the protective instinct that mammals have towards our young.
The dreaded sudden death syndrome causes parents to be very aware of how the newborn breathes, especially at bedtime. So that you can understand this process, we are talking today about some curiosities about the breathing of newborns that you should know.
Have irregular breathing
In babies, especially premature babies, there is an irregular breathing pattern until their respiratory system matures. They can take fast and deep breaths and then switch to slower, shallower breathing, and then take a deep breath again. They can even sigh from time to time.
Babies have nasal breathing
Babies only breathe through their noses since due to their physiology (their soft palate is very close to the epiglottis) there is an almost complete sealing of the air viaducts inside the mouth. The nose can regulate the humidity and temperature of the inspired air and serves as a filter for harmful agents. So we don’t have to worry about the baby breathing that way.
It will not be until approximately six months when your respiratory system is mature enough to start breathing through your mouth as well . At that age, the muscles of the tongue, face, and palate develop, the epiglottis moves downward to separate from the soft palate and make more room, and they can begin to breathe through the mouth.
They breathe faster than adults
Babies have a faster breathing rate than adults. The respiratory rate can vary widely, between 40 and 60 breaths per minute , whereas an adult breathes about 20 times per minute. After a crying episode or if the baby is agitated, it is normal for breathing to be faster.
Have pauses in breathing
During sleep, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing slow down, causing small pauses in breathing.
Newborns have periods during which they stop breathing for 5 to 15 seconds and then go back to breathing on their own. This is known as periodic or cyclical respiration , which is a normal respiratory pattern in newborns (very common in premature infants), without cardiocirculatory repercussions and with spontaneous recovery.
These normal pauses must be differentiated from pathological apnea , which is any episode of absence of respiratory flow lasting more than 20 seconds.
Snoring is frequent
The most common cause of snoring in babies is colds, which can block the airways. It is not worrisome and disappears as soon as the cold passes. It is important to keep the nose clean, doing frequent nasal washes with saline solution.
But in some cases (about 20% of children who snore) snoring is the first symptom of a more serious sleep-disordered breathing, sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome . In these cases, snoring is accompanied by symptoms such as stopping breathing for 20 seconds or more, or the baby seems to “fight” at night, sweats a lot, or adopts strange postures when sleeping.
When should we worry? Warning signs
- If you stop breathing for 20 seconds or more.
- If you notice that the lips, tongue, face or trunk turn bluish.
- If you notice a very high breathing rate: more than 60 breaths per minute
- If you breathe with difficulty: gasp, choke, noises, ribs sink.
- If you suspect that your child has stopped breathing, you move him and he does not respond, call 911 and begin the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) maneuver while the toilets arrive.
More information | Practical guide for parents from birth to 3 years
In Babies and more | The 11 things new parents learn in the first few days
