Symptoms of Asthma in Infants

The symptoms of asthma in infants can be so subtle that you don't even realize infant asthma might be involved. Baby asthma is challenging to diagnose too, because your infant can't tell you in words how he or she is feeling. So doctors rely more on the parent's description of a pattern of symptoms and behavior, as well as family medical history, in deciding what type of breathing problem your baby may have.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in babies and children. In fact, 1 out of every 10 kids has asthma today. So, if you find out your baby has asthma too, you'll have lots of company. If you do suspect infant asthma is causing your child's breathing problems, it's important to find out for sure as soon as you can. The inflammation of the airways that asthma causes can cause severe respiratory distress and may even lead to death, if left untreated or uncontrolled. Babies are especially susceptible to complications, because their lungs are not as mature to begin with, so early diagnosis and treatment are essential.


What Are the Symptoms of Asthma in Infants?

Common asthma symptoms in adults include:

* Wheezing
* Coughing
* Shortness of breath
* Chest tightness

But it's important to note that the pattern and intensity of asthma symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. With infant asthma, symptoms can be even more variable. They are also different, to some extent, than in adults.

In baby asthma, coughing is often the only symptom the infant will have. Some kids cough all night, but have no noticeable symptoms during the daytime hours. Other infants may cough intermittently throughout the day. Also, when babies wheeze, it's not always because of asthma. It could just be a viral respiratory infection.

So, doctors look closely at patterns when trying to decide whether your infant has asthma. First off, they'll ask you if you've noticed repeated instances of:

* Coughing, especially at night
* Wheezing
* Trouble breathing or fast breathing

The doctor will also look for symptoms that are worsened by:

* Frequent viral infections, such as colds or bronchitis, that seem to "go right to the chest" and last
* Exposure to tobacco smoke or other strong odors / fumes
* Active play
* Contact with common allergic triggers, such as pets, pollen, and dust
* Changes in the weather
* Crying or laughing

Diagnosing asthma in infants can be hard because symptoms must be observed, rather than described. And common testing used to diagnose asthma, such as spirometry, can't be used with infants. And just having any one of the above findings is probably not going to lead your baby's doctor to an asthma diagnosis. But having several of them may. In the end, doctors often diagnose asthma by ruling out other possibilities.


What Other Diagnoses Have Similar Symptoms?

As noted above, wheezing in infants can be caused by more than just asthma. And the good news is that these other conditions are often milder than asthma and may go away completely within a few years, as opposed to asthma, which usually lasts throughout childhood and maybe even into adulthood.

Some of the names for conditions that cause recurrent wheezing and coughing episodes in infancy are:

* Wheezing bronchitis, which is a viral infection
* Bronchiolitis
* Asthmatic bronchitis
* Wheezing associated with respiratory illness or breathing problems
* Para-infectious bronchial hyperreactivity
* RAD

The common factor with all of these labels is that the wheezing is not associated with allergic disease as asthma usually is in children. One of the most common catch-all terms for non-asthma wheezing is reactive airway disease, which is also called RAD for short. RAD may be used to avoid labeling an infant too soon with a more serious diagnosis of asthma.

However, both RAD and infant asthma are often treated the same, because doctors really can't tell for sure if an infant has asthma, and won't know until at least age 5. So, they treat "as if" the infant has asthma.

But parents' worries about their babies taking possibly unnecessary medicine can be soothed by the knowledge that asthma treatment is safe, even for infants. What risks there may be are considered to be offset by the very real benefits of keeping asthma – if it does exist – under control. Preventing more serious respiratory problems down the line is well worth it.
In Summary

If you notice a chronic cough in your infant, especially if it is waking your baby and you up at night, it would be wise to talk with your pediatrician about it. The same is true if you notice your baby having frequent and / or severe chest colds. And remember, wheezing does not have to be present in infants with asthma, as it almost always is with adults. And if your baby does wheeze, it doesn't necessarily mean he or she has asthma.

Don't ignore such symptoms or fear an asthma diagnosis. Asthma is fairly easy to manage with medicine and environmental changes, and taking such steps can help ensure that your infant is able to have a normal, active life.


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