symptoms of pneumonia in children

Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
Updated on September 08, 2024
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Pneumonia in small children commonly occurs in infants and toddlers under two years old, often starting abruptly. It usually begins with symptoms of an upper respiratory infection several days before onset. The main clinical symptoms are as follows: First, there is fever, which can be irregular, remittent, or persistent; in newborns or severely malnourished children, the body temperature may not rise or may be below normal. Second, there is coughing, which is generally frequent; initially, it is a dry, irritating cough, but during the peak of the illness, the cough may subside, returning with phlegm during the recovery period. Third, shortness of breath arises, typically after fever and coughing; sometimes it is accompanied by general symptoms such as listlessness, reduced appetite, restlessness, mild diarrhea, or vomiting.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
1min 18sec home-news-image

The function of the pneumonia vaccine

Pneumonia vaccines are generally aimed at preventing infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. There are two common types of vaccines: the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine, which is suitable for high-risk populations over two years old, and the 7-valent or 13-valent conjugate vaccines, which are mainly used for vaccinating infants under two years of age. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common and widespread bacterium causing pneumonia, and pneumonia caused by this bacterium is also the most prevalent worldwide. It is also the most significant pathogen in community-acquired pneumonia in children and a major cause of otitis media, meningitis, and bacteremia in children. The pneumonia vaccines mainly target common serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae, such as the 7-valent or 13-valent, designed to prevent infections from seven or thirteen serotypes, respectively, while the 23-valent vaccine aims to prevent infections from 23 serotypes. These pneumonia vaccines play a significant protective role in preventing infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, however, they cannot prevent all cases of pneumonia.

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Written by Yang Feng
Pulmonology
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Symptoms of pneumonia in children

Pneumonia is a particularly common infectious disease of the respiratory system, and infants and young children are especially susceptible to pneumonia because their immune systems are much weaker than those of healthy adults. When infants and young children develop pneumonia, their symptoms differ from adults; they often exhibit only fever, crying, nausea, vomiting, etc. The symptoms of coughing and phlegm are relatively less obvious, making the diagnosis of pneumonia in infants and young children somewhat more difficult. If a patient exhibits fever, auscultation and routine blood tests can be used to preliminarily determine the presence of an infection. If pneumonia is suspected, further comprehensive imaging examinations can be conducted to confirm the diagnosis.

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Written by Wang Xiang Yu
Pulmonology
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Can pneumonia heal by itself?

Pneumonia is generally not self-healing; only a few pneumonia cases caused by specific pathogens, which lead to milder infections, can heal by themselves, such as pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, which is self-limiting and can heal. However, most cases of pneumonia require standard treatment, such as pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, if diagnosed with pneumonia, it is essential to seek immediate medical attention at a hospital. Relying on self-healing is unrealistic since self-healing cases are rare, and most pneumonia cases require standard treatment to recover.

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Written by Yang Feng
Pulmonology
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Symptoms of pneumonia in infants

Pneumonia is a particularly common infectious disease of the respiratory system. In infants and young children with pneumonia, the main clinical symptoms include fever, crying, vomiting, and so forth. Since infants cannot express their discomfort, it is difficult to make a diagnosis. However, when a patient presents with fever, we first need to consider the possibility of a lung infection. We can determine whether there is an infection of the lungs through listening to the chest, routine blood tests, imaging examinations, etc., and then treat the pneumonia with effective anti-inflammatory therapy.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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How many shots are in the pneumonia vaccine?

Currently, there are two general types of vaccines for preventing pneumococcal pneumonia. One type is the 23-valent vaccine, suitable for high-risk populations over two years old. The other type includes the 7-valent or 13-valent vaccines, which are for preventing pneumococcal infections in infants under two years old. Infants under two usually follow a "three plus one" vaccination regimen, which involves three primary immunization doses with at least one month between each dose, followed by a booster shot. Additionally, adults over two years old or other high-risk groups are advised to take the 23-valent vaccine, which requires only a single dose. However, those who are frail or have poor immune responses may need a second booster dose five years after the initial vaccination.