Can asthma in babies be detected early or not?

Wheezing (breath sounds soft like giggle), shortness of breath, and coughing, are the symptoms of asthma that occur in adults. However, if a baby under one year of age experiences these symptoms, what are the symptoms of asthma in babies? When can babies actually get a diagnosis of asthma? Find out the answer below.

What is asthma?

Asthma is a chronic disease caused by inflammation in the respiratory tract. This inflammation makes the respiratory tract swollen and very sensitive. As a result, the airways narrow, causing less air to flow to the lungs.

According to WHO, asthma is a common disease among children. However, experts also don't know the exact cause. Asthma can affect people of all ages, but it most often starts in childhood. The risk factors include:

• Have a respiratory infection (highest risk)
• Have allergies, eczema (allergic skin conditions)
• Parents or grandparents have asthma (have children)

Among children, boys are more likely to develop asthma than girls. However, among adults, women get this disease more often than men.

Can asthma occur in babies?

Generally doctors have not been able to diagnose or detect asthma in babies. Why is that? This is because in babies aged two years or under, the asthma symptoms that may appear are still very similar to the symptoms of other respiratory diseases.

As many as 30 percent of babies under 3 years of age experience at least one to two symptoms of wheezing. This symptom of wheezing in babies is commonly diagnosed as bronchiolitis. Bronchiolitis is a common lung infection. This condition causes inflammation and blockage of the small airways (bronchioles) in the lungs. Bronchiolitis is almost always caused by a virus.

Bronchiolitis begins with symptoms that resemble a cold, but then progresses to coughing, wheezing, and sometimes difficulty breathing. Symptoms of bronchiolitis in babies can last from a few days to several weeks, even up to a month. Here are the symptoms of bronchiolitis in babies that you must know:

• Runny nose
• Nasal congestion
• Cough
• Low-grade fever (not always the case)
• Difficulty breathing
• Whistling sound
• Ear infection (otitis media) in many babies

What causes bronchiolitis in babies?

Bronchiolitis usually occurs when the virus infects the bronchioles, which are the smallest airways in the lungs. The infection causes the bronchioles to swell and become inflamed. Mucus builds up in these airways, making it difficult for air to flow freely to the lungs.

Most cases of bronchiolitis are caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). RSV is a common virus that infects nearly every 2 year old child. RSV infection outbreaks occur every winter. Bronchiolitis can also be caused by other viruses, including viruses that cause the flu or cold. Babies can be reinfected with RSV because there are 2 strains of the virus.

There are several things that can trigger the development of asthma in babies

1. You or your partner smokes. This can put a baby at risk of developing asthma four times, compared to a baby who is free from secondhand smoke in his house.
2. The mother of the baby smokes during pregnancy
3. Your baby was born with a low birth weight or was born prematurely
4. One or both of your baby's parents have asthma, or another allergic condition, such as eczema.
5. Babies have allergic conditions such as eczema, or food allergies.
6. Babies live in homes that have damp or mildew problems.

Need a doctor's examination to diagnose asthma

You need a doctor's help to diagnose asthma because it is still difficult to detect if your baby is under 2 years of age. The doctor will help provide a diagnosis of asthma by identifying it through the symptoms that are caused then the doctor will also consider the family medical history whether anyone has asthma or not.

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