Breathing in Babies and Young Children: What Parents Should Know
Breathing changes are among the most common reasons parents seek urgent medical advice. This hub brings together all of PediaPulse's visual guides on baby breathing patterns — from chest retractions to stridor — so parents can recognize what they are seeing and describe it clearly to their child's doctor.
Questions Parents Ask
- What does normal baby breathing look like?
- How can I tell if my baby is breathing too fast?
- What is the difference between wheezing and stridor?
- When should I be worried about my baby's breathing?
Visual Guides in This Category
5 pediatrician-authored guides — each one explains what to look for, why it matters, and when parents commonly seek medical attention.
Chest Retractions
Chest retractions are visible pulling-in of the skin around the ribs, collarbone, or below the breastbone with each brea…
Read the visual guide →Grunting with Breathing
Grunting with breathing is a low, short sound made with each breath out — the child's body creates this sound by partial…
Read the visual guide →Nasal Flaring
Nasal flaring is a widening of the nostrils with each breath — a visible sign that a child may be working harder than us…
Read the visual guide →Stridor
Stridor is a harsh, high-pitched musical sound made when breathing in — it occurs when the upper airway is narrowed and …
Read the visual guide →Wheezing
Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling or musical sound produced when air moves through narrowed airways — it is most ofte…
Read the visual guide →