Severe difficulty breathing in a young child

Signs of severe difficulty breathing in a young child include:

• Breathing very fast or grunting with each breath.
• Appearing anxious or exhausted during feeding. Breathing is so fast that the child is unable to nurse or take a bottle.
• Using the neck, chest, and abdominal muscles to breathe, causing a "sucking in" between or under the ribs (retractions). The child may also open his or her nose wide (flare the nostrils) when inhaling.
• Sitting up and leaning forward or sitting with the nose tilted up as if sniffing the air. The child may fight any attempt to change his or her position.
• Pale, gray, bluish, or mottled skin color-including the tongue, lips, earlobes, and nail beds.

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