[Medical Q&A] Does a baby’s severe cough mean it is pneumonia?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Niu Chao, deputy chief physician, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University

Cough is a symptom that can be caused by a variety of reasons, including the common cold, bronchitis, pneumonia, rhinitis and sinusitis, foreign bodies in the airways, gastroesophageal reflux disease, etc. Pneumonia may indeed cause coughing, but coughing itself is not enough to diagnose pneumonia.

Pneumonia is a common infectious disease of the respiratory system, and its symptoms are diverse, mainly including: ① Fever. Children with pneumonia usually have a fever, especially those with influenza virus, adenovirus, Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection, and some bacterial pneumonia. Children may have a high fever that persists. ② Intensified cough. As the disease progresses, the sputum will gradually increase, and the color may be white, yellow or green, or even with blood. ③ Difficulty breathing. It manifests as labored, rapid or shallow breathing, and respiratory failure may occur in severe cases. ④ Cyanosis. Cyanosis refers to a pathological phenomenon in which the skin and mucous membranes appear bluish purple due to an increase in reduced hemoglobin or the presence of abnormal hemoglobin derivatives in the blood. It is mainly manifested in the cyanosis of the lips, nail beds, earlobes and other parts. ⑤ Chest pain. Especially when the inflammation involves the pleura, the chest pain is usually needle-like or severe, and it is aggravated by coughing or deep breathing. ⑥ Gastrointestinal symptoms. Some children with pneumonia may experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension or diarrhea.

In order to determine whether your baby has pneumonia, in addition to observing the above symptoms, you also need to undergo a physical examination, blood routine test, chest CT, and pathogen testing. The doctor will use a stethoscope to listen to the lungs. Children with pneumonia may have moist rales or wheezing in their lungs. At the same time, indicators such as white blood cell counts in blood routine tests may increase during bacterial infections. Chest X-rays and CT can show the location and severity of lung lesions, while pathogen testing can identify the specific cause of pneumonia.