By Global Health Media Project. Download link: / Most babies with fast breathing alone can be effectively treated with oral amoxicillin at home under the care of a health worker. Babies less than one week old with fast breathing, though, should be referred urgently to a hospital. This video shows how to evaluate and treat the baby with fast breathing as the only sign of illness. The intended audience is frontline health workers in the developing world. Copyright © 2016, Global Health Media Project Script follows: Fast Breathing as the Single Sign of Illness Most babies with fast breathing alone can be effectively treated with oral amoxicillin at home under the care of a health worker. Babies less than one week old with fast breathing, though, should be referred urgently to a hospital. This video will show how to evaluate and treat the baby with fast breathing as the only sign of illness. Before checking the baby, wash your hands. Then clean the thermometer. As you take the baby’s temperature, gather important background information: Ask about key danger signs such as poor feeding, lethargy, and convulsions. The mother explains that her 2 week old baby has been breathing fast since yesterday but otherwise the baby is feeding well and behaving normally. The temperature is normal. Check the baby from head to toe for signs of illness. Now check his chest. Make sure the baby is calm and undressed from the waist up. When a baby is crying or restless, it’s difficult to count his breaths accurately. The baby’s breathing appears fast. Also notice the mild chest indrawing. This commonly occurs in a baby with fast breathing. Distinguish the mild chest indrawing that is normal with fast breathing from severe chest indrawing; a sign of serious illness. Notice as this baby draws a breath her lower chest sucks in deeply and her belly appears to move out. Our baby does not have severe chest indrawing. Next count the baby’s breaths. As easy way to count breathes is to lay your hand on the baby’s belly, and count the rises of the belly as you keep your eye on the second hand of a watch for 60 seconds. Breathing in and out counts for one breath: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Now for 60 seconds count the baby’s breaths yourself. Ready. Start now. He is taking 78 breathes in a minute. In a baby less than 2 months old, more than 60 is too fast. Count again if you’re not sure. The health worker has determined that the only problem with the baby is that he is breathing too fast. There are no other signs of serious illness. Let the mother know that her baby can be treated at home with amoxicillin by mouth. The baby weighs 3 kilos: he needs a half tablet twice a day for 7 days. Show the mother how to prepare and give the medicine. Advise her to return if her baby shows any sign of worsening – especially if he’s not feeding well, is listless, is too hot or too cold, or if he develops severe chest indrawing. See the baby on Day 4 of treatment to check the baby’s progress. Some babies with fast breathing need hospital level care urgently such as very young babies, less than a week old, very small babies weighing less than 1500 grams, and babies hospitalized in the previous 2 weeks. These babies need their first doses of IM ampicillin and gentamicin before they leave for the hospital. Feed them breastmilk every 2-3 hours and keep them warm with skin-to-skin contact throughout the trip. If referral is not possible for the very young baby, less than a week old, treat him at home with oral amoxicillin. Be aware though, that this very young baby is especially vulnerable. See the baby every day if possible to be sure he’s improving and the family is giving the correct treatment. Remember: A baby less than 2 months old with fast breathing, breathes more than 60 breaths per minute. Treat the baby at home with amoxicillin by mouth if fast breathing is the only sign of illness. Refer babies with fast breathing to a hospital who are very young, very small, or recently hospitalized.

• published: 05 May 2016
• views: 1