What is pneumonia?

Pneumonia is a lung infection. When someone has pneumonia, the small airways in their lungs get clogged with mucus. This reduces the amount of oxygen that can get into their body.

Pneumonia can involve one or both lungs.

What causes pneumonia?

Pneumonia can be caused by a virus, including the viruses that cause the common cold and flu.

It can also be caused by bacteria, including the bacteria that causes pneumococcal disease.

What are pneumonia symptoms in children?

Children

• Moist cough
• Fever
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Sharp chest pains when breathing deeply or coughing
• Stomach ache or vomiting
• Irritability or tiredness
• Loss of appetite and no desire to drink fluids

Young babies

• Severe illness
• Fever
• Rapid breathing without coughing
• Other symptoms listed above

When to take children with pneumonia symptoms to a doctor

Take your child to see your GP if your child:

• has a cough and fever
• has difficulty breathing – you might see the ribs or skin under the neck sucking in, flaring nostrils or a bobbing head
• is vomiting or not able to drink much
• has stomach pain or chest pain, especially when coughing.

If your baby is lethargic and breathing rapidly, take them to the GP, especially if they’re under 5 months old.

You know your child best, so trust your instincts if your child doesn’t seem well. Call 000 for an ambulance if your child has significant shortness of breath, your child’s skin or lips are pale or blue, or your child is drowsy or hard to wake up.

How is pneumonia diagnosed?

Your GP can usually say whether your child has pneumonia by checking your child’s symptoms and examining your child.

Your GP might send your child for a chest X-ray. This will show clearly whether your child has pneumonia.

Blood tests can sometimes help doctors to work out whether your child’s pneumonia is caused by a virus or bacteria.

How to treat mild pneumonia

You can treat most children with mild pneumonia at home.

It’s very important to make sure your child is drinking enough so they don’t get dehydration. Our article on preventing and treating dehydration explains how much fluid children of different ages need and how often they need it.

Children of all ages: tips for comfort

• If your child has a fever and looks uncomfortable, you can give your child paracetamol, according to the recommended dose and frequency. Or you could give ibuprofen if your child is older than 3 months.
• Make sure that your child gets as much rest as possible.
• Keep your home smoke free. Smoke can make pneumonia worse.
• Let your child eat according to their appetite. Your child might not be hungry while they have a fever. Their appetite will come back as they start to feel better.

Does your child need antibiotics?

If your child’s pneumonia is caused by bacteria, the doctor might prescribe antibiotics, which your child will need to take for a week or longer. It’s important to complete the entire course of antibiotics.

Your doctor might change the antibiotics if your child’s symptoms haven’t improved after 48 hours.

Don’t give aspirin to children under 12 years unless it’s prescribed by a doctor. Aspirin can make children susceptible to Reye’s syndrome. If you’re giving your child any over-the-counter medicines, check with your pharmacist or doctor to make sure these have no aspirin.

How to treat severe pneumonia

If your child is very ill or is less than 6 months old, your child will probably need to go to hospital for special treatment.

If the pneumonia is bacterial, your child will have antibiotics through a drip into a vein in their arm. Some children need oxygen to ease their breathing. Your child might also get extra fluids through a drip.

How long does pneumonia last?

Children with bacterial pneumonia usually improve within 48 hours of starting appropriate antibiotics.

Recovery from viral pneumonia might be slower. Your child’s cough might last for up to 3 weeks after your child has recovered from other symptoms like fever. But the cough isn’t a concern if your child is otherwise getting better.

How to prevent pneumonia

Your child and family can take some simple precautions to prevent the spread of the viruses and bacteria that cause pneumonia. This can reduce your chances of getting sick:

• Make sure you regularly wash hands with warm, soapy water.
• Keep your hands away from your face as much as possible.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbows.

Immunisation

Flu immunisation might reduce the chance of your child developing pneumonia caused by a flu virus. It’s recommended that all children over 6 months be immunised against flu every year.

Immunisation against pneumococcal disease protects children from pneumonia caused by pneumococcus bacteria. Children get this immunisation under the National Immunisation Program (NIP).

Talk to your GP for more information about getting your child immunised.

If your child is having frequent episodes of pneumonia, it’s important to talk to your GP. Your GP might recommend that your child sees a lung specialist for further investigation.