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Your child may have only mild symptoms like a heavy cold and wheezy cough. But some children have more serious difficulties breathing. If a child's skin looks bluish it means they are not getting enough oxygen. This is an emergency.

Your child may have symptoms of a cold for the first two or three days, with a runny nose, cough and mild fever. But if the infection reaches the bronchioles, the child may have problems breathing.

Your child may have some of these symptoms:¹

• Fast breathing
• Wheezing and a worsening cough
• Flaring nostrils
• Crackly sounding chest
• Muscles between the ribs sucked in as each breath takes more effort than normal
• Difficulty breathing
• Spells of stopping breathing.

You should see a doctor right away if your baby has any of these symptoms. You should also see your doctor if your baby is too breathless to feed, or is coughing too much to feed. Some babies who are not feeding become dehydrated and need to go to the hospital.

Your doctor will probably listen with a stethoscope for wheezing and crackling sounds in your baby's chest. Other tests aren't usually needed. But occasionally doctors may do one or more of the following:²

• Take samples of fluid from your baby's nose to examine in a laboratory. This test can find out what virus is causing the illness.
• An X-ray of your baby's chest to check if there are any other problems.
• A blood test to find out if your baby has low levels of oxygen. Doctors don't do this often.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.