What should a child with pneumonia eat?

Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
Updated on February 15, 2025
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Childhood pneumonia is an infectious disease that not only presents symptoms related to the respiratory system but also may include symptoms from the gastrointestinal tract, such as vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and abdominal distension. Therefore, the diet for pneumonia must be light and easy to digest. For instance, if the child is breastfed, the mother should consume a light and digestible diet. If the child is fed with cow's milk, the milk can be diluted appropriately to aid digestion. Supplementary foods can generally include thin porridge, noodles, rice paste, vegetables, and fruits, as well as a moderate amount of lean meat and eggs, but not in excess. Oily and spicy foods should not be included.

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How to diagnose pneumonia

Pneumonia is a common infectious disease of the respiratory system. Its main diagnostic methods include routine blood tests, C-reactive protein, and pulmonary imaging, among which pulmonary imaging is the gold standard for diagnosing pneumonia. Diagnosis can also be initially inferred from the patient's clinical presentation and medical history to determine the likelihood of a pneumonia infection. Once pneumonia is confirmed, there is no need for excessive worry. Active medication to control the infection can cure pneumonia. Therefore, anti-inflammatory treatment should continue once pneumonia is diagnosed.

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Is pneumonia contagious?

Pneumonia can be divided into many types, including viral pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, and those caused by special bacteria such as tuberculosis bacillus, and atypical bacteria such as Legionella, Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, etc. Generally, pneumonia does not cause large-scale disseminated transmission, because most people have normal immune systems that can resist these less virulent bacteria; however, in populations with lower immunity, inhaling droplets from patients with bacterial pneumonia can potentially lead to pneumonia. However, pneumonias caused by "SARS", anthrax, pneumonic plague, etc., are highly contagious and can cause large-scale transmission through droplets, and these are strictly controlled infectious diseases in our country. In cases of open tuberculosis, the patient's sputum and cough droplets might contain the pathogen, which could then infect those in close contact. Infectious pneumonia typically has an abrupt onset, with an incubation period of 2-10 days, and fever as the initial symptom, generally above 38℃, possibly accompanied by chills, coughing, scant sputum, occasional bloody sputum, palpitations, shortness of breath, and in some cases, difficulty breathing. It may also be accompanied by muscle soreness, headaches, joint pain, fatigue, and diarrhea.

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How many doses are there for the pneumonia vaccine?

Currently, there are two types of vaccines commonly used to prevent pneumococcal diseases. One type is the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine, suitable for high-risk populations over two years old. The other type includes the 7-valent or 13-valent conjugate vaccines, used for vaccinating infants under two years old. The vaccination schedule for the 7-valent or 13-valent vaccines follows a "three plus one" program, which means three primary immunization doses with at least one month between each dose, followed by a booster dose. For the 23-valent vaccine, high-risk individuals over two years old generally require only a single dose; however, immunocompromised patients may need a booster shot, typically recommended five years after the initial vaccination.

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How many days does the novel pneumonia take to develop?

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How to completely cure pneumonia in children?

Childhood pneumonia is mainly due to the weaker resistance of children, who are then subjected to the invasion of pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or other agents like chlamydia and mycoplasma, leading to inflammation of the alveoli. Generally, the treatment of pneumonia is mainly targeted at its pathogens. For instance, antiviral treatment is administered for viral infections, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory treatments are required for bacterial infections, and specific antibiotics such as azithromycin or erythromycin are used for mycoplasma infections. For other types like tuberculosis and some other fungal pneumonias, specific treatments targeting those pathogens are also necessary. If the baby clearly has symptoms like wheezing or difficulty in breathing, symptomatic treatment is required. Therefore, pneumonia in children is mainly treated based on the cause, and as long as the course of treatment is sufficient, it can be cured completely. However, even after recovery, it does not mean a child will never contract pneumonia again. If the child has weak immunity or is in a high-risk environment with exposure to other patients with pneumonia cough, they might be infected again.