A BRAVE mum shared a video of her daughter struggling to breathe to help other parents spot warning signs.
She noticed that her little girl was really unwell and working harder than normal to breathe.
A mum spotted a tracheal tug in her daughter immediately after seeing an Instagram video on the signsTIKTOK
The tot was drawing in breath audibly and quickly, and her mum spotted a sucking motion at the base of her daughter’s neck.
This is called a tracheal tug – and it’s a tell-tale sign that your child needs immediate medical attention.
If you notice this in your child, it’s a sign they’re experiencing respiratory distress.
To spot a tracheal tug, medics say to look out for a visible sucking motion as your tot pulls in a breath, especially where the two collarbones meet at the base of the neck.
You might also notice the same pulling in motion in between your child’s ribs or in their tummy beneath the rib cage.
The quick-thinking mum recognised this sign of respiratory distress after reading and watching videos about it on the Instagram account CPR Kids and rushed her little girl to the hospital.
Run by a team of paediatric nurses, the account which shares first aid tips and tools for babies and children.
She later sent the video she took of her daughter to CPR kids, to help other parents know when to seek medical attention for their children.
“Knowing what to look for, thankfully I was able to notice the signs and took her straight to the hospital,” she wrote.
“She had a virus and was struggling to breathe,” she added, thanking CPR Kids for sharing the vital information.
“If I didn’t know what to look out for, I don’t know what I would have done.
“If I can help another mum I would love to,” she said.
The account then posted the video on their page for other parents to see and shared an update on the little tot’s condition.
“This little one is doing well, thankfully,” CPR Kids said in a comment on the post.
“Due to mum’s quick actions and response they caught the virus and her low oxygen levels early on!”
The team behind CPR Kids shared tracheal tug signs to watch out for last year.
Meanwhile, GP Dr Sarah Kayat talked through the four steps every parent needs to know when it comes to their little one breathing correctly.
Children often have coughs and colds. These are usually harmless and get better quickly, but your child might need treatment for more serious breathing difficulties.
Kids might wheeze or have difficulty breathing due to a viral infection or a common condition like bronchitis, the NHS says.
According to Patient UK, other causes might include bacterial infections, asthma, allergies, exposure to cigarette smoke or really bad pollution, or blockage in the airway from an inhaled object.
What to do if your child’s breathing has changed
Medics state you should seek help if your child has one or more of these signs:
noisy breathing – breath that sounds like gruntingnasal flaring – nostrils widening when breathingmood change – sleepier, difficult to wake, fussieraccessory muscle use – shoulders elevating when breathinghead bobbing- bobbing forwardschange in body position – altering posture to breath betterretractions around the collarbones, in-between the ribs or if the tummy pulls beneath the rib cage pale or bluish skinclammy skin.
If any of these happen then try and stay calm and reassure your child.
Make sure they are in a comfortable position in order to ease breathlessness.
If they have a reliever inhaler, give them this and if they have a chest physiotherapy programme, complete this.
If after a couple of minutes they continue to show these signs, contact 999 immediately.
In the event of an emergency and if your child is unresponsive – always call 999.