Overview

What Is Pneumonia?

Pneumonia (nu-MOH-nyuh) is a kind of lung infection. Normally, the small sacs in the lungs are filled with air. If someone has pneumonia, the air sacs fill up with pus and other fluid. This makes it hard to breathe normally.

Top Things to Know

• Pneumonia is a common lung infection that can make it tough for kids to breathe normally.
• Common symptoms include fever, cough, fast or hard breathing, and chills.
• Treatment depends on the cause and may include medicine, rest, and fluids.
• Vaccines, handwashing, and avoiding sick people can help prevent pneumonia.

Signs & Symptoms

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Pneumonia in Kids?

The signs and symptoms of pneumonia in kids may include:

• fever
• cough
• chills
• fast breathing (sometimes using belly or neck muscles to help them breathe)
• breathing with grunting or wheezing sounds
• working hard to breathe
• vomiting
• chest pain
• belly pain
• being less active
• loss of appetite (in older kids) or poor feeding (in babies)

When Should I Go to the ER?

Go to a hospital emergency room (ER) right away if your child has:

• chest pain or trouble breathing
• lips or fingers that look blue

Causes & Prevention

What Causes Pneumonia?

Viruses

Pneumonia is often caused by viruses, like the influenza virus (flu) and adenovirus. Other viruses, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus, are common causes of pneumonia in young kids and babies. Kids with pneumonia caused by a virus usually have symptoms that tend to be mild.

Bacteria

Less often, bacteria can cause pneumonia (called bacterial pneumonia). When that happens, kids usually will become sick more quickly, starting with a sudden high fever, cough, and sometimes fast breathing. 

Types of bacterial pneumonia include:

• pneumococcal pneumonia
• mycoplasma pneumonia (walking pneumonia), which is common in teens
• pertussis (whooping cough)

Is Pneumonia Contagious?

In general, pneumonia is not contagious, but the respiratory viruses and bacteria that lead to it are. When these germs are in someone’s mouth or nose, that person can spread the illness through coughs and sneezes.

These germs also can spread if someone shares drinking glasses and eating utensils with an infected person or touches their used tissues or handkerchiefs. If someone in your home has a respiratory infection or throat infection, keep their drinking glasses and eating utensils separate from those of other family members, and wash your hands well and often, especially if you're handling used tissues or dirty handkerchiefs.

Can Pneumonia Be Prevented?

Get Recommended Vaccines

Some types of pneumonia can be prevented by vaccines. Kids usually get routine vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae, pneumococcus, and whooping cough beginning at 2 months of age.

The flu vaccine and an updated COVID-19 vaccine are recommended for all adults and kids ages 6 months and up. These vaccines are extra important for kids who have a chronic illness, such as a heart or lung disorder or asthma.

Protect Babies From RSV

An RSV vaccine is now recommended for all pregnant women in their third trimester whose babies will be born just before or during RSV season (usually fall to spring in the U.S.). This vaccine can protect the newborn from severe RSV illness.

If the mother did not get this vaccine, or if the baby was born less than two weeks after she did, doctors can give the baby a special antibody shot to prevent severe RSV illness. This shot is recommended at the start of RSV season for babies younger than 8 months old and some children 8–19 months old who are at higher risk for getting very sick from an RSV infection.

Avoid Germs

When possible, keep kids away from anyone with symptoms (stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, cough) of a respiratory infection. During the pandemic, masks were shown to be very helpful in preventing the spread of viruses and bacteria that cause pneumonia.

Diagnosis

How Is Pneumonia Diagnosed?

Doctors will do an exam to look for pneumonia. They’ll check the person’s appearance, breathing pattern, and vital signs. They'll listen to the lungs and might order a chest X-ray — this can show if the infection is in one or both lungs. If pneumonia is in both lungs, it’s called double pneumonia, which is common. It doesn't mean your child is twice as sick.

Treatment & Care

How Is Pneumonia Treated?

People who have viral pneumonia do not need antibiotics. Antibiotics work against only bacteria, not viruses. Someone with viral pneumonia from the flu virus or COVID-19 might get an antiviral medicine if it’s early in the illness.

Doctors treat bacterial pneumonia with an antibiotic taken by mouth. Usually, this can be done at home. The antibiotic they use depends on the type of bacteria thought to have caused the pneumonia.

Hospital Care

Some children might need treatment in a hospital if:

• the pneumonia causes a lasting high fever or breathing problems
• they need oxygen
• they’re vomiting and can’t take the medicine
• they have a lung infection that may have spread to the bloodstream

Hospital treatment can include IV (given into a vein) antibiotics and fluids, and breathing treatments. More serious cases might be treated in the intensive care unit (ICU).

How Can I Help My Child?

• Try to make your child more comfortable. Kids with pneumonia need to get plenty of rest and drink lots of liquids while the body works to fight the infection. Acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin) can help to ease a fever if it makes your child uncomfortable. Do not give aspirin to your child or teen as it's linked to a rare but serious illness called Reye syndrome, which can lead to liver failure and death.
• Follow antibiotic directions. If the doctor thinks that your child might have bacterial pneumonia, they will prescribe antibiotics. Give the medicine on schedule for as long as directed. Doing so will help your child recover faster and help prevent the infection from spreading to others. If your child is wheezing, the doctor might recommend using breathing treatments.
• Be careful with cough and cold medicines. Ask the doctor before you use a medicine to treat your child's cough. Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are not recommended for any kids under 6 years old. If your child doesn’t seem to be feeling better in a few days, call your doctor.

How Long Does Pneumonia Last?

With treatment, most types of bacterial pneumonia are cured in 1–2 weeks. Walking pneumonia and viral pneumonia may take 4–6 weeks to go away completely.