Caring for an infant often involves closely monitoring their behaviors, and breathing is a common source of anxiety for new parents. A baby’s respiration is a fundamental indicator of their health, making it a routine part of medical check-ups. Understanding a typical breathing pattern and knowing the normal breaths per minute allows caregivers to quickly distinguish between normal variations and situations requiring immediate medical attention.
Understanding Normal Breathing Rates
An infant’s respiratory rate is naturally much faster than that of an older child or adult because their bodies require more oxygen per pound of body weight. For newborns (0 to 2 months old), a typical breathing rate when calm or resting is 40 to 60 breaths per minute. As the infant grows, this rate gradually decreases; for older infants (2 to 12 months), the normal range is 25 to 40 breaths per minute. These numbers are guidelines, and a healthy baby’s rate fluctuates based on activity level.
A characteristic that often concerns caregivers is the inherent irregularity of infant breathing, known as periodic breathing. This is a normal part of their respiratory system’s development. Periodic breathing involves the baby taking a series of rapid, shallow breaths followed by a pause of up to 10 seconds. The baby will spontaneously resume breathing after this brief pause. This pattern is common, especially during sleep, and is not a cause for alarm unless the pause lasts longer than 10 to 20 seconds or is accompanied by changes in skin color.
How to Count an Infant’s Breaths
Accurately determining an infant’s breathing rate requires a specific approach due to the natural irregularity of their respiration. The most reliable time to check the rate is when the infant is completely quiet, such as when they are sleeping deeply or are settled and calm. Avoid counting immediately after crying, feeding, or physical activity, as these situations temporarily inflate the rate. To begin, observe the rise and fall of the baby’s chest or abdomen, since infants rely heavily on their diaphragm for breathing.
One full breath cycle includes both an inhalation (chest rise) and an exhalation (chest fall). Counting the number of full cycles that occur over 60 seconds provides the most accurate rate. It is important to count for a full minute, rather than multiplying a shorter count, because of the frequent, normal pauses and bursts of periodic breathing. Counting for the entire minute gives a true average and prevents a momentary irregularity from being misinterpreted.
Situations That Change Breathing Speed
A healthy infant’s breathing rate changes throughout the day and night in response to various factors. When a baby is fully awake and active, their respiratory rate is significantly higher than when they are at rest. For example, a baby under six months may average around 61 breaths per minute when awake but content, compared to about 42 breaths per minute during sleep. This higher rate is a normal physiological response to increased metabolic demand.
Physical agitation, such as crying or fussing, causes a temporary spike in the breathing rate. Once the infant is soothed, respiration should return to the established baseline rate within a few minutes. Illnesses, even minor ones, also affect the rate; a fever, for instance, often causes the body to breathe faster to regulate temperature and meet increased demands. These fluctuations are expected and do not indicate a problem unless the elevated or depressed rate persists after the temporary cause has resolved.
Recognizing Signs of Trouble
While fluctuations in rate are normal, a respiratory rate consistently outside the established range for a calm infant can signal an underlying issue. For a baby under two months, a persistent rate above 60 breaths per minute, or a rate below 20 breaths per minute at any age, warrants immediate medical evaluation. Beyond the rate, caregivers should look for physical signs that indicate the baby is working harder than normal to get air, known as increased work of breathing.
One of the clearest signs of respiratory distress is retractions, where the skin visibly pulls in between the ribs, under the breastbone, or at the base of the neck with each breath. This happens because the infant is using accessory muscles to force air into their lungs. Other visual cues include nasal flaring (the widening of the nostrils on inhalation) and a grunting sound made when the baby exhales. The grunting is a reflex to keep the small airways open. A bluish or grayish tint to the skin, especially around the lips, tongue, or nail beds, known as cyanosis, is a medical emergency indicating a severe lack of oxygen. If any of these distress signs are present, or if the baby appears unusually lethargic or unresponsive, emergency services should be contacted immediately.