P28: Other respiratory conditions originating in the perinatal period

P28.5: Respiratory failure of newborn

When we breathe, the air gets into the body via the respiratory tract. The respiratory tract can be divided into the upper and the lower respiratory tracts. The nose and throat form part of the upper respiratory tract. The lower respiratory tract begins at the larynx. This includes the trachea and the bronchia. You need lungs to breath. When we breathe in, oxygen enters the lungs and accumulates in the blood. This blood then flows to the heart. The heart then pumps the oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. All of the organs are supplied with oxygen as a result. If the oxygen in the body’s cells gets used up, carbon dioxide then forms. The carbon dioxide gets into the lungs via the blood vessels. It is released into the air in the lungs there and exhaled.

If the child has a breathing disorder, insufficient oxygen gets into the blood via the lungs. Moreover, too little carbon dioxide may be exhaled. When there is a breathing disorder, the heart may beat more slowly than usual. The lips and skin may turn blueish.