Lungs

In a series of videos, high school students talk about managing asthma, playing sport and what to do when they have an asthma attack.

Pre-school wheeze usually starts with a cough or cold. Pre-school wheeze can also be called episodic wheeze or viral-induced wheeze.

Watch the videos and know the signs and the different noises pēpi (babies) and tamariki (children) can make when they are having trouble breathing. That way you can act fast and get help. 

If a premature baby has apnoea of prematurity, it means they stop breathing at times for 15 to 20 seconds. 

Information for parents and carers about the use of prednisone for an asthma attack.

Information for parents and carers about the use of prednisolone for an asthma attack.

Some helpful tips on looking after your baby with home oxygen, including how to monitor their progress and when the home oxygen can stop.

Some pēpi (babies) will need home oxygen to help with their breathing.

Information about the use of montelukast for the prevention of asthma. 

Watch videos of young pēpi (babies) affected by whooping cough. They show just how severe the disease can be.

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs. It causes cough, fever and problems with breathing. Most tamariki (children) make a complete recovery from pneumonia.

Whooping cough can make pēpi (babies) very sick and some pēpi can die. Having whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy protects pēpi in their first weeks of life. Start vaccinating pēpi the day they turn 6 weeks old to keep protecting them.

Bronchiolitis is a chest condition that causes breathing problems in pēpi (babies). It's caused by a virus. Bronchiolitis is very easy to catch so wash your hands before and after handling your baby.

Asthma is a condition that leads to narrowing of the airways of the lungs. Symptoms include wheeze, cough and difficulty breathing.

Allergies happen when your child's immune system mistakenly treats normally harmless substances as 'harmful'. The substances that trigger allergies are called allergens. The symptoms of an allergy vary according to what a child or young person is allergic to. 

A breath-holding spell may happen after a child has an upset or sudden startle, such as a minor bump or a fright.