Pneumonia in children - community acquired
Pneumonia is a lung infection caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi.
This article covers community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. This type of pneumonia occurs in healthy children who have not recently been in the hospital or another health care facility.
Pneumonia that affects people in health care facilities, such as hospitals, is often caused by germs that are harder to treat.
Viruses are the most common cause of pneumonia in infants and children.
Ways your child can get CAP include:
- Bacteria and viruses living in the nose, sinuses, or mouth may spread to the lungs.
- Your child may breathe some of these germs directly into the lungs.
- Your child breathes in food, liquids, or vomit from the mouth into her lungs.
Risk factors that increase a child's chance of getting CAP include:
- Being younger than 6 months of age
- Being born prematurely
- Birth defects, such as cleft palate
- Nervous system problems, such as seizures or cerebral palsy
- Heart or lung disease present at birth
- Weak immune system (this can occur due to cancer treatment or disease such as HIV/AIDS)
- Recent surgery or trauma
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