Early symptoms of pectus excavatum in infants

The early symptoms of pectus excavatum in infants mainly include sternal retraction, abnormal breathing, and physical development retardation. If the baby is found to have abnormal chest morphology or function, the patient should be evaluated and intervened by a doctor as soon as possible, and the symptoms should be improved through timely treatment and care.

1) Sternum depression

Pectus excavatum is a congenital malformation of the chest wall. Its most obvious feature is that the middle part of the baby's sternum is sunken inward, presenting a "funnel" shape. Parents can easily find this feature by observing the shape of the baby's chest cavity, especially when the baby is lying flat or taking a deep breath. Mild symptoms may have little effect on the baby's function, but more severe depressions may cause heart and lung compression, which can have adverse effects on the baby's respiratory function and circulatory system.

2) Abnormal breathing

In the early stages of pectus excavatum, there may be mild breathing abnormalities, such as rapid breathing or heavy chest contraction after activity. Some babies may have difficulty breathing when crying or feeding. If the baby has long-term breathing discomfort or frequent respiratory infections, you should be highly alert and seek medical attention in time.

3) Physical development retardation

Pectus excavatum may limit the normal development of the heart and lungs, affecting your baby's growth and physical performance. For example, some babies may gain weight slowly or become tired and weak during exercise. Although early symptoms may be mild, they may become more severe as your baby grows. It is important to intervene as soon as possible.

How to deal with baby's pectus excavatum

- Medical evaluation and diagnosis

If parents find that the chest is sunken or suspect pectus excavatum, it is recommended to take the baby to the hospital for a detailed examination, such as chest X-ray, CT or cardiopulmonary function test, to determine the extent of the deformity and develop a treatment plan.

- Non-surgical intervention

Babies with mild to moderate pectus excavatum can be treated conservatively with a professional chest wall corrector (such as a vacuum suction device), which can slowly stretch the sternum and improve its shape. It is recommended that it be worn under the guidance of a doctor.

-Surgery

Severe pectus excavatum may require surgical correction. Common surgical methods include Nuss surgery (implanting a metal stent through a small incision for correction) or modified Ravitch surgery (removing part of the deformed costal cartilage and reconstructing the chest wall structure). Regular follow-up is required after surgery to monitor recovery.

-Daily care and rehabilitation exercises

Parents need to pay attention to their baby's diet and nutrition to ensure that their weight gain is normal. At the same time, they can help improve their baby's cardiopulmonary function by performing simple breathing exercises or chest expansion exercises under the doctor's advice.

If the early symptoms of pectus excavatum in infants can be identified as early as possible and effective intervention is taken, good recovery results can be achieved in most cases. Parents need to pay attention to the baby's chest cavity and development, and take appropriate treatment and care in combination with medical guidance to help the baby grow up healthily.