A MUM has shared a video of her baby gasping for breath in order to show other parents what to look for.

The distressing clip shows the youngster – in a nappy and sucking a dummy – wriggling around and trying to catch a breath.

Their ribs are expanding and the muscles beneath and being sucked underneath.

Thanks to the mum’s quick thinking, her baby was diagnosed with bronchiolitis after she rushed them to hospital.

Bronchiolitis is a respiratory infection that affects more than half of babies by the age of two, some of whom end up severely sick and need hospital care.

The early symptoms of bronchiolitis are similar to those of a common cold, such as a runny nose and a cough.

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Rapid or noisy breathing, a temperature, cough and difficulty breathing may then develop.

The NHS says you should call an ambulance if your child is struggling to breathe (or is breathing very fast or with pauses), is finding it hard to stay awake, or their skin is blue.

It says: “You may see the muscles under their ribs sucking in with each breath, they may be grunting with the effort of trying to breathe, or they may be pale and sweaty.”

The anonymous mum said she was only able to spot that her baby’s breathing was abnormal because she had previously filmed them breathing on a normal day.

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That's the advice given by Tiny Hearts Education – a website devoted to teaching parents about the health of youngsters.

Tiny Hearts shared the video on its Instagram page, with a the caption written by the mum.

She wrote: “Thanks to all of the info on here I was able to see the signs that my little babe was working hard to breath. 

“I followed your advice and had a previous video of her breathing normally so when she came down with a cold recently I was able to use that video and compare the 2.

“Based on this I took her to ED where she was diagnosed with bronchiolitis and placed on hiflow oxygen and a gastric tube. 

“She is doing much better and home now, but without the info you have provided on how to who knows what could have hapen [sic].

“If you don’t have a 30 second video of your babe breathing normally, go film one.

"In times where you think there breathing is abnormal use to compare!”

It comes after Tiny Hearts Education showed parents a "harmless movement" that could in fact mean a baby needs immediate help.

If a baby is bobbing its head, it's "a sign of severe respiratory distress".

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The warning came with a video of a baby lying in its parent's arms, bobbing and rocking its head.

They ended up testing positive for RSV – a common virus in children that can become deadly – and spent five nights in hosiptal.

When to call 999?

There are a number of causes of breathing troubles in babies, some of which might not be an emergency. 

But it’s always worth seeking urgent medical help if they have some symptoms.

The British Lung Foundation outlines when you need to call 999.

It says breathing difficulties may look like:

• Breathing may be faster than usual, or irregular
• Your child’s nostrils may flare (get wider) when they breathe
• They may wheeze when breathing out
• They may make a high-pitched sound when breathing in (stridor)
• They may make a grunting sound when breathing out. Call 999 if this happens
• The muscles under their ribs may suck in with each breath. Call 999 for urgent medical help.

If your baby has wheezing or a cough, it is helpful to film this on your phone because the doctor can use it to help diagnose.

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