Due to their underdeveloped immune system, children tend to be more susceptible to illnesses than adults. Surprisingly, one of these diseases is actually a type of mild pneumonia. It is called walking pneumonia and occurs when mycoplasma bacteria infect the lungs.

What can parents expect when it comes to walking pneumonia in children? Walking pneumonia in children — just like in adults — is not very serious. But it can result in symptoms that can make the child uncomfortable for several days … sometimes even weeks. This is why a case of walking pneumonia in your child needs to be tended to by a doctor.

If the disease is ignored, your child’s immune system will fight it off naturally, but it will take much longer. He or she will also be more likely to spread walking pneumonia to other children at school.

Testing for Walking Pneumonia in Children

Your child’s doctor must first determine whether or not the child actually has walking pneumonia based on the child’s symptoms and a series of tests. These tests might include a blood test, a blood culture test or a septum test. Blood tests determine a child’s white blood cell count, while blood culture tests try to locate the mycoplasma bacteria within the bloodstream. Septum tests determine what types of bacteria are in the phlegm that a child spits up.

The prognosis for children’s walking pneumonia is quite positive, especially with medical treatment. Most antibiotics will cure children’s walking pneumonia in a week or less. Bed rest may not even be necessary, since the antibiotics will not only help lessen the symptoms of the disease, but it will also protect the child from infecting others. Yet, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it still isn’t worthwhile pulling a child out of school anyway. Antibiotics often carry side effects that should be monitored as children are taking them. Additionally, even if a child is being cured with antibiotics, they still have an infection. It certainly doesn’t hurt to be extra cautious and let them take things easy until they are 100% sure the walking pneumonia is gone.

As far as prevention, at the moment nothing can quell the prevalence of walking pneumonia in children. Basically, if a child is in the presence of another untreated child that has the disease, he or she can get it. Perhaps having a stronger immune system through a proper diet may help a little, but it certainly won’t offer any official guarantees. Parents will just need to take their kids to the doctor if they have been experiencing flu-like symptoms for longer than a few days.

Walking pneumonia in children is annoying but treatable. The main key is taking your child to the doctor when he or she appears sick. Once at the doctor, your child will get treatment that will make him feel like new in just a few days. Indeed, no other type of “pneumonia” is as easy to treat as walking pneumonia in children.