My toddler gets repeated episodes of pneumonia

Dear Ask The Doctor: My 11 month old daughter keeps getting pneumonia. I found out my wife, when she was a baby, also had pneumonia. Her mother did nothing about it. Luckily her dad did. Now my wife's mother babysits on a regular basis. Could there be a connection? Could her mother be doing something that could inadvertently cause pneumonia? I ask because she come up with some far fetched ideas and suggestions on how we should raise her grand child. For example, having a fan on in the room will cause pneumonia, or she should get special shoes to help her walk when there is no reason to think she is having trouble trying to stand.

Dear Marcus: Recurrent episodes of pneumonia may be associated with some underlying conditions like aspiration syndrome, asthma, allergy, immune disorders, congenital heart disease etc. Consultation with a pediatrician may help diagnose the cause of repeated pneumonia infection, and it may also help you understand the possible associations for her repeated illness.