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Recognizing Intercostal Retractions. Your intercostal muscles are attached to your ribs, and they normally contract and move your ribs up when you breathe in air. At the same time, your diaphragm drops lower, and your lungs fill with air. When you have a partial blockage in your upper airway or the small airways in your lungs, air cannot flow freely and the pressure in this part of your body decreases. As a result, your intercostal muscles are sucked in sharply inside your rib cage. These movements are called retractions. Intercostal retractions occur when the muscles between your ribs are pulled inward. This is also called intercostal recession. These movements indicate that something is blocking your airway.
Retractions are another important sign of respiratory distress. Some parents also refer to this as belly breathing because the belly pulls in as a baby breathes in. Retractions, however, refer to any pulling in of the skin associated with inspiration. They may occur in the neck or chest areas as well.