Key points to remember Bronchiolitis is a common chest infection, caused by a virus, that affects babies up to 12 months old. Babies are usually sick for seven to 10 days. They are infectious in the first few days of illness. Seek medical attention if your baby is having trouble breathing, feeding or drinking.
It's perfectly normal for a child to have a minor illness that includes chest congestion several times a year. Taking care of a cold can prevent the illness from turning into bronchitis. If the cough doesn't get better within two weeks, a fever gets worse, or new symptoms develop, see your doctor.
Mild to moderate congestion is common in babies and should only last for a few days. If a caregiver is concerned about a baby's ability to breathe or their baby is under 3 months old and has a fever, they should seek medical help as soon as possible.
Steam inhalation
A warm, steamy room can help loosen thick mucus and make it easier for a child to breathe. Try giving a child a warm bath before bed. Then take the child out of the tub, turn the shower up to its hottest setting, and close the door. Allow the steam to fill the room while sitting with the child.
Preventing choking phlegm for young children
Children with fever and cough with phlegm should be taken care of to prevent choking caused by phlegm and drool. Let the child drink enough water, enough milk to loosen phlegm and fluid in the throat. Support children to suck phlegm in the nose and throat.
fast breathing. noisy breathing that sounds wheezy. breathing that is hard work – you may see the ribs or skin under the neck sucking in or nostrils flaring when they are breathing; younger babies may bob their heads when breathing. irritability and fever.
Infants with severe RSV will have short, shallow and rapid breathing. This can be identified by "caving-in" of the chest in between the ribs and under the ribs (chest wall retractions), "spreading-out" of the nostrils with every breath (nasal flaring), and abnormally fast breathing.
Signs and Symptoms
The symptoms usually start out like the flu. They slowly get worse over a few days. Pneumonia caused by bacteria can come on suddenly with a high fever, fast breathing and coughing. Both types of pneumonia can cause the child's cough to last for weeks after the fever has stopped.
Antibiotics aren't recommended for many chest infections, because they only work if the infection is caused by bacteria, rather than a virus. Your GP will usually only prescribe antibiotics if they think you have pneumonia, or you're at risk of complications such as fluid building up around the lungs (pleurisy).
If your chest congestion is accompanied by a fever of over 103 degrees Fahrenheit or you see evidence of blood in your mucus (or cough up only blood), it's time to see a doctor. If you have been diagnosed with COPD or another chronic lung disease, chest congestion should be monitored by your pulmonary specialist.
See a doctor if you have any of the following: Temperature of 100.4 °F or higher. Cough with bloody mucus. Shortness of breath or trouble breathing.
Contact your child's pediatrician if you notice any of the following symptoms with nasal congestion: High fever. Signs of dehydration. Severe or persistent cough.
Children with RSV typically have two to four days of upper respiratory tract symptoms, such as fever and runny nose/congestion. These are then followed by lower respiratory tract symptoms, like increasing wheezing cough that sounds wet and forceful with increased work breathing.
Physical exam. Your doctor will listen to your lungs with a stethoscope. If you have pneumonia, your lungs may make crackling, bubbling, and rumbling sounds when you inhale.
What Are Symptoms of RSV in a Baby? A runny nose and congestion are often the first signs of infection. After a few days, symptoms can worsen to fever, cough, wheezing or rattling in the chest, and breathing hard and fast. In high-risk babies, RSV can lead to severe breathing illness and pneumonia.
A high fever (> 39°C) and focal crackles on chest auscultation are consistent with the infant having pneumonia rather than bronchiolitis. Wheeze is less common in infants with pneumonia, however, the presence or absence of wheeze alone is insufficient to distinguish between bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
Retractions - Check to see if the chest pulls in with each breath, especially around the collarbone and around the ribs. Nasal flaring - Check to see if nostrils widen when breathing in. (“Ugh” sound), wheezing or like mucus is in the throat. Clammy skin – Feel your child's skin to see if it is cool but also sweaty.
How Is Bronchitis Diagnosed? When doctors suspect bronchitis, they will do an exam and listen to a child's chest with a stethoscope to check for wheezing and congestion. No tests are needed to diagnose bronchitis. But the doctor may order a chest X-ray to rule out a condition like pneumonia.
Raise your baby's head.
Lying flat makes a cough worse, which is bad news for bedtime. Lifting the head of your baby's crib a few inches can help. You can also place books under the legs, or roll up a towel and put it under the head of the mattress.
To keep a congested baby sleeping, you may want to begin your bedtime routine with a warm steamy bath. Be sure to elevate their crib mattress by placing rolled Woolino blankets at the head end of the crib to assist gravity in draining mucus more efficiently.
Although bronchiolitis is usually a mild condition, it can sometimes cause more serious symptoms. If your child has a very severe cough, a high fever, and breathing difficulty, or the symptoms have lasted longer than a few weeks, you should seek medical advice.