Breastfeeding and a smoke-free environment give the best protection against bronchiolitis.
If your baby has bronchiolitis, keep them at home, away from other babies and children, to stop bronchiolitis spreading.
Bronchiolitis is a common illness usually caused by a virus. The most common are RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and rhinovirus but there are many viruses that can cause bronchiolitis.
Bronchiolitis affects the smallest airways (called bronchioles) throughout the lungs.
Yes, bronchiolitis is very easy to catch - it can spread easily between children or from adults to children.
It is most common in winter and spring.
Bronchiolitis often starts as a cold, with a runny nose.
Babies with bronchiolitis:
The second or third day of the chesty part of the illness is usually the worst.
Bronchiolitis can last for several days. The cough often lasts for 10 to 14 days but it may last as long as a month.
Check the signs that show your child is struggling to breathe [1]
Even if you've already seen your doctor, if your baby's breathing gets worse or you are worried, take your baby back to the doctor.
You should see your family doctor or go to an after-hours medical centre urgently if your baby:
You should also see a doctor if you are worried about your baby.
Even if you've already seen your doctor, if your baby's breathing difficulties get worse or you are worried, take your baby back to the doctor.
Dial 111 within New Zealand (use the appropriate emergency number in other countries) and ask for urgent medical help if your child:
Most babies with bronchiolitis get better by themselves without any special medical treatment.
Babies with more serious bronchiolitis may need to go to hospital. Sometimes babies need help with their breathing. This might include extra oxygen through small soft plastic tubes that fit into your baby's nose.
If your baby is not drinking enough, they may need feeding through a nasogastric tube (a tube through the nose into the stomach) or fluid through an intravenous drip (into a vein) [2].
Remember to sleep baby on their back in their own bed and don't prop them up with pillows or blankets.
Breastfeeding your baby protects them from getting bronchiolitis by boosting their infection-fighting (immune) system. Breastfeeding beyond 4 months of age offers the best protection.
Make sure your child's environment is smoke-free. If you want to give up smoking:
Keeping the house warm and well-insulated will also decrease your baby's risk of developing bronchiolitis.
Read about keeping your home warm and dry [4]
It is sensible to keep young babies away from people who have colds and coughs.
Make sure everyone in your family washes their hands regularly and thoroughly and dries them well, including (but not only) before preparing food and eating. This can reduce the spread of infection.
Bronchiolitis is not the same as asthma. Most babies with bronchiolitis do not go on to have asthma. Asthma is more likely in children if there are other family members with asthma.
Thank you to the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ for permission to reproduce the diagram of normal and inflamed bronchioles.
This page last reviewed 02 March 2020.
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Links
[1] https://kidshealth.org.nz/signs-children-are-struggling-breathe
[2] https://kidshealth.org.nz/drips-intravenous-fluids-or-iv
[3] https://quit.org.nz/
[4] https://kidshealth.org.nz/keeping-your-home-warm-dry
[5] https://www.starship.org.nz/guidelines/bronchiolitis/
[6] https://www.paediatrics.org.nz/resources/child-health-guidelines/show/113
[7] https://www.predict.org.au/download/Australasian-bronchiolitis-guideline.pdf
[8] https://kidshealth.org.nz/contact?from=http%3A%2F%2Fkidshealth.org.nz%2Fprint%2F40%3Flanguage%3Dko