Bronchiolitis In Baby

What is bronchiolitis?

Bronchiolitis is a common viral infection that goes through about every third baby in its first year of life. Most of the virus occurs in the winter months, in the typical cold season from October to March. Bronchiolitis is a form of Cold Ignite in the smallest airways (bronchioles) in the lung. They swell and fill with mucus. This makes breathing difficult.

Responsible for this are several viruses that are commonly respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and rhinoviruses, which also Middle ear infections, Pseudo-Krupp and can cause pneumonia.

How do I know if my baby has bronchiolitis?

Bronchiolitis is usually a bit stronger than the common cold. But the first symptoms are the same:

• runny or stuffy nose
• hacking cough
• temperature increased from 37.5 to 38 degrees C.
• Anorexia

After two or three days, the symptoms worse:

• the cough is persistent
• breathing is rapid, shallow and labored
• the heart beats faster than usual
• feeding may be difficult, perhaps your child refuses to eat.

When should I bring my baby to the doctor?

If you are not sure whether it is a bronchiolitis or a cold, then go to the children's physician / pediatrician. He / she will then measure the oxygen in the blood and then decide whether the child is hospitalized may need. However, although the symptoms seem dangerous and you do worry, understandably, most cases of bronchiolitis harmless and can be treated safely at home.

Only about two percent of all babies develop severe bronchiolitis and must be treated in hospital. Check with your doctor / health care professional if you notice any of these symptoms in your baby:

• There has been drinking in the last 24 hours, only half the usual amount of milk
• It shows signs of Dehydration - Are no wet diaper dry for six hours or longer, or mouth and lips
• the Fever rises above 38 degrees C.
• There seems to be sleepy and lethargic
• It has difficulty with breathing (see below)

A severe bronchiolitis caused respiratory problems, so keep an eye on your baby and immediately call an ambulance or go directly to the hospital when your baby shows any of the following symptoms:

• it wheezes (a rasping, whistling sound while breathing)
• the nostrils swell
• the skin between the ribs, collarbone or below the ribs with each breath is sucked inward seemingly
• It groans and his stomach muscles contract with each breath
• His lips and fingernails are blue
• the respiration is accelerated to more than 60 breaths per minute
• breathing is sometimes made for a few seconds

Some babies have a higher risk to get severe bronchiolitis than others. Go to the Children's physician / pediatrician if you think your child has bronchiolitis and:

• is younger than three months
• was a Premature birth
  
• has since the birth of health problems, such as lung or heart problems
• has a weakened Immunsysten
• in the past has ever needed extra oxygen

How can I treat Bronchiolits home?

Because bronchiolitis is a viral infection, you can not do much except wait until the immune system has done its work. In most cases, the sounds from bronchiolitis after one to two weeks.

Most doctors recommend the same treatment as in a Cold. Here's what you can do to help your baby be suffering:

• Encourage your baby to drink a lot. If you still then you give him as much as possible the chest. If your baby Baby food or even solid food gets, then you can also give him water. If it has problems with breathing, your child will not want to drink a lot at once. Offer him so often a few sips to prevent it from dehydrated and the fever is reduced.

• You can give your baby a fever or a suppository be suitable for children ibuprofen or acetaminophen, if it is older than three months. Read the package insert and speak with your doctor or pharmacist if you are unsure because of the dose. Paracetamol and ibuprofen reduce the Fever and alleviate neck pain, your baby will eat and drink in simple and can.

• If your baby has a stuffy nose due to his problems with feeding, then hold it while eating as possible in an upright position. You can buy saline nose drops at the pharmacy to make the noose. Drops of the solution 15 minutes before each feeding into the nostrils.

• Raise the head end of the crib or baby bed or easily let your baby sleep in the car seat if it is older than six months (younger children are mostly related slumped in a car seat, which hinder breathing even more). If you lift the head of your baby, then it gets better air despite a blocked nose.

• Steam inhalation can open the airways and loosen your baby's cough. However, you should not directly expose your baby hot steam, because it could scald. The safer method is to take your baby with the bath. Turn on the hot water in the shower together and you stay a few minutes in the water vapor. Afterwards you have to dress your baby, of course, something dry.

If possible, give a child under six years of no-counter cold medications because of the feared side effects. Before you play around with any medication, ask your GP or pediatrician. Above all, you never give your child a cold medicine that is intended for adults.

Can bronchiolitis lead to complications?

After bronchiolitis have some babies breath or a cough keuchendere, especially during a Cold. Asthma and other respiratory difficulties were taken by researchers in conjunction with bronchiolitis.

Very rarely develops from bronchiolitis in infants with pneumonia. In babies with congenital heart or lung defects can worsen the condition bronchiolitis.

How can I prevent bronchiolitis?

As the disease spreads as droplet infection, it is often passed on in nurseries, offices and even among friends. The virus survives long in the air or on the palms about six hours, so hygiene is important. Wash your hands frequently with warm water and antibacterial soap. Insist that all who handle your baby, also wash their hands before.

Keep your baby from colds people and avoid large crowds.