Bronchiolitis In Babies
Identifying and Managing Bronchiolitis in Babies
Bronchiolitis in babies is one of those things that many of us undergo as part of the crucible of parenting it seems. Bronchiolitis is the inflammation of the bronchioles, the small branches of the bronchia in the lungs. Put simply it is a respiratory disease. Typically, bronchiolitis in babies is just a cold-like disease that comes and goes away again after about a week and a half. It may make a parent worried and get them to schedule a doctor’s appointment to get baby checked out, but it is not a major affair.
Sometimes, however, in very young babies or babies that are premature or immuno-suppressed, this can be a more serious condition, often requiring hospitalization and on some rare occasions leading to death.
Signs of Bronchiolitis in Babies
Typically, bronchiolitis presents itself as a cold. Baby will seem to be a little under the weather in the first two to three days. Baby will be stuffy and perhaps have a little bit of mucus discharge from the nose. Baby may even get a bit of fever. Usually, your baby will then have a little bit of trouble breathing—a bit of wheezing, usually. Your baby’s heartbeat may also have an increased pace. That is usually it, however. If you take your baby to the doctor, they are likely to tell you to just to watch baby carefully over the course of the next few days.
Sometimes, however, these symptoms don’t disappear after a week and half. Sometimes your baby will progress to becoming cyanotic (developing a bluish hue as it struggles to get enough oxygen). Your baby might seem to be working extra hard to breath, breaths coming much more quickly than normal. Your baby may also become tired and seem to have a weakened appetite. They may not seem to take in enough liquids and may throw up instead. All of these are signs of a more severe condition and you should seek medical attention as soon as you come across them.
Warning: Untreated, these symptoms could quickly lead to severe complications and possibility even death. You should act right away if any of these more severe symptoms crop up.
Causes of Bronchiolitis in Babies
The most common cause of bronchiolitis in infants is RSV—respiratory syncytial virus. This is a very common virus in infants and most every boy and girl will eventually have at least one run in with this bug without any severe consequences. The flu and the common cold may also cause bronchiolitis in babies. Therefore, you should not rush to the conclusion that any symptoms similar to this are RSV.
Your baby is also more likely to have his or her bronchiolitis progress if he or she was born premature or has a compromised immune system already. If this is the case for you, you should seek medical help right away rather than wait for the disease to progress.
Treatment
For the milder cases, as listed above, the treatment is simple observation to make sure that the disease does not progress. Doctors will typically diagnose elevated levels of white blood cells indicating your baby’s body is actively fighting the virus. Your doctor will just send you home to monitor baby to make sure that things don’t get any worse.
If, however, your baby gets the more severe symptoms listed, your physician will most likely admit baby to the hospital where medical staff will manage their symptoms until the virus has run its course.
Long Term Effects
If your baby developed the extreme symptoms of this disease, this may indicate an early predisposition to developing asthma later in childhood. It is still unclear whether getting the more severe conditions “causes” asthma or whether they simply reveal an already existing condition.