Care Advice
What You Should Know About Bronchiolitis:
- Bronchiolitis is common during the first 2 years of life.
- Most children just have coughing and fast breathing.
- Some develop wheezing. This means the lower airway is getting tight.
- If you were given a follow-up appointment, be sure to keep it.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Asthma Medicines:
- Some children with bronchiolitis are helped by asthma-type medicines. Most children are not helped by these medicines.
- If one has been prescribed for your child, give it as instructed.
- Keep giving the medicine until your child's wheezing is gone for 24 hours.
Coughing Fits or Spells:
- Any age: breathe warm mist (such as with warm shower running in a closed bathroom).
- Age less than 1 year: give smaller, more frequent feedings with breastmilk or formula.
- Age 1 year and older: give warm fluids to drink, such as apple juice and herbal tea.
- Reason: relax the airway and loosen up any phlegm.
Homemade Cough Medicine:
- Do not give any over-the-counter cough medicine to children with wheezing.
- Age 1 year and older: use honey ½ to 1 teaspoon (2 to 5 mL) as needed. It works as a homemade cough medicine. It can thin the mucus and loosen the cough.
Nasal Saline to Open a Blocked Nose:
- Your baby can't nurse or drink from a bottle if the nose is blocked. Suction alone can't remove dry or sticky mucus.
- Use saline (salt water) nose drops or spray to loosen up the dried mucus. If you don't have saline, you can use a few drops of bottled water or clean tap water. If under 1 year old, use bottled water or boiled tap water.
- Step 1: put 3 drops in each nostril. (If age under 1 year old, use 1 drop).
- Step 2: suction each nostril out while closing off the other nostril. Then, do the other side.
- Step 3: repeat nose drops and suctioning until the discharge is clear.
- How often: do nasal saline when your child can't breathe through the nose. Limit: no more than 4 times per day.
- Saline nose drops or spray can be bought in any drugstore. No prescription is needed.
- Other option: use a warm shower to loosen mucus. Breathe in the moist air, then suction.
Humidifier:
- If the air in your home is dry, use a humidifier. Reason: dry air makes coughs worse.
Smaller Feedings:
- Use small, frequent feedings whenever your child has the energy to drink.
- Reason: children with wheezing don't have enough energy for long feedings.
- Offer enough fluids to prevent dehydration.
Avoid Tobacco Smoke:
- Tobacco smoke makes coughs and wheezing much worse.
- Don't let anyone smoke around your child.
What to Expect:
- Wheezing and rapid breathing most often improve over 2 or 3 days.
- Mild wheezing sounds can last up to 1 week.
- Coughing may last 3 weeks.
- Some children (2%) with bronchiolitis need to be in the hospital. These children need oxygen or fluids given through a vein.
Return to Child Care:
- Your child is contagious for 7 days after the cough first started.
- Your child can return to child care after this time.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Trouble breathing occurs
- Wheezing gets worse (becomes tight)
- Trouble feeding occurs
- Fever lasts more than 3 days
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Remember! Contact your doctor if you or your child develop any "Contact Your Doctor" symptoms.