BRONCHIOLITIS

What are the symptoms?

  1. Your baby’s breathing is abnormally noisy
  2. They are not eating, drinking or feeding well.
  3. They have a blocked nose
  4. They are coughing, especially during the night.
  5. Their sleep is disturbed.
  6. They may have a fever.

Having the above symptoms may mean they have bronchiolitis. They should be examined by a doctor who would recommend the appropriate medication and perhaps physiotherapy.

WHY?

  • The bronchioles are the small breathing tubes that become inflamed and constricted causing the ‘wheezing’ sound.
  • The bronchi secrete more mucus that makes the airways congested. The baby is unable to cough effectively like an adult or older child and therefore unable to clear his chest.
  • He is unable to clear his nose by blowing it. This makes breathing difficult; he coughs and feeding becomes awkward.

Bronchiolitis tends to affect younger babies.

It can develop out of an infection higher in the air passes, such as a cold.

It can begin with a dry hacking cough, that changes into a chesty one in a few days.

The baby can swallow the mucus that can make him sick or give him mucus in his nappy.

The wheezing sound does not necessarily mean he has asthma. Usually bronchiolitis is due to a virus and may not respond to antibiotics.

HOW PHYSIOTHERAPY CAN HELP?

To loosen and clear the mucus from the bronchioles using a special technique and provoking an effective cough, occasionally using gentle pressure on the trachea (wind pipe). Your baby may react by crying, this is unpleasant but NOT painful, generally loosening the chest, encouraging a better breathing pattern and therefore allowing the air back into the smaller airways. This can also help the wheezing.

Using saline (salt water) to clean the baby’s nose. A mouche bebe (special type of nasal aspirator) may also be used to extract the mucus. If your doctor has prescribed a bronchiodilator spray, the physiotherapist can check you are using this correctly.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

The physiotherapist will teach you how to use the saline to clean the baby’s nose and the ‘mouche bebe’ if appropriate. This can be important to do prior to feeding. The nose is unblocked and the baby’s able to breathe more easily.

If necessary, feed the baby little and often. Make sure he has plenty of fluids.

Ventilate and humidify his room (you can put a bowl of water on top of the radiator) or hang wet towels.

Give him a bath; the warm and humid air in the bathroom can be beneficial.

Do not overheat his room. The baby should be sleeping on his back or side with his head elevated (put some books under the head end of the cot).

Take him to physiotherapy for treatment and advice and contact your GP or physiotherapist if you have any concerns.

Our team of physios includes practitioners who are experienced in respiratory care.

Physio for all
Battersea: 020 7228 2141
Chelsea: 020 7373 0050