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Overview
When adults and children get bronchitis, they have irritated and inflamed bronchis, the branching tubes through which air travels to the lungs. These bronchi end in bronchioles, smaller tubes that end in balloon-like alveoli. When infants get bronchitis, it is a more serious and contagious disease that has a more specific name, bronchiolitis.
Symptoms
Infants whose breathing becomes very shallow accompanied by a faster pulse, may have bronchiolitis. Be aware of persistent coughing followed by vomiting. Their nostrils may seem to widen when they breathe, as their neck and chest seem to sink downward. Dehydration can occur with the skin turning blue. Babies with bronchiolitis become very irritable.
Causes
The first sign of bronchiolitis is when the baby gets a stuffy or a runny nose along with a cough and a slight fever that lasts one or two days. Then, the cough gets much worse. The baby may even start wheezing. If the baby has Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), she is contagious. The virus often causes of bronchiolitis in babies.
Considerations
Babies can also get bronchiolitis after a cold or the flu. In fact, half of all cases follow a viral respiratory infection. The incidence of bronchiolitis is higher in the winter and the early spring. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine to protect babies from either bronchiolitis or RSV.
Warning
Children usually get bronchiolitis before they turn two years old. It is most commonly seen in babies who are between the ages of three and six months. These infants have very small bronchi and bronchioles which can become blocked easily. So, if they get a cold or other respiratory virus, it is important to watch them carefully and take them to a doctor if a cough that began as a slight irritation worsens.
Risk Factors
Babies who were born premature or who have weak immune systems are very vulnerable to the disease. If the baby is exposed to second hand smoke, they may be more likely to get bronchiolitis. Boy babies, babies who are not nursed, and babies who attend group daycares are also more likely than other babies to catch bronchiolitis.
