Brochiolitis

It is a common illness with babies and toddlers; but this little one is only 4 weeks, so needs a special eye keeping on her.

DGS had this at 7 weeks of age. He was 4 weeks prem and spent a few nights in hospital. I was able to visit and remember sitting watching his blood oxygen levels fluctuate. He is now nearly 3, chattering and rushing around all day like a whirlwind. You would never know there had been anything wrong with him.

My grandson had this a couple of times before he was one. A prem twin born at 4lbs he was susceptible. Had a creaky chest for a while. A nebuliser with steroids did the trick after a visit to a&e. Seems pretty common.

Nana56

Thanks. DD gone back to GP. Going to be readmitted I think. Dr can here crackle on lungs, not sure what that means.

Let us know how she is, Nana56

It is quite a common infection and she is in the right place.

sazz1

My DGD had this at 9mths old. Was admitted to hospital but recovered well. Then she became asthmatic but that could be coincidence and may not have triggered it

Yes, DD did too but I think that was because she caught whooping cough a few months later.
There was a scare about the vaccine at the time and I decided not to let her have it.

DD had this but she was a bit older, 20 months.
It was very frightening. A locum GP came and advised me to take her into a steamy bathroom and prescribed liquid Ventolin.

I'm not sure that it was the correct treatment so am not recommending it.

She recovered well but I always think she should have been admitted to hospital at the time.

GS2 had this when he was about 19 months old. DD went out shopping, leaving him with his father because he was a bit snuffly. When she came back he was pale and floppy and breathing badly. Father hadn't noticed! Straight down to A&E where a doctor collected him at once. He was later allowed home with a nebuliser - and what fun that was! It would take two of us to hold him down to use it. Fortunately the nebuliser did the trick and it never happened again, but he did later develop asthma.

My DGD had this at 9mths old. Was admitted to hospital but recovered well. Then she became asthmatic but that could be coincidence and may not have triggered it

Is she evidently having any trouble breathing?
My Gds had it badly twice, 1st time at 4 months, he was in ICU for a week both times, but a perfectly healthy 6 yr old now. First sign was always that breathing was evidently rather more of an effort than normal.

I’d def. take her back to A&E if at all worried.
FWIW they usually grow out of it by around 2 - Gds did. It’s when their lungs are so tiny that it evidently affects them.

Might add that the first time he was in ICU - sedated and tube fed - there was a tiny little 3 week old in the next cot, who’d been premature anyway - she recovered very well too. Gds - who by 4 months was a roly-poly porker - looked enormous beside that very wee one.
Needless to say, we were all profoundly grateful for the excellent care he received.

Bronchiolitis is fairly common with children. (In nursing school I did my pediatric rotation in January. The majority of my patients had bronchiolitis or another respiratory illness.) It's inflammation of the small airways and is usually viral.

The big thing you have to watch is the work of breathing. Little ones don't have a lot of extra reserve so if breathing becomes too hard they can stop altogether. If they're breathing very fast (keep in mind that children normally breathe faster than adults; check with your provider to see how fast is too fast), and especially if their chest and back muscles are moving in and out a lot when they breathe (we call this retractions), they NEED to be seen urgently. Nasal flaring in babies is also a bad sign.

The good news is that even if they do have to be admitted to hospital, a few days of breathing treatments usually fixes them right up.

Yes it was January when my granddaughter was ill with it.

Would be unusual to prescribe antibiotics for bronchiolitis in young children....its generally a self limiting illness ..... NICE guidance explains it well.... I'm sure your GD will pick up soon OP

Pleased to hear that the baby may be admitted-she is only 4 weeks old. It is not the time of year for Bronchiolitis, it is a winter bug. At least antibiotics will be given and hopefully the baby will be home again with mum, feeding well. Very worrying for all concerned.

My granddaughter had this when 6 months old and it required an overnight stay in hospital. This was 15 years ago but I do remember her being quite unwell for several days but then making a remarkable recovery. It was very worrying and I can understand your anxiety with one so young and so I would contact either your GP or 111 for re assurance.

Thanks. DD gone back to GP. Going to be readmitted I think. Dr can here crackle on lungs, not sure what that means.

If worried your daughter needs to contact her GP, NHS111, or go back to A&E. Certainly if the baby is not taking any milk or water.

You may already have looked it up but this may help you.
www.gosh.nhs.uk/conditions-and-treatments/conditions-we-treat/bronchiolitis/

It is awful being a nana and worried - I hope baby is better soon.