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Pediatric bronchiolitis
Pediatric bronchiolitis (bron·chi·ol·i·tis) is a common pediatric illness in which mucus builds up in tiny airways that lead to the lungs, called bronchioles. This makes breathing difficult.
What is pediatric bronchiolitis?
Pediatric bronchiolitis occurs when bronchioles – or air passages — swell and mucus builds up. The airways of younger children become blocked or clogged more easily than those of older children because the airways are smaller. That’s why bronchiolitis usually affects infants (age birth to 1-year), with a peak age of three to six months.
Risk factors
- Males
- Premature babies
- Children who have not been breastfed
- Children living in crowded conditions
- Children with chronic lung or heart conditions
What are the signs and symptoms of pediatric bronchiolitis?
Symptoms that occur early in the condition mimic the common cold and include:
- Fever
- Runny nose
- Cough and wheezing, which will become worse over time
- Stuffy nose and congestion
Respiratory symptoms:
- Fast, shallow breathing
- Flaring of the nostrils
- Irritability, difficulty sleeping, fatigue
- Rapid heartbeat
- Poor appetite and dehydration (fewer wet diapers)
- Vomiting after coughing
- Retractions (when the areas below the ribs, between the ribs, and in the neck sink in as a child inhales)
What are the causes of pediatric bronchiolitis?
A viral infection usually causes bronchiolitis. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause. The virus spreads to infants by coming into direct contact with nose and throat fluids of someone who has the illness. This could be through a sneeze, cough or touching an object that carries germs from a sick person.