Symptoms of bronchitis in infants at the onset of the disease may not be sufficiently pronounced, while timely seeking medical help is critical, so it is advisable for parents to know about the manifestations of the disease..

In infants, bronchitis is more severe than in older people, as they have an underdeveloped immune system, as well as respiratory muscles..

Suspicion of bronchitis in an infant requires immediate medical attention. What signs can recognize bronchitis in infants Bronchitis is an inflammatory disease in which the bronchial mucosa is involved in the pathological process.

At the onset of illness, children usually present with nasal discharge, sore throat, and cough.. Initially, the cough is usually dry, may be accompanied by chest pain, then it becomes productive, sputum begins to stand out. With bronchitis of bacterial etiology, sputum may contain an admixture of pus. In viral bronchitis, sputum is usually clear and may be yellowish or greenish.. The cough usually lasts about 2 weeks, but in some cases it can persist for 1.5-2 months after the disappearance of other signs of the disease..

With an increase in body temperature in an infant above 38 ° C, breathing more often than 70 breaths per minute, pallor and / or cyanosis of the skin, you should immediately call an ambulance.

Children have a decrease in appetite, sleep disturbances, lethargy, moodiness. On examination, attention is drawn to the hyperemia of the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx (in some cases, granularity is noted). During auscultation, dry or moist rales are heard..

Body temperature may rise. Bronchitis in infants without fever develops if the child is weakened. In addition, such a course is observed in bronchitis of allergic etiology..

Bronchitis of bacterial etiology in infants is usually more severe, with a runny nose, as a rule, is absent. In addition to the usual symptoms, it is accompanied by nausea, vomiting and other signs of intoxication of the body..

Bronchitis in young children may occur with or without airway obstruction.. With obstructive bronchitis, there is a spasm of the bronchi and the accumulation of thick mucus in their lumen (viscous sputum settles on the bronchial mucosa), which leads to difficulty breathing. At the same time, the child has a paroxysmal cough, which intensifies at night, rapid breathing, increased sweating. Respiratory failure leads to hypoxia, which is manifested by cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle and fingers.

The presence of shortness of breath with difficult exhalation, which is accompanied by whistling sounds, may indicate the development of bronchospasm.

Causes and risk factors Bronchitis in infants can most often be caused by viruses (parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, etc.).. ), less often bacteria (streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, moraxella), as well as ingestion of allergens (pollen, dust, tobacco or other smoke, household chemicals). Especially often the disease develops in the autumn-winter period..

The presence of shortness of breath with difficult exhalation, which is accompanied by whistling sounds, may indicate the development of bronchospasm.

Bronchitis is divided into acute (lasting up to 30 days) and chronic (more than 30 days). Chronic bronchitis is rare in young children.. With this form of the disease, structural changes occur in the tissues of the bronchi, which can lead to the development of complications, including bronchial asthma, pneumonia, bronchiectasis.

As a rule, acute bronchitis has a viral or bacterial etiology.. In more rare cases, the causative agent of the disease are microscopic fungi and allergens.. Bronchitis in infants is often a complication of acute respiratory viral infections..

How to treat bronchitis in infantsTo make a diagnosis, an anamnesis, physical diagnosis, laboratory tests are taken. In case of urgent need, an X-ray examination may be required (in infants they try to avoid it).

How much bronchitis is treated depends on the form of the disease, the severity of the symptoms, the presence of complications and the general condition of the child..

To prescribe the treatment of bronchitis in infants, you should consult a doctor, self-medication is highly undesirable and with a high degree of probability can lead to the development of severe complications. Treatment of newborns, as well as infants with obstructive bronchitis, is carried out in a hospital.

With an increase in body temperature in an infant above 38 ° C, breathing more often than 70 breaths per minute, pallor and / or cyanosis of the skin, you should immediately call an ambulance.

In the room where the patient with bronchitis is located, it is necessary to provide fresh air, which should also be humidified to facilitate sputum discharge.. The famous Ukrainian doctor Komarovsky advises in such cases to maintain a cool temperature in the room, not to overheat the child.

Bronchitis without fever develops if the child is weakened. In addition, such a course is observed in bronchitis of allergic etiology..

Children with bronchitis need to drink enough fluids.. Children under 6 months of age are usually given water, after 6 months you can use adapted fruit drinks, compotes, herbal teas.

Medicines are selected depending on the age of the child, as well as on the form of the disease and the clinical signs present.. With a viral etiology of the disease, patients may be prescribed antiviral drugs, with bronchitis of bacterial origin or proceeding with the addition of a secondary infection - antibiotics. At elevated temperatures, antipyretic drugs are prescribed. If nasal breathing is difficult, vasoconstrictor drops can be used (with caution and only under medical supervision! ) or saline solutions.

Inhalations for infants are carried out using a nebulizer. Inhalations are useful, which are carried out using a spray or nebulizer.

In order to facilitate the discharge of sputum, a therapeutic massage is performed..

With properly selected therapy, recovery usually occurs in 1.5-2 weeks..

What is forbidden to do with bronchitis in infants Self-medication of infants is strictly prohibited. With bronchitis, this is fraught with, at best, the transition of the disease to a chronic form, at worst, the spread of the pathological process to the lungs and the development of other, extremely severe, and sometimes life-threatening complications..

Infants are prohibited from:.

Perform hot steam inhalations. Such inhalations are especially dangerous in the presence of elevated temperature..

Instill breast milk into the nose. It has no special healing effect, but may cause additional difficulty in breathing..

Put mustard plasters or jars, as well as pour mustard from socks.

Rub with turpentine ointment or any other similar action.

In the room where the patient with bronchitis is located, it is necessary to provide fresh air, which should also be humidified to facilitate sputum discharge..

As for traditional medicine, their use in infants is highly undesirable, since it is extremely difficult to maintain the correct dosage, and also because of the high allergenicity of such drugs and the unscientific nature of most of these methods of treatment.. An exception can only be if a similar drug is prescribed by the attending physician..

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