What is infant bronchiolitis and how can I prevent it?

Bronchiolitis is a very contagious viral infection of the bronchioles, the small airways that carry air to the back of the lungs. It usually affects children under two years of age, especially babies between 3 and 9 months old. When an infant’s bronchioles become infected, they prevent air from flowing properly through the lungs. When the walls of the bronchioles become inflamed and secretions increase, this leads to obstruction. In infants, this presents as an episode of respiratory discomfort, often accompanied by coughing or rapid, wheezing breathing. Usually preceded by a cold, bronchiolitis lasts from 7 to 12 days, sometimes up to 3 weeks. A child can be infected several times in the same year.

Infant bronchiolitis is most often caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), but it can sometimes be caused by common cold viruses (rhinovirus) or parainfluenza. This is generally mild. However, it can lead to complications in children with weakened immune systems or in young infants under two months of age, which can result in hospitalisation. It is therefore important to protect yourself and your children against infection.

• Direct contact: directly from one person to another through bronchial secretions (sputum, coughing, sneezing, etc.) or through contact such as kissing.
• Indirect contact: through contaminated hands or objects (dummies, bottles, cuddly toys, books, towels, glasses, utensils, food, etc.).

The syncytial virus is very resistant and survives for up to 30 minutes on the skin and up to 7 hours on surfaces and clothing. Lack of hygiene, poorly ventilated places and contact with multiple people facilitate the spread of bronchiolitis.

A sigh may be heard when the child forces their breathing and a hollow appears under the ribs. The symptoms are normally mild and have little impact on the child's behaviour. However, they may eat and drink increasingly less because of their fatigue and the mucus that they are unable to clear from their bronchial tubes. Respiratory difficulties normally disappear on their own within a few days.

Some children develop cyanosis, i.e. a bluish colouring of the skin, apnoea, high fever or even an ear infection. In rare cases, breathing difficulties can develop into respiratory distress that requires hospitalisation. Particular vigilance should be given to infants born prematurely and to those with an already strained or weakened immune system.

As was the case with the Covid-19 health crisis, a few preventive hygiene rules and social distancing measures are necessary to prevent the transmission of the virus and avoid contracting bronchiolitis or reduce the risk of a recurrence:

• Wash your hands (and those of all your children) with soap and water regularly and consistently before touching your baby.
• If you or someone in your family has a cold, wear a mask when caring for your baby. Indeed, a cold in an adult can cause bronchiolitis in a baby.
• Avoid taking your baby out in crowded or confined places (public transport, shopping centres, hospitals, nurseries, etc.). As the virus is highly contagious, contact with infected people is a considerable risk factor.
• Avoid kissing your child's face. Instead, opt for the back of the neck or the body, especially if you have the flu.
• Ventilate your home often and avoid overheating the rooms.
• Do not smoke in the presence of your child and avoid exposing them to smoke from a stove or vapour from a vaporizer.
• Even if they are clean, do not exchange one infant's teats, dummies, bottles, teaspoons or utensils with another's.
• Regularly clean or disinfect toys, stuffed toys, clothes and other childcare accessories at temperatures above 60°C.

Adults and older children who are carriers of these respiratory viruses usually have no symptoms or just a cold. It is therefore important to apply these measures to prevent bronchiolitis infections.

However, they can also damage certain materials and be harmful to health, especially for young children. But it is possible to disinfect all your belongings easily and effectively by using Laurastar DMS. This disinfects all materials naturally and quickly. It is therefore a perfect part of a preventive routine to protect your child, paying particular attention to anything that comes into contact with the face or mouth:

• Regularly change and sterilise soothers, teats, bottles and dental rings (everything that babies put in their mouths) with Laurastar DMS. If contaminated, sterilise between uses.
• Disinfect your baby's stuffed toys with Laurastar DMS as often as possible. Taken everywhere and often put in their mouths, toys are real vectors of contamination.
• When you get home, disinfect any of your baby's belongings that may have been contaminated with Laurastar DMS: pram, glove, hat, scarf, etc.
• Wash sheets and towels weekly and steam them with Laurastar DMS.

Dry Microfine Steam technology is found in all Laurastar hygienic steamers.