bronchiolitis - what is normal and what is not normal???

[Doublebubblebubble]

Hi all - need a bit of a hand hold/ rant/ help!

My ds (13 weeks) was in hospital 6th-8th December last year when he was 7weeks old. He required tube feeding and was on oxygen at night whilst he was in... Dr/s explained that after bronchiolitis there can be a constant wheeze and cough for a few weeks after the illness () anyway dd6 has just well Thursday just gone got out of hospital for pneumonia. she was admitted on the 10th Jan but had been ill since the 4th jan. Anyway ds has had the wheeze for a while but has got the cough again (and a bit of a runny nose) he is still eating (ebf) and still having wet and dirty nappies, so I know that he is okay - but the pneumonia has freaked me out... I dont want to have to keep running to the Drs because I think he has it (bronchiolitis or pneumonia)... What would you do in this situation.. DD has finished her course of antibiotics now and is fine (if a little wheezy also) and she has asthma too (joy!!) so is on clenil, atrovent, and montelukast. I am desperate to keep them both out of the hospital. And desperate to keep him well enough to have his jabs (he is due his first on the 20th -only app I could get- he was meant to have them at 8 weeks!!!)
I guess my question is - can bronchiolitis present any other way than sucking in his ribs
How contagious is viral pneumonia (I'm guessing it is fairly contagious - Drs initially thought DD had bacterial pneumonia)
I guess im exhausted too (haven't been able to sleep since DD went into the hospital - dh stayed with her and I stayed with the baby) x

What an exhausting time for you, I'm sorry.

Bronch can range from a cough (and it's such a specific sounding cough that any children's nurse can recognise), to really struggling to breathe. Ultimately there is nothing we do about it unless you need oxygen and help with feeding. There is no treatment other than time. Babies struggle as they're nose breathers and can't breathe and feed at the same time hence why they sometimes need help. If your little one is feeding and having lots of wet nappies that's great, if your DS looks like he's working a bit hard to breathe, look at his chest and his neck you'll see it going inwards then definitely get him seen. He's 13 weeks, no one is going to object to seeing such a little one if you're worried. If you want some reassurance it's ok to get him checked.

Thank you x

can a lo just have a cough though... I think they probably can I'm just constantly second guessing myself.. He's not got any nasal flaring or sucking in but I'm constantly looking for it... I dont want to drive myself loopy.

Ds also woke up with a really blocked nose this morning slept from 8-8 so had a massive ebf feed) and DD is still coughing her guts up

I'm using a saline spray, vapour decongestant (that you put in hot water) and an aspirator. I just want them to be better at the same time, for at least five minutes...

Check out his breathing rate, any sign of blueness around the lips, starting to reduce the amount of feeds, and pulling in under the ribs or tracheal tug. Hang on, I'll find the full list.

Bear in mind that it might not be bronc, or pneumonia, and probably just a cough, but if he starts showing the above symptoms or his respiation rate is high (above 60 per minute is considered respiratory distress) then get him seen.

Sorry you're having a rough time of it.

In my experience, after DS1 was hospitalised for a week with bronchiolitis (aged 16 weeks), one of the doctors helpfully warned me (I don't mean that sarcastically!) that for a "year or two" it might weaken his chest and he could get mild versions of what he has had and just generally be weak chested.
Well this was very true for us, he did end up in hospital again twice in the following couple of years, and until he was 7 or 8, any cough or cold he had would go straight to his chest.

But! He is now 16, is tough and big and strong and healthy and you'd never know he'd had those problems!
So I would just bear in mind that you could have a similar experience x

Sorry, resp rate over 50 is high. Over 60 and that's obviously more serious/immediate attention needed.

I forgot about the nostril flaring and grunting as other signs.

Here's the NHS link www.nhs.uk/conditions/Bronchiolitis/pages/symptoms.aspx

Thanks all. DD has asthma so I know all about the fun parts (

I think I've bloody spoken too soon...

I think I've bloody spoken too soon...

Dont know how I managed to double post... I've managed to take some video (please excuse the Justin Bieber it just happened to be on)

HELP

Please tell me if I'm being overly paranoid too. I certainly feel as if I am being now. Gah x

I can't get the video to load, but if you are concerned enough to be posting a video then it is probably best if you get him checked out even if just for peace of mind

It does sound like he is grunting a little. Tbh, I would get him checked just to be on the safe side. I put off getting DD checked when she had bronch, I was on my knees with exhaustion as she hadn't slept for 2 days. Didn't recognise the signs and ended up being blue lighted with sats of 67. Scary time all round (she was only 8 weeks old) they really don't mind checking lo's. Paramedic said they would rather see several not quite sure's and reassure the parents that everything is ok than miss the one that is very poorly because mum thinks she's being daft

I've just got back (phoned 111 who called ooh for me

• got through straight away - first time I've ever had such a quick experience with them) took him to the oohd (literally 5 mins away) who said that he's fine and to stop worrying

How's he doing? Sorry, should have realised you knew the resp things with an asthmatic DD.

He's good. Still has a cough but is his usual chirpy self. Xx hv and his jabs tomorrow (FINALLY) x

Here we are also facing same issue with continuous chesty cough. How is ur child now. My kid is 4 years old. Doc said he had bronchitis. From last 6 months we are facing this issue. Does it go away with age . Iam constantly worrying about his health.