Bronchiolitis - how bad before going to hospital?

[dairymoo]

My 14mo DD has Bronchiolitis (diagnosed by the DP yesterday evening). He said that as yesterday was really Day 1 of an illness that can last as long as two weeks, he was sure I'd probably be back to have her looked at again at some point.

So she slept reasonably well last night (bar a few moments of weak crying in the night) but today she's still really lethargic, quite floppy, and doesn't seem to be comfortable even being held by me or DH. Her breathing is quite rapid and she's refusing almost all of her food and drink (well, she did have a quick BF first thing this morning and has had a handful of blueberries and a couple of gulps of smoothie, but she's normally a BIG eater).

I just don't really know what to look for in terms of bringing her back to the GP, or going to hospital....I know there's no medicine that she can be given but I just can't stand to see her breathing so hard and so obviously feeling rotten.

To make matters worse she's got molars coming through as well.....

[3littlefrogs]

I breast fed all my children for upwards of a year. However, ds2 had to come with me to playgroup when I took ds1, where he was sneezed and coughed over by all the other children - he caught RSV whch was the cause of his bronchiolitis. He wheezed regularly for over 10 years afterwards. It was just unfortunate that he caught it at 4 months - too young to cope with it.

[Penthesileia]

Yup, beeper, dd is excl.bf.

[poppysocks]

Same as Umlellala. DD2, who has had bronchiolitis is BF, DD1 who hasn't (and has barely been ill in her nearly 3 years) was FF.

[beeper]

As I said, it was not a judgement, just a question out of interest as chest infections are supposed to be one thing that BF babies get less of (supposedly).

[LIZS]

dd got to at 3 months , fully bfed. Signs to watch for are dehydration, cold extremities, laboured or rasping breathing sucking in below ribs and being hard to rouse, all of which require medical attention.

[kiddiz]

My ds was also exclusively bf at the time and no smokers in the house either.

[Plonker]

Ah poor love

My dd3 (16 months) has just gotten over bronchiolitis, and yes, I would concur with those who said it lasts 2 weeks - it was just over 2 weeks with my dd and she was incorrectly diagnosed with a chest infection first (and given her first lot of anti-b's which weren't necessary ).

I took her back to the GP's as she was no better after finishing her course of anti-b's.

GP said that it is extremely important that dd was drinking - she had to have at least 50% of her normal daily intake, which I must admit was hard going. We did have to syringe water into her mouth on the odd occasion to keep her fluid intake up.
My dd, like yours, is a BIG eater - the doc was totally happy with her not eating and said eating really wasn't important, just the drinking. I can really see the weight that my little dd has lost and did wonder at the panic mums of tiny little babies must feel fortunately my dd is a crumper and could manage.

Anyway, back to bronchiolitis - you must make sure your dd has plenty fluids, a drop in fluids can be very dangerous and she would need looking at. The other thing is how hard she is working to breathe. If she is working so hard that her breaths are 'sucked in' then she needs to be looked at.

I really hope your little dd feels better soon.

PS Beeper Funny you should mention about the breastfeeding - my dd self-weaned and had her last feed about a week before she got poorly!! How shit did i feel?!

[ChippyMinton]

When my DD was born my older DC had the most dreadful colds I have ever seen. The midwife said not to worry, the baby will have good immunity, especially as she was BF.

10 days later DD was seriously ill with bronchiolitis, and in hospital's high dependency unit for a fortnight. Thank God she made a full recovery, and, interestingly, hasn't suffered with her chest since (she's now nearly five).

But I am still with myself for believing what the midwife told me. So I woulod take the BF advice with a very large pinch of salt.

[3littlefrogs]

RSV (the usual culprit)is a really vicious virus, not a bit like an ordinary cold or chest infection. Research has shown that children who catch it under one year can wheeze for up to ten years afterwards.

This happened to ds2, who is otherwise a starapping, healthy individual.

It doesn't affect older children nearly as bad as those under a year. It really is just bad luck if if a baby happens to catch it. Whose to say that those babies wouldn't be worse if they weren't breast fed?

[Madsometimes]

dd2 had bronchiolitis caused by RSV at 4 months. I stopped bf at 2 months and felt very guilty and that it was all my fault From reading this thread I feel a bit less guilty.

I wonder if firstborns are less likely to come down with this as babies, because they are less exposed to toddlers and older children? dd1 was rarely exposed to older children as a baby. When dd2 got bronchiolitis, it was a week after dd1 (then aged 3) had been very ill with a viral infection.

[shootfromthehip]

DS was exclusively bf when he caught it and from a nonsmoking home- RSV virus is a swine for little, little one (8wks when he caught it). He now snores really badly and catches everything.

DD (his older sis) is MUCH healthier too- wonder if there is a link.

[beeper]

I am so sad for all the DC's who have had this, it sounds really terrible and scary.

[TheMadHouse]

I really dont think that it is wise trying to link bronchiolitis with eaither formular or breast feeding, espeically as most of the mums have been trough hell and back with this virus.

DS1 suffered really bady with non RSV bron and it was July. He was ventolated and we nearly lost him. He had a relapse a month later nad was in HDU for a week. He has suffered with a recurant viral wheeze ever since and we are currently having all his childhood immunisations again, due to him having specific antiobody tests.

Lets not make this a formula/breat feeding debate the illness is bad enough in itself without added guilt

[justpeachy]

my 6 month old DD is just at the tail end of bronchiolitis. started with a runny nose and went downhill very fast overnight. took her to doctor and he sent us straight to A and E. we were kept in overnight. she had very rapid breathing and wasnt feeding more than half an ounce of milk every few hours. sent back home the next evening but she was still very poorly, not feeding and struggling to breath for a few days after. gets worse for about 3-4 days and then start to recover. is very nasty and we were scared but is best to go to doctor/a and e if you have any doubts at all about dehydration, breathing etc. they dont mind.

[beeper]

Mad house, I was not linking it and as my posts said it was not a judgment, its just that breastfeeding is touted as protecting against chest infections and the like, and it was a interesting oppertunity to see if that had come about. I don't think anyone is offended.

[Umlellala]

Madsometimes, think you are prob right about the exposure to other babies/children (though dd did have a permanent cold through first winter - nothing major though).

3littlefrogs, think you could be right in that bf protects them so that they suffer less but sadly, still suffer. Anyway, if ds does turn out to be prone to wheezy/broncho/asthma stuff I will be glad I am giving him as much as I can (bf-wise).

[weblette]

Ds2 was hospitalised at 1 week for a week with bronchiolitis. He's now 4 and still gets episodes of it He was bf to 1 year incidentally.

It's always been a bit of a bugbear of mine that the most easily-spotted signs of respiratory distress aren't more widely publicised - flaring nostrils, tug at the bottom of the neck and rib movement.

[Soph73]

Just thought I'd post as I'm taking DS2 (6 months) to the docs again on Mon because he has a very wheezy/chesty cough. He has already had one lot of antibiotics & he was fine while he was on them. His course finished on Mon & up until last night he was fine. He is now coughing again. He is still having his bottle in the mornings & eating all his lunch (puree) but not having as much of his bottle in the evenings as normal. He doesn't like water at all so it's a real struggle to get any down him. Do any of you think this is what he is suffering from? His cough started a couple of weeks after going to nursery at 4 months. I feel so guilty but had to go back to work.

[VersdeSociete]

Hope all well, dairymoo. I agree this should all be better publicised. Alos had scary hospitalisation with a 5 m/o baby - did not know the signs of respiratory distress and still scares me now that could have missed it...

[Soph73]

Dairymoo - sorry, I did mean to say, as well, how's your little one doing?

[dairymoo]

Wow - thanks for all the messages.
I did take her in and I'm glad I did as she deteriorated while we were waking to be seen by the paeds. Her oxygen saturation rate was quite low and so they gave her a nebuliser and put her on oxygen. An x-ray showed a chest infection (so actually Pneumonia rather than Bronchiolitis, they think ) so we stayed the night, she had a few more nebulisers throughout the night and some amoxycillin. Anyway, she was much much better this morning, shouting 'Hiya' to all the nurses and ate a big breakfast along with lots of BFs.

So we're home now with a course of anti-biotics (which will work if it is indeed bactarial) and an inhaler if the wheezing picks up again.

It's just annoying that they can't say for definite whether it is viral or bacterial. It was the same story too for the rest of the babies/toddlers on the ward...definitely 'that' time of year.

Huge thanks for all of your advice.

Oh and Beeper, yes she was excl BF to 6 months and still normally has one or two a day now (as does her twin sister, who is also a bit wheezy, but not as bad)

[Umlellala]

Oh my, dairymoo. How scarey for you! So glad she is doing better today. Just allow her a good while to recover - dd has just had a chest infection (and anti-b) and seemed her normal self on Weds but today has been v tired and not wanting to play so much. Think I expected too much, too soon.

Have a lovely cuddly TV-watching/books in bed weekend!

[TheMadHouse]

dairy moo - did they take a sputum (sp) sample?

I am glad you took her in, but also glad you are home. a humidifyer really helps my DS1 is he is wheezy.

[dairymoo]

Yes, they did, right before we left so I don't have the results yet.

And good advice re humidifyer, we don't have one but if she gets bad again I might boil the kettle in her room.