Bronchiolitis (2024)

Bronchiolitis is a common chest infection that affects babies and children under 2. It's usually mild and can be treated at home, but it can be serious.

Bronchiolitis is different from bronchitis, which causes a cough with lots of mucus and can affect people of all ages.

Check if it's bronchiolitis

The early symptoms of bronchiolitis are similar to a cold, such as sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, a cough and a slightly high temperature of 38C.

A child with bronchiolitis may then get other symptoms, such as:

breathing more quickly
finding it difficult to feed or eat
noisy breathing (wheezing)
becoming irritable

Symptoms are usually worst between days 3 and 5, and the cough usually gets better in 3 weeks.

Immediate action required: Call 999 or go to A&E if:

your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs
there are pauses when your child breathes
your child's skin, tongue or lips are blue
your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake

As a parent, you may know if your child seems seriously unwell and should trust your own judgement.

Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if:

your child has had a cold and it's getting worse
your child is feeding or eating much less than normal
your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more, or shows other signs of dehydration
your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39C or higher
your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty
your child is very tired or irritable

Treatments for bronchiolitis

There's no specific treatment for bronchiolitis. It usually gets better on its own and you can look after your child at home.

But it can be serious in some children, who may need to be treated in hospital.

Do

give children's paracetamol to babies and children over 2 months old or ibuprofen to babies and children over 3 months old – but do not give aspirin to a child under 16
try using salt water (saline) drops if your child's nose is blocked
keep your child upright as much as possible when they're awake – this will help them breathe more easily
encourage your child to drink lots of fluids – try smaller feeds more often in babies, and give older children extra water or diluted fruit juice

Don’t

do not smoke around your child
do not try to lower your child's temperature by sponging them with cool water or taking off all their clothes

Preventing bronchiolitis

There are some things you can do to lower the chances of your child getting bronchiolitis or spreading the viruses that cause it, such as:

wash your hands and your child's hands often
wash or wipe down toys and clean surfaces regularly
avoid sharing things like cutlery and cups
use disposable tissues and throw them away as soon as you've used them
keep newborn babies away from anyone with a cold or the flu – especially if they were born prematurely or have serious health conditions

It's also important not to smoke around your child. Children who breathe in cigarette smoke have a higher risk of getting bronchiolitis.

RSV vaccination

The RSV vaccine helps reduce the risk of a common infection called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causing serious problems such as bronchiolitis.

The vaccine is available on the NHS from 28 weeks of pregnancy. This will help protect your baby for the first few months after they're born.

It's also offered to adults aged 75 to 79.

Children at risk of severe bronchiolitis

Some children may have a higher risk of getting seriously ill with bronchiolitis.

This includes children who:

were born very prematurely
have a heart or lung condition
have a weakened immune system

These children may be able to have treatment in the winter (between October and March) to stop them getting severe bronchiolitis.

Causes of bronchiolitis

Bronchiolitis is caused by a viral infection, usually respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

RSV is very common and spreads easily in coughs and sneezes. Almost all children get it at least once before they're 2 years old.

It's not usually serious, but some babies and children have a higher risk of getting bronchiolitis, particularly:

babies under 6 months old
babies and children who were born prematurely
babies and children with a weakened immune system, or long-term lung or heart conditions

Page last reviewed: 13 April 2022
Next review due: 13 April 2025