Bronchitis - A Common Childhood Disease in Cold Season

Bronchitis is common in children under 2 years old.

This disease is caused by viruses or bacteria and often occurs in winter and rainy season.

1. Risks factors of bronchitis:

• Children have a significant decline in exhaled air and often cough or wheeze in a long time.
• Children who were born preterm have congenital heart disease or with respiratory distress,...
• Children living in a polluted and cramped environment, inhaling too much smoke, or family members have people with asthma, allergies.

2. Symptoms of bronchitis

• High fever, dry cough, breath fast,...
• Acute respiratory failure, breath fast, rapid heartbeat,...

3. Taking care of children with bronchitis

When children are having: wheezing, heaving nostrils and deep breath like they need more air to breath and cough violently,…you must think about bronchitis – pneumonia and they need to see the doctor immediately.

The effective treatment can be antibiotics in combination with liqid cough medicines to liquefy the secretions to help children to easily cough out.

When children have difficulty in breathing, continually sweating and refuse to drink water, you have to take them to the nearest hospital immediately.

4. Precautions for children

• People who are close to children are not allowed to smoke
• Always wash your hands carefully when taking care of children
• Isolation with children and avoid kissing on their face when you have bad cold or flu.
• Do not leave children using interchangeably bottles, spoons, cups,…and those items have to be washed carefully after use.
• In the autumn and winter, try not to let children go to public places (traveling by bus, supermarket,..) where they can easily meet people with flu.
• Keep a stable temperature at home, not too low (under 25 degree celsius) and make the house airy.
• When the children have cold and stuffy nose, you need to use saline to prevent nasal congestion for them.
• When taking care of children with bronchitis: let them lie upwards, feed them water regularly. Using decongestant for them, especially before feeding.