29/11/2025
Bronchiolitis
We're seeing a lot of babies and children with bronchiolitis!
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.
Symptoms of 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 38oC.
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
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
🟢 Bronchiolitis is not treated with antibiotics - the infection is caused by viruses, most commonly the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) - viruses do not respond to antibiotics
Find out more at
Find out more about bronchiolitis, including the symptoms, how it's treated, and what causes it.