Bronchialitis

HI L. I feel your pain! My daughter was hospitalized in January for brochiolitus (sp?) and then again 2 weeks ago. She is 6 months old now. Now that she is old enough for medication, she of course was put on Albuterol breathing treatments and oral steroids. She took the steroids for 5 days and it made a huge difference. Now that she is off of that the doctor put her on singulaire which is really doing wonders along with the breathing treatments. It is a long healing process which breaks my heart but my pediatrician did say that she would grow out of this. I am sure your daughter will too.

My baby also had that this winter, along with pneumonia, an ear infection, and an eye infection. Her coughing and lungs had not completely cleared up. We could still hear the rattling sometimes when she breathed. When we went for her 6 month check up a few weeks ago I asked the ped about it again. We talked about how she has sounded and slept for the past several months. I told her neither had been good. The ped. listened to her lungs again and we decided since there was still some wheezing we would put her on a steroid that goes through the nebulizer. She checked her again a few days later and said her lungs were sounding a little better. We are to use the steroid (Pulmicort) in her nebulizer for the next three months so that her lungs can heal. I am not one to medicate quickly but the difference in her breathing has been amazing! We are also going to watch for allergies in the future. Hope this helps. Probably the best thing is to just talk to your doctor about your fears though. Good luck!

My 4-1/2 month old has respiratory issues at birth, and after about 2 months, they finally sent him to a pulmonologist. To make a long story short, after much testing, he was treated for bronchiolitis, and they did diagnose him with asthma. They put him on aerosols, and within about 24 hours, his breathing was so much better, and he has been so much happier. I would definitely ask the doctor about aerosol treatments - they go directly down the lungs and the medicine helps so much! Good luck!

Hi L.. My youngest son who is now almost 4 was actually life line to a bigger hospital when he was around 2 because he had gotten a really bad cold. He couldn't breathe and his oxygen level was about at 40 when he got to the hospital. He was in the hospital for 5 days and was also diagnosed with bronchialitis. He still had the cough for a long time after that and has been seen by 2 different doctors since then because every time the weather would change the coughing would come back. I was told that he had probably had the start of asthma but was to young to be diagnosed for it. This is the first year that it wasn't that bad but when it does get bad he has to be on breathing treatments and whatever else the dr feels he needs to get over it. We are starting to think maybe he is growing out of it so hopefully your daughter will grow out of to. Best of luck.

Hi L.,

My son had bronchialitis when he was about 4 weeks old. We were lucky enough to catch it early so we didn't spend any time in the hospital. I think your daughter having a cough 4 1/2 months later is NOT normal. Have you actually brought the cough to your pediatrician's attention? If so, and he didn't do/say anything I'd consider getting a second opinion -if you feel the cough is bad enough at least. It is hard as a parent to see your child suffering so if the cough is really bothering your daughter -or you- I'd definitely look more into it. I wish you luck because I can so remember what a scary and tough time that was.

The baby may have allergies and/or teething. Both will cause excessive mucus build up in the throat causing some coughing. After my boys stopped teething... probably near their 2nd year, the runny nose lessened. Baby may also have allergies. Often babies do not have fully developed access between the ear canal and the throat. If the ear canal cannot drain fluid down the throat efficiently, then the drainage can go into the nose. This causes a stuffy nose, cold like symptoms, coughing from phlegm, etc. Sometimes pediatricians are not the best doctors to diagnose these symptoms. I took my boys to an Ear Nose and Throat doctor, an allergist, to check these symptoms. They also found their adenoids and tonsels were swollen. They ended up having tubes in their ears and adenoids and tonsels removed.

I'm not saying all this is happening to your baby, but it's something to keep in mind since it's extemely common in children. My whole family has allergies, tubes in ears, tonsels removed, etc. Many of my friends and their children have the experiences.

How old is the baby? It sort of sounds to me like she might have gone from bronchiatis into bronical pneumonia which takes longer to clear up and really can become a chronic thing. I am saying can become, not is.
I would talk to the Dr. about the cough. She may have some allergies and I would want to know for sure.
P. R

Hi I had a similar thing happen to my oldest son. It started when he was a few months old with bronchiolitis, so we thought. He was in and out of the Drs office and hospital from about 6 to 9 months. About 3 times total. They tested him for whooping cough and everything. He had to be transferred to Children's hospital and put in an oxygen tent with breathing meds. Finally they referred us to a pulmonary Dr. Come to find out he has asthma. He is 10 now and he still is on an inhaler as needed. So I would really suggest you ask for a referral to a pulmonary Dr. Hope it helps.

The cough could be allergies for sure. MY son who is now 4 takes allergy med every morning. When he was little we were ate the dr all the time for cough. ussually no other symptoms finally our doctor said we shoud try allergy meds and prescribed zyrtec (which is now otc. She put it off for a while but when we did his cough almost vanished. I have seasonal allergys so it made sense. My dr said most will not do allergy tests until 2 or older. we never had tests but at about 6mos he started takeing the meds and is fine. I don't give it to him everyday as prescribed I just hate to give him med it doesn't need. We use it if i notice a cough starting or when seasons change not just summer. Dr said season changes are worst due to all the plants changing some dying some blooming alot of extra stuff going on. hope this helps

Hi L.,
I don't have a baby with Bronchialitis, but I'm an asthimatic and I find when I have that nasty cough I use my breathing machine or go in the bathroom and turn on the hot water and close the door and let the steam get thick and sit there inhealing the steam and that helps me a lot. Give it a try or get a vaporizer the air might be to dry for her. I hope this helps.

Good luck

Where do you live? If you are in Hamilton, County, Indiana or close to it, there is a doctor by the name of Karen Marshall you should go see. Let me know.

My son has something very similar. He had brochialitis, pnemonia and then constant cough. We were in and out of pediatricians office weekly and finally after different albuterol and pulmicort breathing treatments we tried Singular with Zyrtac. He hasn't coughed in 3 weeks and breathing much better. Anytime he got any sort of cold it went right to his lungs, now with Allergies on the rise any drainage went to his lungs so the Singular has helped with that. I am very happy and my son is too! Good luck.

hi L..

my name is C.. my now 23 yr old, when he was a baby, got this EVERY time he cut a tooth. at first we didn't catch on, but after sveral episodes, we finally started putting 2 and 2 together. i have no idea if it was just a coincidence, or what, but it all started when he was around 7 months old, and seemed to never stop. he'd get it, get on med, it would clear up, next tooth..same story, etc. he has since, always had a prob with sinuses, too. don't know if that is/ was related to any of it or not.

i have 4 other kids, one older, and 3 younger, and this one was the only one i ever had this prob with.

good luck. i know it can be really stressful when your baby doesn't feel good. hopefully your baby's problem with this doesn't last long, and there are no other probs. take care,

C.