How to Treat Bronchitis in Babies
As to surprise of many, bronchitis is just not something that only affects adults, but may also occur in babies as well due to swollen and inflamed bronchial tubes. As a matter of fact, young children and babies are much more vulnerable to the condition due to their developing immune systems and narrower airways.
Babies and young children suffer from usually two forms of bronchitis, acute and chronic. Acute is much more common as it usually comes about from a cold and bacterial/viral infection with weather playing a major factor.
The second type, chronic bronchitis, may develop if the infection is not treated properly in its acute form or if the baby is exposed to smoke and other respiratory damaging substances in the environment. Both types require proper treatment to allow the baby to heal, which may include medication.
Instructions
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1
Go to a Doctor
Seeking medical help is the first and foremost step any parent or guardian of the baby should due to properly get the condition diagnosed before moving on to treatments. -
2
Sanitization
Keeping the environment around the baby and the baby clean is also crucial to the treatment of not only bronchitis, but any sickness the child may be suffering from. This will keep germs from spreading to the newborn and allow for a quicker recovery. -
3
The Use of a Vaporizer or Humidifier
Using a vaporizer or humidifier will allow the baby to feel more comfortable and increase the moisture in the home’s air, allowing the mucus in a baby’s airway to loosen and move about more easily. Dry, cold air is usually a factor in aggravating the condition and these products can allow for a quick recovery. -
4
Medication
The medication, which has been prescribed by a medical practitioner, should be properly and timely administered to the baby and kept up-to-date in order to ensure a quick recovery along with avoiding it from occurring again. -
5
Avoid External Factors that may Aggravate Condition
The baby who is suffering from the condition, must be kept away from all such factors like smog, chemical cleaners and irritating fumes that may worsen the condition, if not increase it altogether. -
6
Taking Care of Baby
The baby should be monitored in detail and seen whether he/she is not having problems while breathing and/or swallowing. Wheezing is also another sign of a chest infection and should be noticed right away. Massaging the baby with baby oil will also soothe the child and warm the body to deal with the infection better.