Prevention Of Bronchiolitis: Adopt The Right Reflexes
The bronchiolitis epidemic that rages during the fall and winter makes its comeback in 2021. To prevent this viral infection, it is necessary to use barrier gestures not so different from those which we practise to limit the contaminations with Covid-19. We suggest you discover what are the good reflexes to adopt to prevent bronchiolitis.
1- Wash your hands regularly
The main virus responsible for bronchiolitis in babies is respiratory syncytial virus or RSV.
While in healthy adults and children, RSV infection manifests itself as the symptoms of a common cold, in an infant or child with a chronic illness, this virus can cause more severe symptoms.
This particularly contagious virus is transmitted by coughing, saliva, sneezing, but also by contaminated hands and objects. It is capable of persisting for 6 hours on objects such as toys or door handles.
This is why the first good reflex to adopt to prevent bronchiolitis is to regularly wash your hands with soap and water or with Hydroalcoholic gel for at least 30 seconds.
Remember to wash your hands before and after taking care of the child, for example before giving him his bottle or snack.
Also wash your hands every time you return from a public place where you may have come across people with a cold.
2- Regularly clean the objects he touches
Still to avoid contamination through objects that the baby touches, another good reflex to adopt in prevention of bronchiolitis is to clean your baby's favorite objects regularly.
Remember to disinfect or machine wash toys and comforters.
Wash his pacifier regularly and don't share objects such as pacifiers, bottles or cutlery with his brothers and sisters.
3- If you have a cold, wear a mask
If you have a cold yourself, wear a mask when caring for your baby, even at home.
As with Covid-19, wearing a mask is an effective prevention against the bronchiolitis virus.
Also, avoid kissing your baby on the face or hands as you may contaminate him/her. Please also cough or sneeze into your elbow or sleeve.
The same prevention tips apply to everyone you know with a cold.
So, if other children in the family (older siblings) have cold symptoms, be sure to keep them away from the baby.
4- Limit contact with the outside world
More generally, during a bronchiolitis epidemic like the current one, avoid taking your child to confined public places such as public transportation or shopping malls.
Indeed, the RSV virus is extremely contagious through sputum, coughing and sneezing.
To limit your baby's risk of contamination, also avoid taking him or her into a group setting such as a nursery or daycare before the age of 3 months.
Do not entrust him to the nursery on days when he shows symptoms of cold to avoid spreading this virus to other children.
5- Remember to air your home
The last good thing to do to prevent bronchiolitis is to air your home regularly.
Remember to air the room where the baby sleeps at least 10 minutes a day.
Do not use incense, Armenian paper or Essential oil diffusers in a baby's room: all of these scents emit volatile organic compounds that are toxic and irritating to the child's lungs.
Even if you are a smoker, do not smoke next to the baby and avoid taking him to smoky places. This is because Smoking is irritating to children's lungs and makes bronchiolitis worse.
To have a small summary of these barrier gestures in pictures, you can watch the video below published on social networks by Santé Publique France :
[#Bronchiolitis] Bronchiolitis epidemic continues across the country
- SantépubliqueFrance (@SantePubliqueFr) December 2, 2021
Please follow the right Steps to protect your baby ????? pic.twitter.com/M2G7q7f3Yb
