Bronchiolitis in newborns: treatment and care

Bronchiolitis is an infection that causes swelling and mucus in the small airways. A newborn may breathe faster, cough, wheeze, tire during feeds or take less milk. Because very young babies can deteriorate quickly and may not show a high temperature, a same-day medical assessment is appropriate when breathing or feeding changes. A clinician may check breathing effort, oxygen level, hydration and alertness.

Treatment is mainly supportive. Keep the baby upright while awake and offer smaller, more frequent feeds if full feeds are difficult. Clear nasal mucus only as advised, and avoid smoke, strong scents and over-the-counter cough medicines. Do not give antibiotics, inhalers or a nebuliser unless prescribed for this baby; these treatments are not suitable for every case. A hospital team may provide oxygen or fluids when breathing or feeding is not adequate.

Seek emergency help if the baby has pauses in breathing, blue or grey lips, severe pulling in beneath the ribs, grunting, unusual limpness or cannot wake for feeds. Contact a clinician urgently if feeds are much smaller, wet nappies are reduced, breathing is persistently difficult, or the baby is getting rapidly worse. A [child health consultation](/treatments/consultations-and-assessment/child-health-consultation/) can help assess symptoms such as [cough](/symptoms/cough/) or [wheezing](/symptoms/wheezing/).

Ask how to recognise increasing breathing effort, whether the baby needs monitoring, how much feeding is enough, and which changes should prompt a return visit. Ask before using any medicine or [nebuliser treatment](/treatments/acute-and-urgent-care/nebuliser-treatment/).