What should you know about lingering cough after bronchiolitis?

A leftover cough may be dry or bring up mucus and can be more noticeable with activity, crying or during sleep. Gradual improvement is reassuring; a cough that is worsening or accompanied by breathing difficulty needs assessment.

Bronchiolitis irritates and narrows the smallest breathing tubes. Even after the main illness settles, inflammation and mucus can take time to clear, so coughing may outlast the fever or noisy breathing. Another viral infection can also cause a new cough during recovery.

A lingering cough alone does not show that bronchiolitis has returned. Pay attention to the child's overall pattern: comfortable breathing, normal interaction and improving feeds are more reassuring than the sound of the cough by itself.

Offer frequent fluids or breastfeeds, keep the child away from cigarette smoke and use saline with gentle nose clearing if congestion makes feeding difficult. Hold an infant upright while awake and supervised. Follow the clinician's instructions for any prescribed medicine.

Do not give cough or cold medicines to a young child unless a clinician specifically recommends them. A nebuliser is not automatically needed for a lingering cough; a health professional should decide whether it has a role after examining the child.

Seek urgent help if the child is working hard to breathe, has pauses in breathing, looks blue or grey around the lips, is unusually difficult to wake, or cannot drink enough to stay hydrated. Get prompt advice for fewer wet nappies, repeated vomiting, a new fever, worsening wheeze or a cough that is becoming more severe rather than easing.

Ask whether the cough fits the expected recovery pattern, how to monitor breathing and feeds, whether another infection is possible, and which symptoms should trigger an urgent review. Ask before using inhalers, nebuliser treatment or over-the-counter cough medicines.