Rising Cases of Bronchiolitis Among Young Children in France: Important Information and Symptoms to Look Out For

2023-10-22 10:39:00

Among the 6,506 medical procedures carried out by SOS Médocs for children under 2 years old between October 9 and 15, 393 (6%; +1 point in 1 week) were linked to bronchiolitis, according to figures relayed by Public Health France in his weekly report on acute respiratory infections published on October 18.

Bronchiolitis is increasing in France among young children

Among children under two years old, 1,950 visits to the emergency room for bronchiolitis were recorded. Among them, 597 were hospitalized, or 19.1% of hospitalizations (compared to 17.9% the previous week).

The health authority then warned that “activity linked to bronchiolitis in community medicine and hospitals continued to increase for bronchiolitis in children under 2 years old with the transition to the epidemic phase this week in Brittany , Pays de la Loire and Guyana”.

Bronchiolitis is an acute and contagious viral infection that affects the bronchioles, that is to say the small bronchi. Most of the time, bronchiolitis is a benign illness depending on health insurance. But babies less than two months old or very fragile infants, such as those born prematurely or suffering from a chronic illness, are more at risk of this pathology.

“I thought I was going to lose my daughter, quite simply,” explains Lucie Andrane, a mother whose daughter, aged two months at the time, was infected with bronchiolitis and hospitalized in BFMTV. It’s impressive to see. His little chest was hollowed out painfully to try to breathe. For a mother it is very painful to see… almost unbearable.”

Bronchiolitis: distinguish the symptoms of the child which should alert

When the first symptoms appear, parents must be particularly vigilant to react as quickly as possible. According to the French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics (Afpa)the pathology manifests itself by different signs:

A cold with dry, repeated cough Breathing difficulties (faster breathing, noisy when exhaling) With or without fever

“If my child has usual behavior (eats, drinks and sleeps well, plays normally), I do not worry, I remain attentive,” specifies Afpa, while listing the warning signs for which parents must consult a doctor quickly:

Breathing much faster than usual Very high and/or poorly tolerated fever Difficulty breathing and hollowed chest Eating discomfort and reduction in rations ingested (<50% usual ration) Breathing much faster than usual

Since last September, Beyfortus, a preventive treatment once morest respiratory syntial virus (RSV) infection, the cause of 80% of bronchiolitis according to health insuranceis available in France for all infants.

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