Bronchiolitis is an infection of the small bronchial tubes that causes difficulty breathing in young children.
- Bronchiolitis can lead to hospitalization and sometimes a stay in intensive care in very young children.
- Every year in France, one in three babies develops bronchiolitis.
- To protect them, parents have two choices: a vaccine or medication.
If you are going to become parents and your child is due to be born between October and February, this will take place during the middle of a bronchiolitis epidemic. “To protect him from a serious form, in addition to barrier gestures, you may be offered two options: vaccinate the mother during pregnancy or give the baby preventive treatment at birth,” noted the HAS (High Authority of Health) in a press release.
“No study has directly compared vaccination of pregnant women against RSV with preventive treatment for the baby. It is therefore not scientifically possible to favor one option over another,” continues the health agency. “Your preference is therefore essential and should be discussed with your doctor or midwife,” she says.
Vaccine, medication, barrier gestures: 3 ways to protect your baby from RSV
Concretely, the barrier gestures which protect the child from bronchiolitis consist of washing the hands before touching the baby, wearing a mask in case of cold or cough and ventilating the home.
For its part, the Abrysvo vaccine protects the child from birth. “It provides strong protection during the baby’s first 3 months, then this protection decreases between 3 and 6 months. The duration of protection beyond 6 months is not known” specifies the HAS. “The injection is given in the 8th month of pregnancy (between 32 and 36 weeks of absence of periods)”, she explains.
Finally, the drug beyfortus provides rapid protection against the virus. “It is at its peak 6 days after the injection and lasts at least 5 months,” public health experts say. “It is administered in one injection, most often before leaving the maternity ward.” they write.
Both the Abrysvo vaccine and the drug beyfortus can cause side effects (see here).
Bronchiolitis, a sometimes serious illness
Bronchiolitis is an infection of the small bronchial tubes (bronchioles) that causes difficulty breathing. It is caused by a very common and highly contagious respiratory virus called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The epidemic begins in the fall and ends in late winter.
Every year in France, one in three babies develops bronchiolitis. Most recover spontaneously within a few days, but for two to three babies under one year old out of 100, the disease can lead to hospitalization and sometimes a stay in intensive care.
Among children hospitalized for bronchiolitis, 8 out of 10 are under 6 months old.
“Children over 2 years old and their parents are not at risk of developing a serious form of bronchiolitis. However, they can transmit the virus after being infected at daycare, at school and in any public place,” concludes the HAS.
