It’s the same fear every year as winter approaches: bronchiolitis.
is gaining ground in France. This respiratory infection, of viral origin, mainly attacks toddlers: 30% of infants under 2 years old are affected each year. If the symptoms are impressive (fatty cough, wheezing, etc.), the disease is most often benign. But in rare cases it can lead to complications. Here’s how to protect yourself.
New preventive treatments
It’s a small revolution in the fight against bronchiolitis: for the past year, nirsevimab, a monoclonal antibody marketed under the name Beyfortus ® by the French pharmaceutical group Sanofi, has been preventing the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), originally 80% of bronchiolitis infects the body of newborns and infants.
Last fall, approximately 250,000 infants received a Beyfortus ® injection. Nearly 6,000 hospitalizations would thus have been avoided.
The 2024-2025 immunization campaign has been launched since mid-September. The injection is fully reimbursed by Health Insurance when it is carried out in maternity wards, just after childbirth, and up to 30% in community medicine.
Since August 2024, another preventive treatment has been available: Abrysvo ®. This is a vaccine given to the mother during the eighth month of pregnancy. Thanks to the transfer of maternal antibodies, it protects the infant from birth until the age of six months.
Limit contacts
When leaving the maternity ward, it is better to reserve visits to a restricted circle – and of course not sick people. Avoid your baby being in contact with young children and, if possible, discourage his brothers and sisters from kissing him, especially if they go to nursery or school, because kisses on the face and hands can transmit the virus. It is also recommended not to exchange bottles, cutlery and other pacifiers within the family.
The reflexes adopted during the covid-19 period are, moreover, still in order: wear a surgical mask if you cough, have a cold or have a fever, and wash your hands regularly, in particular before meals, before and after each contact with your child, after using the toilet, etc.
Avoid enclosed spaces
Before the age of three months, be sure not to take your baby to confined public places (public transport, shopping centers, restaurants, etc.). This also applies, as far as possible, to crèches and daycare centers.
At home, remember to open the windows regularly, especially those in your child’s bedroom. Aeration actually reduces the concentration of microbes.
Finally, do not smoke near your child because passive smoking aggravates bronchiolitis.
Health
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