Bronchiolitis: pediatricians’ call to parents of infants – The HuffPost

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HEALTH – The bronchiolitis epidemic, which could be particularly strong this winter after a sleepless year due to Covid, already affects 11 of the 13 regions of mainland France, and the last two, Brittany and Corsica, should join them soon, according to health authorities.

During the week of October 18, 3,342 children under the age of 2 were seen in the emergency room for bronchiolitis, a third of whom (1,138) subsequently had to be hospitalized. In both cases, 9 out of 10 were less than a year old.

Faced with this phenomenon, the president of the French Pediatric Society and head of the pediatric emergency department of the Nantes University Hospital, Christèle Gras-Le Guen, sounded the alarm at the microphone of franceinfo.

On the subject of hospitalized children, she believes “that common sense measures are needed to protect children from viruses, and therefore limit visits to the circle of very close adults, and especially non-sick adults”.

“If the parents get sick, they have to wear a mask to avoid infecting the child, while the virus is eliminated,” she adds.

Last winter, confinements and anti-Covid barrier gestures also blocked other viruses, including RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), responsible for bronchiolitis. The children were less infected than usual and therefore have less immunity, raising fears of a stronger epidemic this year.

This phenomenon could also concern other winter viruses, including those of influenza or gastroenteritis.

Avoid emergencies “as much as possible”

The health authorities launched a campaign on Tuesday October 26 to recall the importance of barrier gestures (being masked, ventilating, washing hands, coughing in one’s elbow, avoiding kisses and handshakes …), while “a feeling of weariness tends to become general ”.

Christèle Gras-Le Guen also advises not to take transport or to go to the supermarket or restaurant with her baby. “These are places where viruses circulate a lot, and which have absolutely no interest for a young child under two months,” she pleads.

It also recommends avoiding groupings, such as demonstrations, or even “big family celebrations”.

She also asks parents to avoid going to the emergency services as much as possible, “already saturated”. “If the child is infected, try to find an alternative to emergencies, do not go there directly, except for toddlers, under two months”.