Bronchiolitis is a common chest infection that affects babies and children under 2. It's usually mild and can be treated at home, but it can be serious.

Bronchiolitis is different from bronchitis, which causes a cough with lots of mucus and can affect people of all ages.

The early symptoms of bronchiolitis are similar to a cold, such as sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, a cough and a slightly high temperature of 38C.

A child with bronchiolitis may then get other symptoms, such as:

• breathing more quickly
• finding it difficult to feed or eat
• noisy breathing (wheezing)
• becoming irritable

Symptoms are usually worst between days 3 and 5, and the cough usually gets better in 3 weeks.

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if:

There's no specific treatment for bronchiolitis. It usually gets better on its own and you can look after your child at home.

But it can be serious in some children, who may need to be treated in hospital.

There are some things you can do to lower the chances of your child getting bronchiolitis or spreading the viruses that cause it, such as:

• wash your hands and your child's hands often
• wash or wipe down toys and clean surfaces regularly
• avoid sharing things like cutlery and cups
• use disposable tissues and throw them away as soon as you've used them
• keep newborn babies away from anyone with a cold or the flu – especially if they were born prematurely or have serious health conditions

It's also important not to smoke around your child. Children who breathe in cigarette smoke have a higher risk of getting bronchiolitis.

RSV vaccination

The RSV vaccine helps reduce the risk of a common infection called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causing serious problems such as bronchiolitis.

The vaccine is available on the NHS from 28 weeks of pregnancy. This will help protect your baby for the first few months after they're born.

It's also offered to adults aged 75 to 79.

Children at risk of severe bronchiolitis

Some children may have a higher risk of getting seriously ill with bronchiolitis.

This includes children who:

• were born very prematurely
• have a heart or lung condition
• have a weakened immune system

These children may be able to have treatment in the winter (between October and March) to stop them getting severe bronchiolitis.

Bronchiolitis is caused by a viral infection, usually respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

RSV is very common and spreads easily in coughs and sneezes. Almost all children get it at least once before they're 2 years old.

It's not usually serious, but some babies and children have a higher risk of getting bronchiolitis, particularly:

• babies under 6 months old
• babies and children who were born prematurely
• babies and children with a weakened immune system, or long-term lung or heart conditions