Hospital gives advice to parents of babies as number of respiratory illness cases starts to rise in Milton Keynes

A campaign has been launched by the hospital to help parents to keep their babies well by minimising the risks of bronchiolitis and helping them to give the most appropriate care to their little ones.

Health experts say cases are already beginning to rise and numbers are expected to be worse than usual this year - simply because infants have not built up an immunity to the virus due to the Covid pandemic.

As the number of cases of respiratory illnesses begins to rise in the community, the Trust is working in partnership with local healthcare organisations to highlight the vulnerability of infants to bronchiolitis and to provide parents with the information they need so they can feel reassured that they are giving the best possible care and treatment to their children.

Bronchiolitis is caused by RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), which can be spread via coughs or sneezes. Around one in three children develops bronchiolitis during their first year of life and, in most cases, the symptoms can be treated at home and the infection usually clears up within two weeks without treatment, as with a cold.

However, around three percent of babies with bronchiolitis will require admission to hospital because they develop more serious symptoms, such as breathing difficulties.

The Keeping Your Baby Well campaign, in collaboration with Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care System and partner organisations CNWL and the MK Urgent Care Service, is about encouraging parents to be mindful that cases of bronchiolitis are expected to increase between now and the winter because many young children have not encountered the RSV virus due to the restrictions of the pandemic, said a hospital spokesman,

With restrictions now being lifted within the community, the campaign aims to encourage parents to continue to practice infection prevention activities and to reassure them that most cases of bronchiolitis are treatable at home.

But if you are worried about your baby, call 111 or a GP. In an emergency, always call 999.

Kate Swailes, Interim Head of Paediatric Nursing at Milton Keynes University Hospital, said: “This campaign is about helping parents to understand what bronchiolitis is, what symptoms to look out for, how to prevent babies contracting the virus and how best to treat symptoms if they do, with the number of cases expected to continue to rise between now and winter.

“In most cases, the symptoms of bronchiolitis are relatively mild and can be treated at home without the need to access hospital or GP services. If your baby is still having small feeds and responding normally, treatment at home is the best care. You can read more about bronchiolitis via the Bronchiolitis Advice Sheet or the Healthier Together (0-19) leaflet.

“Trust your instincts. If you are worried about your baby, call NHS 111 or your GP. If your baby is struggling to breathe, call 999.”

Parents can minimise the spread of infection by washing your hands or using a hand sanitiser before touching your baby or child and covering their face if they have a cold, and asking your visitors to cover their faces when they meet the baby

They should keep space between the baby and those with any colds or contact with infections, especially thinking about young siblings who bring colds home from school

Parents should call 999 if the baby is having difficulty breathing, if their lips or tongue are blue, if there are long pauses in the baby's breathing or if the baby is unable to feed.

More information is here and here.