# RSV and Bronchiolitis in Babies: Symptoms, Care and Prevention

> How RSV and bronchiolitis usually go, home care, watching breathing, and the vaccine and antibody shot.

Stage: baby - Topic: Health - Page: https://www.askcladle.com/guides/baby/rsv-and-bronchiolitis

Grounded in: CDC RSV guidance for infants and young children, AAP clinical practice guideline on bronchiolitis, ACOG guidance on RSV vaccination in pregnancy, and AAP HealthyChildren. Summarized in Cradle's own words; none of these sources endorse Cradle. General information, not medical advice.

Reviewed: 2026-11

## TLDR

- RSV is a common cold virus that can cause bronchiolitis in babies; days 3-5 are often the worst.
- Saline and suction before feeds, smaller frequent feeds, and count wet diapers. Count breaths: over 60 a minute is too fast.
- A pregnancy vaccine or a baby antibody shot protects most babies. Struggling to breathe, pauses or blue lips means 911.

## What it is

RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is a common cold virus that peaks in fall and winter. Almost every
child catches it by age 2. In older children and adults it's usually a cold. In babies it can
spread to the small airways of the lungs, causing bronchiolitis: swelling and mucus that make
breathing harder. Other viruses can cause bronchiolitis too.

## How it usually goes

- Days 1-2: runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, maybe a low fever.
- Days 3-5: often the worst. Faster breathing, wheezing, a wet cough, more mucus, harder feeding.
- After that: slow improvement. The cough can last 2-4 weeks.
- Babies under 6 months, preterm babies, and those with heart or lung conditions or weak immune
  systems are most likely to need hospital care, mostly for oxygen or help with feeding.

## Home care

- Clear the nose with saline drops and gentle suction before feeds and sleep.
- Offer smaller, more frequent feeds. A stuffy baby tires quickly.
- Count wet diapers. Fewer than usual means they need more fluid.
- A cool-mist humidifier may ease congestion.
- Fever medicine for comfort, dosed by weight; call before giving any under 12 weeks.
- Keep them on their back to sleep on a flat, firm surface, even when congested. Don't use
  inclined sleepers or propped mattresses.
- Keep smoke and vaping away from your baby.

Antibiotics, steroids and inhalers usually don't help bronchiolitis, and cough and cold medicines
aren't safe for babies.

## Watching breathing

Count breaths for a full minute while your baby is calm or asleep. Faster than about 60 a minute is
too fast for a baby. Also look for ribs or the skin at the neck pulling in, nostrils flaring,
grunting, or the head bobbing with each breath.

## Prevention

Most babies can now be protected in one of two ways (usually not both):
- A vaccine during pregnancy, given at 32-36 weeks during RSV season, passes protection to the baby.
- A long-acting antibody shot for the baby, given before or during their first RSV season if the
  pregnant parent wasn't vaccinated, was vaccinated less than 2 weeks before birth, or the baby was
  adopted or born by surrogacy. Some higher-risk babies get a dose in their second season too.

Everyday steps also help: handwashing, keeping sick visitors away, and cleaning toys and surfaces.
See the vaccines and visitors guides.

## When to check in

- See the pediatrician if your baby is under 3 months and has cold symptoms, is feeding about half
  as much as usual, has fewer wet diapers, or has a fever lasting more than 2-3 days.
- Any fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher in a baby under 3 months needs a same-day visit.
- If your baby is struggling to breathe, pauses in breathing, or has blue or gray lips or skin,
  call 911.