Bronchitis

Hey Y.,

I work for a pediatrician and he says the best thing to help bronchitis is water. It breaks up the mucus and helps you cough. Also right before bed, my mom use to rub vicks on my chest and lay a napkin over it (so I wouldn't get it in my eyes or anything) and she'd pat my chest for 15 minutes on each side. I had chronic bronchitis when I was a baby so it helped alot.

vicks bapor rub on chest and back. Place a large tablespoon in hot water and allow the child to breathe in the vapors under a towel. careful not to smother!!!

Sprinkle Wheat Germ on everything your child eats. Citrus fruits and juices should be increased, soybeans and fish liver oils are good too. For something they may drink, try blending 1 cantaloupe, 1/2 cup OJ, juice from 1/2 a lemon, and ice. Also, you may want to try 500 mg of Vitamin C (time released) taken with breakfast or dinner, Vitamine E (100 IU) once or twice a day, and Acidophiuls (1tbsp) daily. That's what I do!

I remeber when my daughter started daycare and it took about 6 months for her to get her immunes ystem to handle things. I found out later that she wasn't napping there and had I realzed that I would have adjusted bedtime routines differently. My current regimen for keeping immune systems boosted around here is I use Querectin(?sp) from Solgar. It's a vit c(ester-better tolerated0 with bromelain-the enzyme from pineapple that's good for respiratory and quercetin-the enzyme from onions that helps the respiratory system. When any has a clear runny nose starting I take the capsule and add about 1/3 to 1/2 of the powder from a capsule to juice(it's basically tasteless or my crew wouldn't go for it) and it really helps. Also, when they start with the cough I like the B&T children's bronchial cough syrup from the health food store. It passes the taste test for my kids and it is natural and homeopathic so it boosts the immune system instead of suppressing it. It does contain honey so it's not good for babies under a year but your son is almost 2 so you might consider it. Good Luck-LaurieK

Y.,
As a nurse, my first advice is to tell you to go the pediatrician if you have nt already done so. Bronchitis, true bronchitis can turn bad very quickly. If you have done so, next is to make sure the air is moist. If you do not have cool water humidifier then turn the shower on totally hot and let the bathroom steam up and take the baby in and play in there for about 30 mins(the bathroom, not the hot shower!) If you do that a few times a day, it will help loosen things up.
You can even get the vapor additions and even better!!
Good luck, a sick baby is NEVER fun.
Steph

How often does he get it? And is it at certain times of the year? I'd be curious as to what Dr you go to as well. My son got URI's(Upper resp.tract infections) a lot which would turn to Bronchitis, etc which was as we found out started by getting chronic sinusitis. We've been seeing an asthma/allergy specialist for a while now. At certain times of the year we're having him on different meds that sem to help VERY good at keeping his sinus infections from spreading to full blown resp. infections and Bronchitis. From what I've been told, after a certain amount of times with "Bronchitis" it may be that they get diagnosed as asthmatic. Breathing treatments, etc help a lot when they have the outbreaks. So you may want to ask your Dr about things like that if haven't already.