A wheeze or whistling sound that is caused by a viral infection (a cough or a cold). The wheeze may return each time your child has a cold. Usually the child is well in-between the viral infections but the wheeze can last for some weeks after the infection. Children under the age of 3 years are more likely to be affected as their air passages are small.
Over the next few days you should assess your child at least every 4 hours to make sure that they are recovering from their attack of wheezing.
This is particularly important at night and first thing in the morning.
If they are breathless or wheezy
If they are not breathless or wheezy
If your child has any of the following:
Give 10 puffs of blue (salbutamol) reliever inhaler (one at a time) every 10 minutes until ambulance arrives.
Keep child in upright position and reassure them.
If your child has a salbutamol (blue) inhaler please follow your treatment plan
If symptoms persist for 4 hours or more and you have not been able to speak to either a member of staff from your GP practice or to NHS 111 staff, recheck that your child has not developed any red features
Watch them closely for any change and look out for any red or amber symptoms
If your child has any other symptoms associated with their fever, you may want to look at the information on sore throat, cough, earache, diarrhoea and vomiting or tummy ache or our other pathways.
Continue providing your child’s care at home. If you are still concerned about your baby, speak to your health visitor, local pharmacist or call NHS 111– dial 111
For parents from ethnic minority groups, you can contact the Barnado's Boloh advisors who can provide practical advice and support in many different languages. Call 0800 151 2605 or click here for the web chat function.
Choose appropriate sized spacer with mask (or mouthpiece if child is over 3 years with good technique and is not significantly short of breath)
Repeat steps 2 – 5 for subsequent doses
Plastic spacers should be washed before 1st use and every month as per manufacturer’s guidelines
For videos on using your child’s inhaler and spacer correctly see goo.gl/235DQf
No, not necessarily. This is a different condition from asthma, although a few children do go on to develop asthma.
Children with asthma:
If you are worried that your child has asthma, you should make an appointment to see your GP or GP asthma nurse.
Although your child has not been diagnosed with asthma, your GP asthma nurse will usually be happy to review children with viral induced wheeze. If your child has been discharged from hospital, you should arrange for them to be seen in the next 48 hours by your GP or GP practice nurse. You should arrange for them to be reviewed by your GP if they continue to have lots of problems with wheeze once they have recovered from their cold.
This guidance is written by healthcare professionals from across Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight.
