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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffOne of the greatest risk factors for getting bronchiolitis is being younger than 6 months old, because the lungs and immune system aren't yet fully developed. Boys tend to get bronchiolitis more frequently than girls do.
Other factors that have been associated with an increased risk of bronchiolitis in children include:
- Never having been breast-fed — breast-fed babies receive immune benefits from the mother
- Premature birth
- An underlying heart or lung condition
- A depressed immune system
- Exposure to tobacco smoke
- Contact with multiple children, such as in a child care setting
- Living in a crowded environment
- Having siblings who attend school or child care and bring home the infection
References
- In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 76th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009. Accessed Aug. 5, 2010.
- Piedra PA. Bronchiolitis in infants and children: Clinical features and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 5, 2010.
- Watts KD, et al. Wheezing, bronchiolitis, and bronchitis. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 18th ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2007. Accessed Aug. 5, 2010.
- Everard ML. Acute bronchiolitis and croup. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2009;56:119.
- Seiden JA, et al. Bronchiolitis: An evidence-based approach to management. Clinical Pediatric Emergency Medicine. 2009;10:75.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 8, 2010.
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