Nursery World - Cough it up

Nursery staff can take steps to prevent or avoid the spread of bronchitis among young children, says Karen Sullivan Many children develop a cough when they come down with a cold or other viral infection. This can be due to bronchitis, an inflammation of the trachea and bronchi (the tubes leading from the throat to the lungs).

Many children develop a cough when they come down with a cold or other viral infection. This can be due to bronchitis, an inflammation of the trachea and bronchi (the tubes leading from the throat to the lungs).

There are two types of bronchitis, acute and chronic. Acute bronchitis usually appears after a respiratory infection, such as a cold, flu, measles or whooping cough, and can be caused by either a virus or bacteria. Chronic bronchitis does not have a sudden onset and is most frequently caused by long-term irritation of the bronchial tubes (when children are regularly in contact with second-hand smoke, for example).

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