Bronchiolitis in infants

A. Cantani

Department of Pediatrics, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Division, “La Sapienza” University – Rome (Italy)

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• Pediatrics

Abstract. – Bronchiolitis is a common disease of the lower respiratory tract of infants, resulting from inflammatory obstruction of the small airways. It is a predominant viral illness, in which the RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is the agent in more that 50% of cases. It is not known how many children with genetic predisposition to atopy develop asthma symptoms after bronchiolitis, however the relationship between the two affections is not understood. We show that a major proportion of babies with a positive family history develops asthma at a younger age.