at Nantes University Hospital, “a reduction in patients in intensive care”

While all of France is affected by the bronchiolitis epidemic, the situation remains less tense in emergency departments than in 2022. At the Nantes University Hospital, the babies hospitalized are those who have not received Beyfortus preventive treatment .

The bronchiolitis epidemic is progressing and now affects the entire metropolis. Last week, 1,423 babies were hospitalized because of this respiratory disease which mainly affects children under two years old. The situation is tense in the pediatric departments, but less than during the 2022 episode when the emergencies were completely saturated.

This more optimistic situation is perhaps due to the new treatment offered in maternity wards, Beyfortus, which aims to immunize babies against the main virus that causes bronchiolitis. At the Nantes University Hospital (Loire-Atlantique), Pacôme, barely 20 days old, has already spent a week in the hospital on oxygen.

His mother, Constance, quickly understood that he had contracted bronchiolitis. “I saw that he had small signs of difficulty breathing, she says, I didn’t think he was that exhausted, I didn’t think we would stay in the hospital for that long.“

Constance refused the Beyfortus injection offered to her in the maternity ward, due to lack of confidence in this preventive treatment: “it was offered to us, but I didn’t have much perspective, I hesitated and refused. He has brothers and sisters, so obviously [la contamination] go faster.“Pacôme’s mother would like to know more about the treatment.

None of the babies hospitalized in Nantes were immunized by Beyfortus

Parents who refuse to immunize their baby are in the minority. Demand for Beyfortus was so strong in pharmacies that most of the 200,000 doses were reserved for maternity hospitals. There are still some left but to be sure not to run out, France has purchased 50,000 more.

However, in this 15-bed unit at the Nantes University Hospital, none of the babies hospitalized for bronchiolitis were immunized with this treatment, perhaps a sign of the effectiveness of the treatment. The head of the pediatric department notes that the epidemic is less strong than last year, but Christèle Gras Le Guen remains cautious about a “Beyfortus effect”. “Families have overwhelmingly embraced this product, continues the head of department. So we reserved the injections for toddlers, from the maternity ward and this is perhaps linked to the observed reduction in patients in intensive care.“

“We are seeing fewer children with serious forms and in particular fewer children in critical care.”

Christèle Gras Le Guen, head of the pediatric department at Nantes University Hospital

at franceinfo

Christèle Gras Le Guen also believes that it is still “too early to declare victory.“To be sure of the impact of this first campaign to immunize babies against bronchiolitis, we will have to wait until the end of the epidemic, from February.