Dear S.,
You doctor is correct, but maybe he isn't explaining it the best. I am a respiratory therapist and we deal with this all the time.I am also a mother of 8 mo old b/g twins. If your daughter has eczema, that CAN be an early sign of asthma in children. Asthma can't actually be diagnosed until a child is 4 yrs. But one common early sign is eczema and recurrent respiratory infections. My son is 8 months and just went through a round of RSV with lung wheezing which sounded like Asthma. He may most likely grow out of the wheezing when he gets sick and congested but he may not and end up with asthma.
Your daughter is the same. She has bronchitis because her airway is irritated from being sick. It does NOT mean she has asthma, but due to the eczema and the bronchitis it is something to be aware of as she continues to grow and maybe when she is old enough get her tested for. . . but only if persistant bronchitis, pneumonia, or lung wheezing continues as she gets older.
Many babies our kids age have wheezing and get bronchitis easily because their little airway diameter is so much smaller than that of an adult. Therefore, when their airways get irritated and swollen there is lest space for the air to squeeze through and you get wheezing. As they get bigger and their airways get bigger the irritation/swelling from being sick may not cause the same problems because there is more space for the air to get through.
Some kids airways are just a little more irritable than others. That is the case with my son, so I may take him to the doctor sooner if he gets sick than my daughter because his little airway reacts different to being sick than her.
I hope this helps. If you would like to ask me any more questions please send me a private message and I would be glad to help out! Good luck and take care of that precious little one!
Take care,
K.