What Parents Need to Know about RSV

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is quite common. In fact, almost all children will be infected with it by their second birthday. While it is usually nothing more serious than what parents see with the common cold, for some children, it can worsen enough to require hospitalization. Here's what parents and caregivers should know.

What is RSV?
RSV is a virus that impacts the respiratory system, causing cold-like symptoms, such as a runny nose, cough, and a mild fever. It spreads easily through saliva, mucus, or nasal secretions. "RSV season" runs from the fall to the spring.

Many parents ask us if RSV is a cold. The answer is no. While they are similar, RSV causes larger amounts of secretions that can be tough to clear for some children, which is why it is the most common cause of hospitalization in children under a year of age. Babies and young children may be hospitalized if they need oxygen to help them breathe or IV fluids if they aren't eating and drinking and have become dehydrated.

How to Protect Babies and Young Children from RSV
Advancements in medicine have led to immunizations that help protect babies from severe RSV reactions. There are two ways to protect our youngest and most vulnerable humans: the mom can get the vaccine while pregnant, or the baby can receive the vaccine.

Here's how the vaccine works:

For Pregnant Women
If you are pregnant and due during RSV season, the vaccine can be administered at any time between weeks 32 and 36 of gestation. The protection the vaccine provides is passed to the baby from mom and reduces the risk of hospitalization by 57% in the first 6 months after birth. It is important to note that if you receive the vaccine during any pregnancy, you should not get another dose if you become pregnant again. Instead, the baby should receive the vaccine directly.

For Babies
An RSV vaccine can be given to any baby during the RSV season, up to 8 months of age. The vaccine is now offered at the hospital during RSV season when they are born, or your pediatrician can give it to them at their first newborn checkup. The vaccine is also recommended for children eight through nineteen months who are at increased risk for having a severe reaction, such as in babies born prematurely. The vaccine is 80-90% effective in preventing hospitalization from RSV.

What are the Symptoms of RSV?
As mentioned previously, RSV symptoms are similar to those of a cold. However, symptoms can worsen, resulting in:
fast breathing
flaring of the nostrils and head bobbing while breathing
rhythmic grunting when breathing
belly breathing - tugging between the ribs or lower neck
Wheezing

A great video from the American Academy of Pediatrics visually demonstrates what your child may look like if they are having difficulty breathing due to RSV. Watch it here.

When to Call the Pediatrician
Be sure to call your pediatric provider if your child has:
Any of the symptoms listed in the bullets above
Difficulty breathing (watch video linked above)
Symptoms of dehydration (fewer than one wet diaper in 8 hours)
Pale, gray, or blue-tinged skin, lips, or nail beds
Significantly less activity and alertness

Some children with RSV will end up worsening into a bacterial infection. Call your pediatric provider if their symptoms have not improved after seven days, they have a fever (rectal temperature of 100.4ºF or higher and are younger than 12 weeks), a fever that rises above 104ºF repeatedly for any age child, poor sleep, fussiness, chest pain, ear tugging, or ear drainage.

How to Treat Children with RSV

There is no specific treatment for RSV, but most children get relief by treating the symptoms they're experiencing. This means ensuring the child rests and remains hydrated, and suctioning the baby's nose as needed to help them breathe before breast or bottle feeding throughout the day. Parents can give babies over 6 months old acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help with low-grade fevers. Be sure to use the syringe provided to ensure the correct dose is given.

We are here to help. Give us a call or schedule an appointment online if you suspect your baby may be sick. Together, we can help keep your baby healthy throughout this RSV season.