11.25.08

RSV in Children

RSV is a respiratory virus that looks and sounds like a cold, but in babies it can become much more serious and often requires hospitalization.

RSV or respiratory syncytial (sin-SISH-uhl) virus is a highly contagious virus that causes respiratory infection in some groups of individuals.  Dr. Dennis Crouse, professor of neonatal medicine at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, explains that infants are most likely to be seriously affected by RSV.

SOUND BITE: “. . . the major group is babies born prematurely, who then go home and don’t have very good immunity and who have because of their size, altered upper and lower airways.  Therefore, when they get an upper respiratory track infection, they don’t fight it very well and because of their size and their small airways, they aren’t able to clear the secretions very well and they get into trouble.”

Dr. Crouse says RSV tends to occur in the winter months, November through March.  It is spread by coughing and sneezing and human contact.  It is not debilitating to healthy people, but it is very serious in babies.

SOUND BITE:  TR 4 (2:08 – 2:51)  Mainly the symptoms of RSV are infection of the upper airways, brochialitis, a lot of secretions, children tend not to have really high fevers. If the lower respiratory track is infected, you can get a very serious pneumonia.  Those infants who get pneumonia, can actually then get into a very severe respiratory distress and then it can actually become life threatening.

Dr. Crouse urges parents to practice good handwashing to help protect babies from the virus.  He says if an infant has cold-like symptoms and is not eating well – if it misses two feedings, parents should contact their pediatrician or go to a hospital emergency room immediately.

This is Ruth Slottag at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield.