What is RSV? How do babies get RSV


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Leah - posted on 02/18/2012




My baby got it this year. It is a normal cold to us, but to their tiny bodies it is deadly respiratory infection.

With my son being born in the middle of RSV season and my hubby going to work and my older son going to school...the germs were just abundant. It is very important to keep the tiny babies at home for the first 6 weeks (as much as possible). Washing hands is very important as well.

Andrea - posted on 03/11/2009




RSV is a respiratory virus that is prevalent during the winter months (usual course is Sept-March). RSV usually causes cold-like symptoms, but young children, premature infants, and children with heart/lung disease can become very ill and require hospitalization. There is a preventative vaccine that certain children can recieve every 30 days during RSV season if they qualify. It is called Synagis, and it does not totally prevent the child from getting RSV, only helps shorten the duration/severity of the illness. Prevention is the best way to treat RSV. Keep young children away from sick contacts and very crowded places and good handwashing.

Katie - posted on 03/11/2009




Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is a viral disease of the lungs. It is one of the most important causes of lower respiratory tract illness in infants and young children.

RSV is spread by contact with droplets from the nose or throat of an infected person.

Persons with mild infections usually get better without treatment. Severely ill children often need to be hospitalized.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent RSV infection. The best ways to prevent the spread of RSV are to cover coughs and sneezes and to wash hands often and well. Intravenous immune globulin treatment has recently been approved for use in high-risk infants.

User - posted on 03/11/2009




RSV is a virus that normally all kids can get at one time another and has cold like symptoms. RSV does is not usually serious in children who were born at more then 38 weeks. However if your child was born premature, already has lung and or breathing issues, or is already sick with some type of auto immune disease then RSV can be very serious. Symptoms include a very harsh cough, it sounds like it is painful for the child to be coughing, running but stuffy nose, loss of appetite, and sometimes a fever. If you suspect your child may have RSV call your doctor. Some Dr's offices do not test for RSV in office, only at the hospital. The test is not a big deal they just suction your child's nose and test the snot. I don't want to freak you out, my son was born at 35 weeks and was pretty good weight however he just had a bout of RSV and he came through it after a week of breathing treatments every three hours and lots of nose suctioning. The main thing most doc's worry about is rsv going into pneumonia. Keep your child's hands clean as well as yours and dad's wash all toys blah, blah, blah. Keep in mind though 95% of kids who get RSV the parents don't even know because it just comes across as a regular cold.

Lisset - posted on 03/11/2009




it's a respiratory virus

My son got it when he was 2 weeks old. I had a cold and I was breastfeeding, that's how he got it. Since there lungs are still weak at that age, it's easier for it to become a respiratory virus, instead of just a cold. They hospitalized him for two days, gave him nebulizer treatments to try and open up his airways and they used vacuum suction to remove mucus from his nose and lungs.

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