If you’ve seen parents sharing photos on social media, asking that people refrain from kissing their baby, doctors say that they have a sound reason for that.
As flu season approaches, local doctors are advising parents on what to look out for in their babies and how to protect them from contracting viral infections.
According to WebMD, RSV is often mistaken for cold since it starts out with mild symptoms, such as cough, stuffed nose, and low-grade fever. But, this virus can be much more serious, especially for children under six months and young children who have chronic diseases.
What is Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Respiratory syncytial virus is, in fact, the most common cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis in children younger than one year of age in the U.S.
Children that are at highest risk for developing serious illness from respiratory syncytial virus include those that:
– Have chronic lung or heart disease
– Were born prematurely
– Have neuromuscular disorders
– Have a weakened immune system
How to Spot the Symptoms of RSV Infection
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people infected with respiratory syncytial virus usually display symptoms within 4 to 6 days after contracting it, and they are usually contagious for three to eight days.
RSV often starts out with cold-like symptoms, such as: sneezing, coughing, runny nose, decrease in appetite, and fever. And in very young infants infected with the virus, the only symptoms may be decreased activity, irritability, and breathing difficulties.
When it comes to the breathing difficulties a child infected with RSV might have, fast breathing, flaring the nostrils, or pushing the belly in and out are all signs that your baby is having trouble breathing.
How Can You Protect Your Child?
Respiratory syncytial virus is very contagious.
It spreads when an infected person sneezes or coughs. You can get infected if you touch a surface which has the virus on it and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth before washing your hands.
Prevent your child from contracting RSV infection
The best way to prevent your child from contracting RSV infection is with good hand hygiene.
Throughout the day, often wash your hands as well as your child’s hands with soap and warm water. Additionally, clean countertops and other surfaces that can harbor germs.
Keep infected visitors away from your child and make sure healthy ones wash their hands before touching or kissing your child.
If your child is infected with RSV, make sure you keep them home from daycare or school so as to avoid spreading the infection to other children. Teach them to cover their nose and mouth with a tissue or their upper shirt sleeve, not their hands, whenever they sneeze or cough.
Also, don’t smoke around your child. Being exposed to tobacco smoke in the home will make your child more vulnerable to the RSV infection.
Last but not least, now that you know how susceptible infants are to RSV infection, next time you see a baby and think to yourself, “Oh, it’s so cute, I simply need to kiss it,” – please refrain from doing so.
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References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Activity — United States, July 2008–December 2009. MMWR. 2010;59:230-3.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Activity — United States, July 2007–June 2011. MMWR. 2011;60:1203-6.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Activity — United States, July 2011–January 2013. MMWR. 2013;62:141-4.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Circulation in the United States, July 2012–June 2014. MMWR. 2014;62:141-4.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Circulation in the United States, July 2016–2017. MMWR. 2018;67(2):71–76