Does Anyone Know Much About RSV???

My son had RSV when he was about 4 months old last spring. He did a lot of coughing plus every other cold symptom. I would say if your daughter got to come home its not a very dangerous case at this point. There is not much you can do about it except make them more comfortable. I used Tylenol and we had to give him nebulizer treatments every 4 or so hours for 5+ days. That helped pretty well. You could use Ibuprofen too since she is older then my son was. We also let him sleep upright in his swing for a week or so with the vaporizer to help him breathe better. It is a virus so no antibiotics will work. Just make sure she is hydrated (formula/BM, water, and fruits). If she is eating and acting pretty much like normal then don't be too worried. If she is not eating b/c of congestion let her Ped know. Also watch her wet diapers for signs she is hydrated. Oh yeah and I am an OB RN so I know a bit about this type of stuff.

RSV can be very serious. It is a respiratory immune defficiency. And it is REALLY unfortunate that most health ins. companies will not pay for the vaccinations for it... which are OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive (4-6 shots at $1000 a pop). It's important you keep close eye on your daughter and if you notice any changes to call your doctor immediately. Many kids can be hospitalized for RSV. But you are treating it so your chances are less likely if you follow doc's orders, call with ANY questions/concerns. Also try and limit your daughters contact with other kiddies for a while if you can. Take care. :)

Hi J.,
I have some experience with RSV. First of all, take a deep breath.

My first son was born premature so, he was at high risk for RSV. The precautions to take are basically keeping germs away. Wash hands, stay away from people with germs (easier said than done with an older brother who is in school, but make sure your son is really good - extra good - about washing hands), be mindful of visitors and whether or not they have been around anyone who has been sick (and if they have, maybe they shouldn't visit) and did I say wash hands?? :-)

Yes, children *can* die from it, but that is (obviously) a worse case scenario. It sounds like you caught it early and she is now being treated. Follow the orders of the dr and you should see her getting better real soon.

Once she has recovered from RSV, you should ask your pediatrician about Synagis. It is a medication (not a vaccine) that they give high risk children to help protect them from RSV. Its a very expensive shot, but well worth it during flu season.

Hang in there and I hope she gets better really soon.
B.

RSV itself is a rather common virus that affects a majority of children by age 2. The older a child is, the better they can fight it off on their own.

As a pediatric nurse, the more severe cases we saw in the hospital were young infants or slightly older infants with other medical issues that make RSV worse. If you are concerned that your daughter is at risk for more severe consequences of RSV, I'd encourage you to talk with her cardiologist. Make sure you share with the cardiologist what your pediatrician instructed you, and vise-versa. Ask specifically if her heart condition puts her at higher risk for greater problems from RSV. Some heart conditions affect the respiratory status more than others.

Keep an eye on how hard she works to try to breathe. If you become uncomfortable with her effort, never hesitate to call the doctor or take her in to the ER.

Regardless, continue with good hand washing to prevent spread of germs, encourage fluids, and clear her nose frequently (the good old bulb syringe! You've probably already noticed a LOT of mucus!). You may find that she sleeps better slightly elevated (place a THICK book under one end of her mattress, or you may spend a lot of nights rocking her!).

Rest up when you can! It may be a long few weeks while she fights this off! :)

Everything that the previous poster just said is correct! The main thing is to make sure to avoid as much contact with germs as possible!! My son was born premature and received the synagis shot every month during the flu season. And yes, it is VERY expensive (about $1200.00) but it is so worth it and if you have insurance, they should most likely cover the majority of it since she will be considered high risk for RSV and your dr can prescribe the synagis shot. Good Luck and don't worry, you caught it early enough to take a load off and not worry about the "worse case scenario"!!! Good job!!

Hi There,
My daughter had RSV and bronchialitus last month and spend 5 nights at Children's on the PICU. RSV is highly contagious, and it's airborn. It's very contagious, and needs to run it's course. I think that it peaks at 4 days, and then there's a turnaround. I asked the dr. if children are at an increased risk of having asthma and other respitory ailments. He explained that yes, kids that have RSV do have a higher risk, however it's uncertain if the kids that have acquires RSV are at a bigger risk because they already have the predisposition to respitory illnesses, or if they come as a result of RSV, and dammage experienced to the bronchial tubes.
Take comfort in knowing they sent your chil home, as I am certain they would have had any concerns regarding her heart condition etc. Hope she feels better soon. (: