DR. M's TIDBITS

RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus

As February draws to a close, we are firmly entrenched in RSV season and I think it would be prudent to address some common questions many families have about this very common childhood illness. RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus and is associated with viral upper respiratory infections in children as well as adults. The most severe and concerning manifestation of RSV is Bronchiolitis which is a generalized inflammation of the distal small airways (bronchioles) and causes wheezing, difficulty breathing and low oxygen . Most children who get RSV infections have only mild symptoms that do not require treatment. Very young infants and children who were formerly premature infants have the highest risk getting severe Bronchiolitis and may even require hospitalization. The earliest signs of RSV and Bronchiolitis are usually a runny nose with a cough that can progress to increased difficulty breathing. “How do I tell if my baby is having trouble breathing?” Babies will usually start to feed less than usual and if you look at their chest (without a shirt) you can notice that they are breathing faster than normal. One can also see that the skin between the ribs and under the rib cage will appear to “suck in” slightly when the baby breathes in. This pattern is called retractions and is a sign that the baby should be seen by a doctor promptly. Since the groundhog did not see his shadow this year, we can be optimistic that winter is almost over and the warm spring and summer are close. Have a healthy end to the winter season.

2007-02-28