RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a virus that is common during the cold and flu season. Almost all kids get RSV infections during early childhood. Luckily, most cases are minor and result in symptoms that mimic the common cold. However, RSV can cause more severe conditions, including pneumonia and bronchiolitis. Typically, RSV infections become critical in the very young, the very old, and the immune-compromised.  There is currently no vaccine for RSV. However, researchers are hard at work on developing one. 

Symptoms of RSV Infections

• Fever
• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Runny nose or congestion
• Not eating well
• Irritability 
• Wheezing 
• Breathing fast 
• Grunting
• Head bobbing or tugging at their ribs or neck while breathing  
• Belly breathing

Symptoms take between 4 and 6 days to appear and usually last for 5 to 7 days. However, immune-compromised patients may experience symptoms for as long as one month. Please get in touch with your pediatric healthcare provider if your child has symptoms lasting longer than seven days. 

Also, if your child under six months has some of these symptoms, they should be seen immediately. Please call the office and schedule your sick visit as soon as possible.  

RSV Infections: Prevention

Saliva and mucus carry RSV infections. RSV survives for hours on everyday objects and unclean hands. Protect yourself and your child by keeping clean during the cold and flu season. Wash your hands often, and keep any shared things clean (e.g., doorknobs, banisters, toys, tools). Teach your child proper hygiene and boost your immunity to avoid getting sick during the cold and flu season.  

Wash your hands.

Hand washing is a valuable skill that all children should learn. When washing your hands, make it a practice to clean the entire surface (between fingers, backs of hands, fingertips, wrists) for 20 full seconds. You can make it a game with your child by finding fun ways to count up to 20 (one-banana, two-banana, three-banana).  

Avoid mucus. 

Practice good hygiene and steer clear of people exhibiting symptoms. Kissing, shaking hands, sharing cups or utensils, and putting foreign objects in our mouths are sure ways of contracting RSV and other viruses. Especially during flu season, it’s crucial to keep saliva and mucus to ourselves.  

Don’t touch your face. 

Teach your young child not to touch their face. Often, germs are transmitted to children by their own hands. Putting hands and fingers in the mouth, nose, or eyes can often be the means of infection.  

Cover your coughs and sneezes.  

Always teach your child to cough or sneeze into the crook of the armpit, elbow, or hand. Always wash your hands after sneezing or coughing.  

Stay home. 

If you or your child are contagious, stay home. However, if you choose to stay home (and you should), please do not lie in one position all day. Try not to lay on one side exclusively, as gravity helps mucus settle in one place in your lungs, making your symptoms more uncomfortable and challenging to clear up. Get up and walk around in short bursts. Get fresh air by spending a few minutes in your backyard. 

Keep an eye on breathing. 

If your child is not breathing normally, you must call your pediatric healthcare provider. Working harder than usual to breathe could indicate a terrible respiratory infection. A good rule of thumb for deciding if your child is working too hard is to keep an eye on your child’s ribcage. If it is caving in and forming an upside-down “V,” your child is working too hard, and you need to call your pediatric healthcare provider or go to the emergency department. 

When to Call Your Provider

• Abnormal breathing
• Excessive secretions (e.g., mucus, snot, tears) 
• Difficult for your child to eat or sleep 
• Dehydration (less than one wet diaper in 8 hours) 
• Symptoms haven’t improved after seven days

When to Go to the ER

• Your baby is lethargic and refusing to eat/drink
• Breathing is taking the child’s full effort
• You can see the ribs at every breath, and the child’s stomach is moving in and out rapidly with every breath.
• Your child is clearly in distress

RSV Infections: Treatment 

RSV infections typically go away on their own; however, you can help to manage minor symptoms at home.  

• Use a fever reducer. Infants old enough for over-the-counter pain medications can have Tylenol or Motrin for fever and pain. Look at our handy dosage chart to learn more about what dose to give your child.
• Keep your child hydrated. As with most illnesses, your child must get plenty to drink. Keeping them well-hydrated will help your child heal faster and avoid the clinic or emergency room.
• Use a nose sucker. At home, you can use a Nose Frida or other nose sucker to help remove snot from your child and help improve breathing and feeding in your infant.
• Use a humidifier to help break up mucus, especially during winter when we experience drier conditions.

You can always communicate with us through the Spruce app if you have questions or concerns. You can videotape your child and send the videos safely through the Spruce app. Also, you can send and receive documents or messages back and forth to your provider with this encrypted and HIPAA-compliant portal. 

All Growing Healthy Together patients should have received a link to download the app. If you haven’t, please text or email us for the link, and we’d be happy to share it! 

Please respond to this post or contact us with other questions or comments.