Cold and flu season can feel overwhelming to new parents. With all of the different illnesses circulating about, it can be hard work keeping your infant healthy! One illness that is on the forefront of most parent’s minds is respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
Unfortunately, RSV season lines up alongside cold and flu season, so it can be hard to distinguish what your baby is suffering from right away. It can be especially hard because colds and RSV present with similar symptoms in the beginning.
If you are a new parent or have a little one in your life, knowing what symptoms to look out for that indicate RSV is really important. Our AFC Urgent Care South Charlotte team is here to help!
How Do You Contract RSV?
Like any virus, RSV transmission can happen when someone coughs or sneezes in your face, you touch a surface that is contaminated with the virus, or you come into direct contact with it, like kissing your baby’s head.
If your baby does contract RSV, the virus will settle into his or her upper respiratory tract and will start to produce mild cold-like symptoms. Watch for a runny nose, congestion and the beginning of a wheezing cough.
RSV Symptoms
- Severe cough
- Runny nose
- Wheezing
- High fever
Why Is RSV So Dangerous to a Baby?
Babies are so little and precious, and that littleness leaves them vulnerable to more severe complications of viruses like RSV. This is due to the fact that a baby’s airways and breathing passages are also so small. Any inflammation of those tissues can be dangerous and even deadly.
If inflammation does occur, it can cause breathing trouble in your baby. If you start to notice your child is struggling to take a full, deep breath or is experiencing a change in skin color from normal to blue or gray, it can be due to a lack of oxygen. This is a medical emergency and must be treated as such!
Steps to Keep Your Baby Healthy
- Cover your cough or sneeze.
- Avoid kissing your baby on the face if you feel unwell.
- Wash your hands often.
- Ask people to wash their hands before holding your baby.
RSV should always be taken seriously. If you are concerned about the health of your infant, come visit us right away at AFC Urgent Care South Charlotte.
