As a mom, my natural instinct is to protect my children from harm. I’m the first line of defense for my three kids, so I take painstaking measures to keep them safe. But when a health scare affected my son, I was caught off guard.
Kids get the sniffles during cold and flu season. This is unavoidable but I, like other parents, can still take steps to manage their risk of sickness with regular trips to the doctor, up-to-date vaccinations and frequent hand-washing.
[See: 8 Secrets of People Who Don’t Get Sick.]
The role of protector becomes much more difficult, though, when the threat your children faces is unknown — disguised as a familiar illness but, in reality, a harmful virus that can result in hospitalization or even death.
This was the case with my newborn, Adam. I had no idea what respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, was, but it was about to rock our world.
Just before Thanksgiving 2016, my husband and I welcomed our third child, a healthy, happy, baby boy named Adam. When Adam was just weeks old, our oldest son developed a cough. It was minor, though, and within a matter of days, the cough faded away. We didn’t think much of it.
But as anyone with multiple children knows, we weren’t out of the woods yet. We teach our children that “sharing is caring,” and evidently, they listened. Our oldest son graciously gifted the virus to his younger sister, our 2-year-old. It affected her much worse; sniffles turned to a high-grade fever that lasted for four days and four nights. She was vomiting frequently following fits of constant coughing.
It was time to visit our doctor.
Between our two oldest children, we visited the pediatrician seven times in just two weeks. It was exhausting, but we were happy when our daughter showed signs of returning to full health. We thought we were in the clear, but we were wrong.
[See: 10 Cold and Flu Myths Debunked.]
One evening, my father was holding Adam and said to me, “He is very, very sick.” I believe I was in denial due to the weeks of sleepless nights and multiple visits to the pediatrician’s office.
Adam was indeed very sick, and his condition deteriorated extremely quickly. A phlegmy, wheezing cough led to two more trips to the pediatrician. On the second visit, a nose swab tested positive for RSV and bronchiolitis. I had never heard of RSV but was told it was common and to keep a close eye on Adam.
Things got scary after Adam developed a fever, had labored breathing and could not keep down food, vomiting after every feeding. There was no more time for back-and-forths to the pediatrician — I immediately brought Adam to Nationwide Children’s Hospital for treatment.
As it turns out, RSV is common, but that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. Almost all babies contract respiratory syncytial virus at some point, typically before they reach age 2. For most healthy children, the virus isn’t serious and materializes with symptoms of the common cold: sneezing, stuffy nose, sore throat and, possibly, a fever.
But in some cases, RSV can be very serious, leading to pneumonia, discolored skin, labored breathing and even death. Each year, thousands of babies must stay in the hospital because of RSV.
Our Adam was no exception. He spent four days receiving oxygen, IV fluids and breathing treatments. Doctors performed several tests, chest X-rays and nose aspirations. Adam survived his scary infection and recovered fully, but not all children experience the same outcome.
With no direct treatment for the virus, doctors can only give high-risk babies an injection that helps reduce the effects of RSV and manage symptoms. But that may soon change. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are working on a vaccine to prevent RSV on a global scale.
[See: How to Disinfect Germ Hotspots.]
Until then, there are steps you can take to prevent the spread of a virus like RSV and reduce the risk to your little ones. Make sure your children wash their hands frequently and don’t share dishes and utensils. Very young babies should not be exposed to many people, especially during the winter months. Trust me: It’s just not worth the risk if your child does get sick.
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RSV: Don?t Mistake This Dangerous Virus for the Common Cold originally appeared on usnews.com
