RSV Explained
Olivia got a call from her 11-month-old son’s daycare. Gabriel was coughing and breathing heavily, and nothing was helping. Olivia took Gabriel to his pediatrician immediately. The pediatrician recommended a visit to The Children’s Hospital at Parker Adventist Hospital to evaluate Gabriel’s oxygen levels.
At the hospital, Gabriel was diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a leading cause of respiratory illness in young children. Generally, RSV isn’t serious — practically every child will battle RSV at some point before age two. In some cases, however, RSV can be serious.
“Parents of kids with heart, lung or immune system problems need to be careful during the winter,” said Gwen Kerby in the department of pulmonary medicine at The Children’s Hospital. “RSV is highly contagious. It spreads easily in schools and daycares in the cold winter months when everyone is indoors.”
Dr. Kerby recommends calling your child’s pediatrician if he has breathing difficulty, a high fever and a cough that continues to worsen or produces yellow, green or gray mucous.
