RSV Awareness: Protecting Your Infant This Winter
RSV risks for newborns, symptoms, prevention, and when to seek emergency care.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that causes mild cold-like symptoms in most children and adults. However, for infants — especially those under 6 months — RSV can lead to serious complications including bronchiolitis and pneumonia.
Who Is Most at Risk?
Premature infants, babies under 6 months old, children with chronic lung or heart conditions, and children with weakened immune systems face the highest risk of severe RSV illness.
Recognizing RSV Symptoms
Early symptoms resemble a common cold: runny nose, decreased appetite, and coughing. In young infants, watch for rapid or difficult breathing, flaring nostrils, wheezing, belly breathing (the stomach moves more than the chest), bluish color around the lips or fingernails, and irritability or lethargy.
Prevention Strategies
Wash hands frequently, avoid close contact with sick individuals, clean and disinfect surfaces regularly, and limit exposure to crowded settings during peak RSV season (November through March). Ask your pediatrician about nirsevimab (Beyfortus), a preventive antibody injection now recommended for all infants entering their first RSV season.
If your infant shows signs of respiratory distress, don't wait — call American Pediatrics immediately or go to the nearest emergency room.
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