We have been wondering if the flu was gonna be bad this year and it does appear to be hitting hard in some places in Texas, but not so much here in Hays County yet. What we are seeing a lot of is RSV bronchiolitis in infants and toddlers. It is sending them to hospitals to be cared for in Pedi ICUs and it came early and it came hard. For the rest of us it’s nothing more than a viral upper respiratory infection. Babies, however, can get really sick from it.
For starters RSV is a virus. Its full name is respiratory syncytial virus. It causes inflammation in the airway and can make it hard for babies to breathe. It causes swelling in the lung tissue and lots and lots of mucous production that can plug up the airway passages, especially the nose. It is mainly a problem for babies under the age of 2 and premature babies. It lasts for about a week in most cases, kind of like the common cold.
What are the risk factors for bronchiolitis? Adults infected with RSV will just experience “cold” symptoms, but infants and toddlers can suffer badly with this infection. Typically we worry about infants in their first year of life but bronchiolitis can be a problem up to age 3. Premature babies are especially at risk due to their immature airways and infants with compromised immune systems or lung or heart disease. Exposure to large crowds, daycare and tobacco smoke can increase risk of contracting this virus. Lastly not being breastfed is a risk factor for RSV, as breast milk provides babies antibodies from the mother.
