Any experience with RSV in babies?

[aristocatz]

My daughter just tested positive for RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). She is 4 months old.

I'm a first time mom & this is the first time my daughter has gotten sick, so I'm a bit nervous. & with a huge snowstorm coming tomorrow, I'm also a bit concerned.

She is VERY congested, sneezing, runny nose, low temp (99.5), & just looking like she is very uncomfortable and sad. We bottle feed & she is drinking less than usual, but she is drinking.

Doctor said there is not much we can do except what we have been doing: humidifer, baby Tylenol, wedge under her mattress (although she shimmys herself down to the corner of her crib by morning lol), she suggested mixing pedialyte with her formula to help her drink easier.

Anything I'm missing that I should be doing?

Can anyone share with me any experience you might have had with a baby getting RSV & how you helped them?

Thank you in advance for any input you might have

 

[Pembo]

My son had RSV when he was 16 months old. He was in the hospital for 3 days where he had breathing treatments and oxygen. We didn't know he had RSV just that he had a cold and cried a lot but it was a different cry.

Good luck to you. Just keep watching to make sure she is drinking and peeing. Dehydration happens fast in little ones.

 

[aristocatz]

My son had RSV when he was 16 months old. He was in the hospital for 3 days where he had breathing treatments and oxygen. We didn't know he had RSV just that he had a cold and cried a lot but it was a different cry.

Good luck to you. Just keep watching to make sure she is drinking and peeing. Dehydration happens fast in little ones.

Thank you-she has had a different cry today too-squirming like she is very uncomfortable. I've just never seen her so sad-she is usually a very laid back and happy baby

 

[brookmey]

My son had it when he was 4 months old, too. He had to spend 1 night in the hospital. At home he got daily breathing treatments and we made sure he was hydrated and had a humidifier in his room. That was about all the dr. told us to do. Like the other poster said, keeping the little ones hydrated is super important. Good luck and hopefully she'll bounce back soon.

 

[njmom47]

DS had it when he was 2 1/2 months old and spent 4 days in the hospital. We felt so helpless!
I agree with the other posters...it sounds like you are doing everything you can and should be doing.
It's so sad to watch them when they're so little and can't really express their discomfort.

 

[jemmouse]

My son also had it when he was 4 months, odd...He was diagnosed December 23, so I was a nervous wreck with the holiday. He was given a nebulizer with meds, along with we also did the Pedialite, due to him being so stuffed up and the formula just seemed to make more mucous. I was so afraid as well. Surround yourself with a good support team, and remember to breathe, your baby will get better, and if you feel something is off don't hesitate and goto ER.

It seems after the RSV, my son would get bad coughs and was placed on steroids at such a young age that totally ruined his sleep patterns, poor little guy.

My son who is now 12 has asthma and allergies and I often wonder if there is a link. 2 other friends whose children have had RSV also now have asthma as well...

Good luck, sending positive healing your way...

 

[Nancy]

My youngest had it when she was 5 weeks old..we spent 3 nights in the hospital due to her age and the fever being over 100. I was scared too and she was #3 for me. It was pretty much the same, keep the fever down and keep her hydrated.

The only thing I've noticed with her compared to my other 2 is that she gets more colds and she also got pneumonia when she was in high school. She also deals with worse allergies. Don't know if it's all related or if she just got to be the lucky kid that gets sick all the time.

 

[Nancy]

My son also had it when he was 4 months, odd...He was diagnosed December 23, so I was a nervous wreck with the holiday. He was given a nebulizer with meds, along with we also did the Pedialite, due to him being so stuffed up and the formula just seemed to make more mucous. I was so afraid as well. Surround yourself with a good support team, and remember to breathe, your baby will get better, and if you feel something is off don't hesitate and goto ER.

It seems after the RSV, my son would get bad coughs and was placed on steroids at such a young age that totally ruined his sleep patterns, poor little guy.

My son who is now 12 has asthma and allergies and I often wonder if there is a link. 2 other friends whose children have had RSV also now have asthma as well...

Good luck, sending positive healing your way...

I just posted the same thing about my daughter. No asthma for her though

 

[amcc]

I have four kids and 2 of them have been in the hospital for RSV - one when he was a month old and one when he was 6 weeks old. The one that was 6 weeks old has tested positive for it twice since then (at 3 and 8 months, he's 9 months now) but nothing as serious as the first time.

RSV for bigger kids and adults is generally just a cold, but for a baby it can be worse. What you have to watch for is breathing difficulties - look at their stomach/rib area and see if they are "sucking" in their stomach. Do they sound scratchy or "crackly" when they breathe? Do they have a cough? Do their fingernails have a little bit of blue in them? If you see any of these, I would probably see my doctor. I'm not a worrier, but I've learned to take this serious enough.

RSV doesn't have to develop into something that needs hospitalization - I think some kids are just more susceptible to respiratory issues - hopefully your daughter is in this group. You know your baby best but if you think she is worse, follow your instinct. I hope she feels alot better soon. Oh, and it's pretty much a 2 week thing, with it peaking around day 5-6.

 

[StephMK]

DS got it at 18 mo and spent 4 days in the hospital until they could get his oxygen levels up & stable again. It was scary at first because he had been seen at the doc on Friday then we ended up in the ER on Sunday when he was admitted.

Keep a close eye on her and trust your instincts. The doc has told me to check that their chest doesn't suck in when breathing. Also look at that little notch at the bottom of her neck. When that was sucked in during breathing, it was usually a sign of breathing struggles.

Asthma & respiratory issues run in our family but DS is now a fairly healthy 10 y.o. His sis has mild asthma and they both had tubes in ears & we have a nebulizer for all the treatments they had over the years.

There are plenty of kids who do not end up in the hospital so don't panic but I also think it's good to know what to look for. If she doesn't seem right, don't feel silly having her checked again. Keep us posted.

 

[aristocatz]

Thank you all so much for your feedback, advice, and support.

She threw up a few hours ago shortly after she ate (definite vomit smell, not spit up) & I was terrified because my DH & I just got over that horrible stomach bug & I thought "oh no, now she's got both!!" I called my mom (retired nurse) & she said her formula was probably too thick for her to handle mixed with all of her mucus. She suggested to lay off the formula & switch to clear Pedialyte.

My daughter was so funny with the Pedialyte! She has only tasted formula since she was born & when we gave her the Pedialyte, her whole face lit up & she was thrilled! It was the clear unflavored one, but it must have a sweet taste-? She actually spent the rest of the night in good spirits for her first time in 24 hours-laying in her rocker wearing nothing but a diaper & watching the Sprout network. She definitely seemed back to her old self-kicking & babbling & smiling. She is now asleep in her crib & we have a cool mist humidifier for her nursery.

She seemed alot less congested after she threw up.

Hopefully the rest of the night will fare well for her. We have a follow-up appt with the pediatrician in the morning, before the snowstorm hits. I think I might buy a few more bottles of Pedialyte to keep in the house, just in case.

I'm feeling alot less stressed about this for now. I tend to be a worrywort in general, so please bear with me! A worrywort personality/first time mom is just not a great combination with baby's first illness

 

[indimom]

Your doing fine mom!
DD had it, but she was 2.5. She was a sick little puppy, but it was much less scary than when babies get it. She was out of commission for about a week.
Hope your little one is on the road to recovery.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

My son had it at 4 weeks old and was hospitalized for several days. As soon as we heard his wheezing and cough get too bad, we took him in straight away and our pediatrician met us there. It was about 1am. We still remember that day because he was sooo tiny and we had 2 other children at home.

 

[SpecialK]

My oldest had it at four months. We avoided hospitalization by giving him nebulizer treatments every two hours for the first twenty- four, and every four hours after that. He went to the doctor daily so they could check his lungs. It was scary as all get out.

Until he was two or three, every time he got sick it went to his lungs, including a bout with pneumonia. After that, it tapered off. He's a healthy seventeen year old now who rarely gets sick.

 

[tvguy]

DS had asthma, got pnemonia at age 2 1/2. We had been doing breathing treatments for months before. He was put in the hospital for several days and he also tested positive for RSV. This was 23 years ago, and they said it is highly contageious and that every child will get it before becoming an adult.

CORRECTION: Just googled it, according to the american lung association almost every child gets RSV before they are 2 years old.


http://www.lung.org/lung-disease/respiratory-syncytial-virus/understanding-rsv.html

 

[pigletgirl]

Try and use the bulb suction! The best course is to get that thick mucus out of her. If its too thick, invest in the electric sucker. Use saline drops with it! Also, plug one nostril while suctioning the other to create more suction to help relieve her of that snot.

Hope she feels better soon, mama!

 

[disney1990]

What I don't understand is why your daughter was not admitted to the hospital. My granddaughter (several years ago) and my nephew had it just a couple months ago. They were both admitted to the hospital. A very good friend of ours grandson died from it. Please be very careful and, if you daughter appears to not be improving, I would go to the emergency room.

 

[aristocatz]

Thank you guys for the input

I took her to a follow-up visit to the pediatrician & they found an ear infection in her right ear AND pink eye! The doctor said no hospitalization was necessary at this point. Got meds for the ear infection & the pink eye & then buckled down for the blizzard.

She is doing a little bit better today-seems way less congested & smiling a little bit. She is napping alot and still coughing & sneezing. We have been thinning her formula with unflavored Pedialyte (pediatrician recommended this because she threw up on Thursday night & was having trouble drinking before that) and she has been drinking well & actually sleeping well too. No fever since Thursday.

My poor little baby-apparently we have another week or two before the symptoms of the RSV go away completely & she is back to her old self.

 

[shortbun]

Glad you went back to the doctor; I was hoping you would. Ear infections really hurt! Pink eye is no fun either. Wash your hands a lot and keep your hands away from your face; pinkeye is majorly contagious. Glad she's feeling a tad more comfortable! Good luck in the snow; at least you're not tempted to go anywhere and everyone can heal.

 

[mickeysgal]

Two of our three kids had it and were hospitalized for it - DD at 4 months, DS at 10 months. Pediatrian had seen him three times that week...he just kept getting sicker and sicker. The third time he took one look at him and said that he needed to be admitted. Rotovirus and RSV at the same time. Horrible experience - scared out of my mind - high fever, vomiting, breathing difficulties. They even did a spinal on him to rule out meningitis. Three days in the hospital pumping fluids and breathing treatments. Got him out two days before Christmas. He's 23 now and healthy but with a ton of allergies. Don't they have a shot for this now?