They survived their bout with pneumonia, and seem to have no lasting effects, but Mom and Dad will never forget the experience. Viruses are an important cause of pneumonia in the pediatric population, particularly in infants. In some cases, however, viral pneumonia develops, and can be life-threatening. It is this serious illness which I wish to address in this article. RSV occurs chiefly in yearly epidemics, primarily in the winter months.
Infections are uncommon before six weeks of age - breast feeding seems to be somewhat protective.
Extremely contagious, it spreads quickly in crowded conditions like day-care centers or home nurseries of multiples. Parents of multiples need to harbor particular concern over RSV infections. Because multiples often have immature lungs and respiratory systems, they are at much greater risk for developing the serious effects and complications of an RSV infection. In fact, twenty percent of infants who develop RSV infections will have periods of apnea - the medical term for a failure to breathe. This apnea risk is even higher in premature infants.