The infection is caused by a respiratory virus, and is expected to infect more children this winter than in years past. You may know it as RSV for short. Spelled out, it s respiratory syncytial virus, and it infects nearly all young children sooner or later.
Most children develop only cold-like symptoms, but others progress to serious breathing problems.
RSV rapidly penetrates even the smallest branches of a baby s lungs and can cause permanent damage. More than 100,000 children are hospitalized each year with RSV infections and about 500 die. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predict more children will develop serious cases of RSV this winter because more children are in group child care. Any baby with a history of lung problems, including asthma High-risk children can receive an injection of a new drug that protects for one month against RSV, but it s only effective if the child hasn t already contracted the virus. If you have a small child in your home and the cold virus arrives, take extra care to not spread it to the infant or toddler.