What is RSV?

I've spent all day online researching the definition of RSV. The best website I refer to is www.babycenter.com which proved once again to be the website that gave the most helpful information.

What is RSV and what does it do to babies?

RSV is the abbreviation for Respiratory Syncytial Virus or Bronchiolitis. For adults, we know it as Bronchitis.

This is what Baby Center says about RSV...

"The most severe cases of RSV are in babies under 6 months old because their lungs aren't fully developed yet and the damage from these infections can linger. Premature babies, twins and other multiples, and babies born with respiratory problems or congenital heart disease are at particularly high risk for contracting a serious infection. Research suggests that babies infected with RSV are more likely to develop asthma and other respiratory problems later in life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in the United States, RSV results in 126,300 hospitalizations each year and more than 4,500 deaths annually from respiratory failure in infants and young children. RSV isn't as serious a health concern for school-age children and adults because their immune systems are stronger. Adults and older children will simply get an upper respiratory infection characterized by a sore throat or cough. "

It also notes...

"...it's also the most common cause of two lung disorders, bronchiolitis and pneumonia, in babies between the ages of 2 and 7 months. Bronchiolitis (a disease that swells the smallest airways of the lungs and fills them with mucus, blocking airflow) and pneumonia, an inflammation of the lungs, can be dangerous — even deadly — for very young babies. RSV can also lead to ear infections. "

As you can see folks, RSV is not a disease to play around with. It's very serious and can put a baby in the hospital very quickly. If you could only hear her cough, you'd be just as concerned as we have been. The look in the doctor's eyes when she heard her cough last Friday and heard her left lung, led me to believe that she was quite concerned and noted how serious it was. She put her hand on my shoulder, closed her eyes and said, "Katherine, it's RSV." That was enough to put me shaking in my boots. I had just heard a few days before that my sister's baby, Aubrie Faith, had RSV and hers was worse than Jillian's. Praise God, both babies are recovering. Aubrie is almost fully recovered...Jillian's almost there.

We are homebound for the next 7 days and treatments will continue through the beginning of December. She's so cute...she takes her breathing treatments ...well...with protest...and her meds are a sinch if we have her paci close by!! Shoot some meds in the side of her jaw...cram the paci in...shoot more meds...cram the paci...etc, etc, etc!

We'll continue to take it one day at a time.

Keep coming back to check our progress. We'll continue to post!

All our love...
MommyCurlee