RSV – How to Protect Your Child and Prevent the Spread of Infection
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes symptoms similar to a mild cold but can lead to bronchiolitis and pneumonia in high-risk children. Shortly after infection, the virus causes significant swelling of the mucous membranes in the smallest branches of the bronchi. This results in a dry, hacking cough, difficulty and rapid breathing with the inward pulling of the abdomen and ribcage during inhalation, and a lack of oxygen in the blood. A bluish color may appear on the lips, around the eyes, or on the fingertips. Wheezing can be heard during exhalation. The highest incidence of RSV infections occurs from late autumn to spring.
RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in infants. Prematurely born children and those with lung and heart diseases are particularly at risk. Premature infants have underdeveloped lungs and a significantly weaker immune system due to premature birth, which also results in lower levels of protective antibodies received from the mother through the placenta.
In some children, particularly those with a family history of atopy (allergic diseases), RSV can lead to recurrent bronchitis with wheezing and asthma in subsequent years. Children with severe (hemodynamically significant) heart defects and those with Down syndrome also belong to the high-risk group for complications and severe forms of the disease.
How is the Infection Transmitted?
RSV spreads through the air via sneezing and coughing and through physical contact (touch, kissing, shaking hands) with an infected person. RSV can survive for up to 7 hours on toys, work surfaces, and other surfaces. The risk of virus transmission is higher in crowded places such as kindergartens, play areas, and shopping centers. It is believed that almost all children will have an RSV infection in the first two years of attending collective care.
Prevention of RSV
Preventing RSV transmission involves several key measures:
- Hand washing for the child and caregivers significantly reduces the risk of transmission. It is also recommended to regularly clean/disinfect toys, door handles, and wash bedding frequently.
- Prevent sharing personal items (spoons, glasses, pacifiers, toothbrushes, towels).
- Avoid play areas and generally crowded places such as shopping centres during winter, and avoid contact with children or adults who have a cold.
- If the child is in a high-risk group for severe RSV illness, it is advisable not to send an older sibling to kindergarten until the end of the RSV season (spring). Exposure to tobacco smoke also increases the likelihood of severe illness.
Discuss additional protective steps you can take with your child’s doctor.
Preventing Severe RSV Illness in High-Risk Children
High-risk children are protected with a medication called palivizumab, which contains antibodies that prevent the virus from entering the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and multiplying. It is administered as an injection every 28-30 days for five months during the RSV season (November/December), providing protection for high-risk children from severe forms of the disease. This injection is given in the thigh muscle. To best protect your child, follow the doctor’s instructions and adhere to the therapy schedule precisely.
