Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

RSV is a virus that causes a miserable cold with thick mucus and a cough that can last a month. You can get the infection at any age and more than once in your lifetime. RSV tends to be particularly tough on babies and toddlers who catch it because the first time around is usually the worst.

Signs of RSV typically peak on days three, four and five of illness. They may include:

1. Runny nose
2. Coughing
3. Sneezing
4. Loss of appetite
5. Fever
6. Wheezing

Like all colds, there is no medication to cure RSV. However, here's how you can ease your child's discomfort at home:

1. Clear up congestion. If your little one can’t (or won’t) blow their nose, put a drop or two of nasal saline in each nostril. Use a suction device like a bulb syringe to pull out the discharge. Warning: Excessive bulb suctioning can be irritating to the nose. Sometimes the saline alone is enough to promote sneezing, which will shoot out the mucus.
2. Pick up steam. Run a cool mist humidifier in your child’s bedroom and give steamy baths. The water vapor loosens congestion. Note: Use a cool mist humidifier rather than a vaporizer, which is a burn hazard.
3. Let honey help. If your child is at least a year old, try giving them honey to help relieve their cough. Honey works as well as popular over-the-counter cough medications without the side effects.
4. Relieve pain. Give acetaminophen (if over 2 months of age) or ibuprofen (if over 6 months of age) as needed for fever or discomfort. These medications can help ease muscle aches, headaches and sore throats. For ear pain, you can also put a warm washcloth over the ear.
5. Stay hydrated. For infants, breast milk or formula are best for hydration because of their nutrients. For older children, mix it up. Make sure there is salt and sugar in their fluids if they are not eating. Apple juice, water, popsicles, milk, soup, and foods like watermelon and cucumbers are also great sources of hydration. Milk will not make mucus worse. 

Breathing trouble. This looks like:

1. Rapid breathing
2. Using extra muscles to breathe (watch for them using their shoulders or stomach to breathe, and look for the skin between the ribs getting sucked in with each breath)
3. Grunting at the end of each breath
4. Nostrils flaring with each breath
5. Pale or blue lips/mouth
6. Inability to breathe and drink at the same time
7. Lethargy
8. Dehydration. Most kids urinate every three to six hours or so. You know your child’s baseline. If you struggle to keep them hydrated and they don't pee as much as usual, they need medical attention. Other signs of dehydration include a dry mouth, lethargy and lack of tears when crying.
9. Pain: Like all colds, a child with RSV might develop ear infections, pneumonia or a sinus infections. Pay attention to complaints of ear pain, chest pain or sinus pain.