Poor Baby!

Well, on Wednesday night Madilyn started a pretty nasty cough that just progressed on Thursday, so on Friday afternoon we took her in to see Dr. Carl. Well, the unfortunate diagnosis is that she has RSV. The fortunate part is that it's not a severe case, she's still in very good spirits, and we're able to just treat her at home as if it was just a normal cold. It does just break your heart to hear her cough, though, because it's just so deep and yucky. Keep her in your prayers that her infection will not progress and she'll heal quickly and easily! For those of you who are not familiar with RSV, here's some info that I looked up:

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants and children under 1 year of age. RSV causes infection of the lungs and breathing passages. Illness begins most frequently with fever, runny nose, cough, and sometimes wheezing. During their first RSV infection, between 25% and 40% of infants and young children have signs or symptoms of bronchiolitis or pneumonia, and 0.5% to 2% require hospitalization. Most children recover from illness in 8 to 15 days. The majority of children hospitalized for RSV infection are under 6 months of age. RSV also causes repeated infections throughout life, usually associated with moderate-to-severe cold-like symptoms. (Luckily, at least right now, Madilyn only has a mild case and is not severe enough for hospitalization).

RSV is highly contagious, and can be spread through droplets containing the virus when a person coughs or sneezes. The virus can also live on surfaces such as countertops or doorknobs, and on hands and clothing. RSV can be easily spread when a person touches an object or surface contaminated with the virus. The infection can spread rapidly through schools and child-care centers. Infants often get it when older kids carry the virus home from school and pass it to them. Almost all kids are infected with RSV at least once by the time they are 2 years old. (For this reason, Madilyn’s doctor wants her to stay isolated at home as much as possible. Another big reason is that we’re experiencing a flu epidemic up in this area and he doesn’t want her to get that on top of her RSV infection!)

Fortunately, most cases of RSV are mild and require no specific treatment from doctors. Antibiotics aren't used because RSV is a virus and antibiotics are only effective against bacteria. For children with mild disease, no specific treatment is necessary other than the treatment of symptoms (e.g., acetaminophen to reduce fever). Children with severe disease may require oxygen therapy and sometimes mechanical ventilation. Ribavirin aerosol may be used in the treatment of some patients with severe disease. At home, make a child with an RSV infection as comfortable as possible, allow time for recovery, and provide plenty of fluids. The last part can be tricky, however, because babies may not feel like drinking. In that case, offer fluids in small amounts at more frequent intervals than usual. (Madilyn has medications to treat her symptoms – one for the cold and cough symptoms and a steroid to help protect her airways from damage by the virus. She has stopped eatting as much in one setting, as well, so we’re doing our best to feed her smaller amounts more frequently).

To help your child breathe easier, use a cool-mist vaporizer during the winter months to keep the air moist — winter air can dry out airways and make the mucus stickier. Avoid hot-water and steam humidifiers, which can be hazardous and can cause scalding. (I just discovered this information in my research today, so I image we’ll make a trip to Walmart this afternoon!)

Excluding children with colds or other respiratory illnesses (without fever) who are well enough to attend child care or school settings will probably not decrease the transmission of RSV, since it is often spread in the early stages of illness. (Madilyn has not had any fever yet. Her only symptoms have been the nasty cough, sleeping a lot more than usual, and not eatting as much. Since we just took her to the doctor yesterday afternoon, I have not yet had a chance to talk to her daycare about whether or not she’ll be able to attend next week. Scott may end up playing nurse next week. Tuesday will be tricky, though, because he’s got several interviews scheduled. I may have to work out staying home that day.)