rsv virus | Imamother

happy chick

Sun, Nov 27 2011, 6:25 pm

how is it different form any other virus? my dr tends to be extra cautious, so im wondering if hes doing that now as well. dd has it since friday. he said its for sure still contagious. do I really need to keep her home this week? I'd hate to have to miss work. any input appreciated.

happy chick

Sun, Nov 27 2011, 7:12 pm

she jsut turned 1. she bh has no breathing issues. she also seems to be pretty ok. she has a nasty little cough, doesnt want to eat much and has her times that she just wants to sleep and sleep and sleep. most of her symptoms are pretty much like a regular virus, except for the cough. plus, her lungs are all clear. the dr did say to use the nebulizer, if need be. if she has it since friday, and she seems ok today, should I feel comfortable sending her to her babysitter tomorrow or still keep her home?

gold21

Sun, Nov 27 2011, 7:22 pm

it sounds like you want me to tell you- its no big deal, totally send her to the babysitter. but the truth is that you should probably stay home with her. except if you cant- if you cant, then you cant. its not easy balancing work responsibilities and home responsibilities, so you do what you can, you know?

happy chick

Sun, Nov 27 2011, 7:24 pm

my children are my #1 priority. I have to take care of my children and when I can, I work. well, not really. but if I have to stay home, I can. my boss is very nice and accommadating. my questions is really, is it really that badly contagious? should I keep her home for that sake of the babysitter and the other kids who go there? or am I keeping her home for her sake?

gold21

Sun, Nov 27 2011, 8:11 pm

then yes, happychick, you should stay home with your child.

rsv is not really dangerous for the babysitter, but it can be dangerous for the other kids, especially if there are newborns, or kids with athsma/ enlarged adenoids/ random breathing-related challenges... and your own child should be monitored.

for reference, I have heard that those who have rsv as babies are significantly more likely to develop athsma as a child.

so, yeah, it is a bad virus.

how does your doc know that it is rsv, and not some other virus?

jelly belly

Sun, Nov 27 2011, 8:23 pm

If your Dr says its contagious, why are you second guessing him? I dont think you would want your child to be the one who catches rsv from another child at the babysitter- just because that child's mom didn't want miss to more work. Especially if there are any children there who are higher risk. Which you have absolutely no way of knowing. Yes, its hard to miss lots of work, but I don't see any other responsible option aside from finding a babysitter who will watch your baby in your home, and being completely honest with her about the baby being contagious.

happy chick

Sun, Nov 27 2011, 10:05 pm

how long is it contagious for? how do I know when shes ok to go to the babysitter? I didnt get to ask the dr all these questions, because I didnt wait for the results in the office, I called in to find out and spoke to the dr very briefly. I didnt think of everything I need to know. she does not have fever, is not throwing up and seems ok, except for the cough and the every-now-and-then lousy feeling.

naomi2

Sun, Nov 27 2011, 10:51 pm

please stay home with her. even if she seems fine, she might give it to another child who could be sent to the hospital from it. my son has congenital heart disease and gets vaccinated against rsv every month, because although it looks like a harmless cold to you it is quite serious for my son. please think about all the other babies whom it could affect if your daughter spreads this virus!!

Seraph

Mon, Nov 28 2011, 12:51 am

happy chick wrote:

My kids both had rsv at 4 months old, and both were hospitalized with it, on oxygen and steroids, for 5 days. Even if your kid might be fine, in general RSV for kids under 2 is pretty serious.
In fact, before I knew my son had RSV, when I thought he just had a cold, he was at the babysitter... and got another baby sick with it who ended up also being hospitalized for 5 days.
Keep your kid home, please, especially if you know already that she has rsv. Just know that RSV usually gets worse before it gets better, so depending on how long your DD has it, it could get worse, ch'v, even if she seems ok now.
And yea, the virus's duration is approximately 10 days.

amother

Mon, Nov 28 2011, 2:28 am

My newborn got RSV and had to be hospitalized. My older daughter got it after her and shortly thereafter got a very bad pneumonia and had to be hospitalized. That winter, she was hopitalized 4 times in the space of one month. The doctors believe it all started with the RSV. Her lungs are permanently damaged and she may have to have surgery to remove part of her lung. It is a very good idea to be very careful with RSV. Both my children now have asthma which also may be related to the RSV.

curlyhead

Mon, Nov 28 2011, 3:21 am

RSV is is really a type of your every day cold/upper respiratory virus. Most people are fine. It could be dangerous for newborns and people with medical condition and the elderly.

My baby had it as a newborn. I almost ended up in the emergency room as she was having trouble breathing.
Here is text from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H.....virus

Quote:

human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a virus that causes respiratory tract infections. It is the major cause of lower respiratory tract infections and hospital visits during infancy and childhood. A prophylactic medication (not a vaccine) exists for preterm birth (under 35 weeks gestation) infants and infants with a congenital heart defect (CHD) or bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Treatment is limited to supportive care, including oxygen therapy.

In temperate climates there is an annual epidemic during the winter months. In tropical climates, infection is most common during the rainy season.

In the United States, 60% of infants are infected during their first RSV season,[1] and nearly all children will have been infected with the virus by 2–3 years of age.[1] Of those infected with RSV, 2–3% will develop bronchiolitis, necessitating hospitalization.[2] Natural infection with RSV induces protective immunity which wanes over time—possibly more so than other respiratory viral infections—and thus people can be infected multiple times. Sometimes an infant can become symptomatically infected more than once, even within a single RSV season. Severe RSV infections have increasingly been found among elderly patients.

youngmum

Mon, Nov 28 2011, 9:07 am

My son had it at 6 weeks. He started with a cold, turned into a cough and then he had trouble breathing. I would be nursing him and he'd seem like he was gasping/choking... At first I thought it was because his nose was stuffed but when he started 'blowing' bubbles from his mouth I got nervous and went to the dr. (I had gone two days b4 and was told that it's a bad cold Rolling Eyes

) Well the doctor took a look at him and started screaming at me for not coming earlier shock

and she then sent us to the ER.
(Of course I'm in Israel so I had no idea what the heck they were telling me untill I got home 5 days later and my mother explained it to me in english...)
And no, my son didn't have fever.
Since then we've had one event where we needed to use a nebulizer. BH not asthma related.

Mimsies2

Mon, Nov 28 2011, 6:38 pm

I didnt get a chance to read all the other replys so im repeating something sorry--- pretty much rsv is very dangerous for other babies and children that are prone to breathing difficulties or immunediffcient. the idea of your doctor telling you to keep your child home I believe is for 2 reasons.

1- so your child can recover and rest up and not keep this virus longer than necessary

2- so your child wont spread it to other families that could get really sick from it. (my son was born at 29 weeks and he has battled rsv breathing issues for 2 years. every month for the last 2 yrs he had to get injections in his legs to help strenthen his system. if my son was in school with your child I would hope and pray you keep your child home!)

hope that was helpful altough prob not what you wanted to hear...