Winter is the season of illness. Especially babies and children can be vulnerable to viruses floating around. The RSV virus, which many of us have mistaken for a flu infection in recent years but has taken over the respiratory tract of babies, is one of the viruses that threaten babies and children.
So, how will we protect babies this winter, what are our responsibilities? The subject was discussed by Child Health and Diseases Specialist Prof. Dr. I asked Demet Soylu.
What is RSV, one of the viruses we hear about most frequently in recent years, and what causes it?
RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is a highly contagious virus that causes respiratory tract infections, especially in infants and young children. The majority of babies encounter RSV before they reach the age of two. Although this contagious virus often progresses like a simple flu in older children and adults, it causes serious lower respiratory tract infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia in young babies.
The danger here is that it causes breathing difficulties in babies. Especially babies are in the high risk group in the first six months of their lives. However, I would like to emphasize that even completely healthy and full-term babies can become seriously ill due to RSV, requiring hospitalization.
Which months are RSV most common? What should be done to protect babies?
We see RSV infections most frequently in our country between late autumn and early spring. Cases generally start to increase in October-November and intensify in December, January and February. However, the onset and duration of the epidemic may vary from year to year. This virus is transmitted through the coughs, sneezes and respiratory secretions of infected people.
The virus can also spread easily through contaminated hands and surfaces. For this reason, it is important to keep babies away from crowded and closed environments as much as possible during the winter months, limit their contact with sick people and pay attention to hand hygiene. Effective antibody applications to protect babies from severe RSV disease are also extremely important. These practices are an important preventive health approach, especially for babies who will enter the first RSV season of their lives.
So, what long-term effects are seen in babies who have had RSV?
Research shows that RSV infections, especially in the first year of life, are associated with an increased risk of developing recurrent wheezing and asthma in later childhood. This relationship is especially evident in babies with severe RSV bronchiolitis and a family history of allergic asthma.
Therefore, we should not consider RSV as a respiratory infection that only lasts a few days. My advice to families, especially in young babies, is to pay attention to symptoms such as rapid breathing, chest tightness, decreased feeding, breathing pauses and cyanosis. When these symptoms occur, a healthcare provider should be consulted without delay.
So, what is the solution?
Antibody application, popularly known as "RSV injection", ensures that the baby's own immunity is protected without waiting for it to produce antibodies. This is not a single vaccine. A single dose can provide protection for most babies for about five months, that is, during an RSV season, and aims to protect babies from the severe consequences of RSV. Scientific studies show that this practice significantly reduces serious lower respiratory tract infections and hospitalizations due to RSV.
Protect your baby from sick people and crowded indoor environments, especially during the RSV season.
Be sure to wash your hands before touching the baby.
Do not allow people with cold or cough to kiss or come into contact with the baby.
Do not allow smoking in the house.
Support breastfeeding.
Get your baby's routine vaccinations on time.
Get information from your pediatrician about applying protective antibodies against RSV.
Because RSV is a virus, antibiotics have no place in routine treatment. Babies who develop respiratory distress, low oxygen or inability to feed may require hospitalized treatment.
One of the important points that families should know is that in RSV, the severity of the disease is determined not only by the height of the fever, but also by how the baby breathes and how well he/she is fed.
Giving up toys activity
This week, have children choose toys that they can give up and clean them. Then deliver it to the relevant institutions so that others can benefit from it. Thus, children will understand the value of sharing and giving up.
The book “Our Job is in a Hurry” focuses on why people are in such a hurry and makes you laugh and think with its entertaining drawings.
Publisher: Growing Child
Author: Enes Durmuş
Age: 8+
Page: 126
my little garden
In this workshop, children will get to know the flowers of the famous painter Georgia O'Keeffe and design their own flowers.
Location: Ankara-Erimtan Archeology and Art Museum
Date: Sunday, November 15
Time: 12.00
Registration and information: (0312) 311 04 01
This week, listen to the song "Train Comes Hoş Come" from Yumurcak Adamlar with your children and grandchildren and chat about this work.
