Saudi experts share what parents should know about RSV during the season

Specialists at a recent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) awareness meeting in Jeddah shared practical guidance for parents of young infants, explaining that more serious RSV illness is not limited to premature babies or those with underlying conditions.

Speakers included Dr Ashraf Amir, Consultant in Family Medicine and Chief Medical Officer at the International Medical Center (IMC), and Dr Muawiyah Qasem, Consultant Pediatrician and Chairperson of the Children’s Health Centre at IMC, who discussed how RSV can affect infants, when parents should seek medical advice and the prevention options available.

RSV is a common respiratory virus that often causes cold-like symptoms. In some young infants, it can progress to lower respiratory tract illness, including bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Infants under 6 months are more vulnerable and are among the groups more likely to develop more serious illness.

However, Dr Ashraf Amir explained that healthy, full-term babies can also be affected, saying: “Being healthy and born at term does not remove the possibility of more serious RSV illness. Parents should watch how symptoms develop and seek medical advice if breathing becomes difficult, feeding decreases or the baby’s overall condition changes.”

Because RSV often starts with symptoms like a common cold, he added, it is how symptoms change over the following days that helps parents know when to seek advice.

Dr Muawiyah Qasem said: “The aim is to reduce a baby’s risk before illness develops. Everyday practical measures at home help limit exposure, and parents can also ask their healthcare provider about other prevention options, including whether RSV immunization is recommended for their child.”

Simple everyday measures can also help reduce exposure and help keep infants in the Kingdom protected during the season, including regular handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, keeping babies away from people who are unwell, cleaning surfaces that are touched often and protecting infants from second-hand smoke.

The doctors also referred to the recently updated Saudi National Immunization Schedule for Children. Its RSV immunization recommendations cover all infants born during the RSV season between October and March and all infants who are younger than 8 months when the season starts. For infants aged 8 to 19 months at the start of their second RSV season, there are specific recommendations for those who remain at increased risk of severe RSV disease.

The meeting closed with a simple message for families: parents play the most important role in protecting their babies, through everyday prevention and by noticing early when symptoms change.