Antibiotic Side Effects and How to Manage Them
What You Should Know About RSV In Babies
RSV is a respiratory infection that is common and sometimes serious in babies. Some symptoms include difficulty breathing, lethargy, cough, and more.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a serious respiratory infection that can affect people of all ages.
But RSV is most serious when it occurs in babies. That's because babies' airways aren't as well-developed, so they cannot cough up mucus like older children or adults. Also, their airways are smaller, so they can experience airway blockage easily, causing trouble breathing.
In many people, RSV causes cold symptoms, often with a cough. In babies, RSV can cause a more serious illness called bronchiolitis. Babies with bronchiolitis have wheezing along with their cough.
RSV can lead to other severe infections, including pneumonia. In some cases, babies may need to receive treatment at a hospital.
RSV is a virus, so there are currently no medications that can cure it to shorten the course of the illness. Instead, doctors will often recommend treatments or remedies to help manage symptoms until the infection passes.
People often transmit RSV from November to April, when cooler temperatures bring people indoors and when they're more likely to interact with others. People can also transmit RSV earlier in the year. For example, in 2022, the RSV season started earlier, with a high number of cases in October. Transmission can also occasionally happen during summer months.
In older children, RSV can cause symptoms similar to that of a cold. But in babies, the virus causes more severe symptoms.
RSV tends to follow a timeline of symptoms. Symptoms often appear 4 to 6 days after exposure to the virus. However, a baby may start experiencing symptoms earlier or later.
Symptoms a baby may have with RSV include:
Some babies are more likely to experience RSV symptoms. Research from 2022 indicates this to especially be true for those born prematurely or babies with heart problems or a history of wheezing or breathing issues.
RSV vs. COVID-19RSV and COVID-19 are both respiratory infections and share many similar symptoms. Both conditions can cause fever, cough, runny nose, and sneezing. Upset stomach, vomiting, or diarrhea may also occur in babies with COVID-19.
If your child has any of the above symptoms, their pediatrician may recommend testing them for both RSV and COVID-19, depending on cases in your area and their exposure risk to either of these viruses.
RSV cases can range from mild cold symptoms to those of severe bronchiolitis. Even if symptoms are mild, it's important to call your pediatrician if you suspect your baby has RSV. Always get emergency medical care if your baby appears to have trouble breathing.
Emergency symptoms to watch out for include:
In the most severe cases, RSV may require the help of a breathing machine known as a mechanical ventilator. This machine can help to inflate your baby's lungs until the virus goes away.
Doctors used to routinely treat many cases of RSV with bronchodilators. Some doctors still use bronchodilators for RSV treatment, but experts no longer recommend this for the most part.
Doctors prescribe bronchodilators for people with asthma or COPD to help open up the airways and treat wheezing, but they don't help the wheezing that comes with RSV bronchiolitis.
If your baby has dehydration, their doctor may also provide intravenous fluid.
Antibiotics won't help your baby's RSV because antibiotics treat bacterial infections. RSV is a viral infection.
If your doctor gives you the OK to treat RSV at home, you'll likely need a few tools. These will keep your baby's secretions (mucus) as thin as possible so they don't affect their breathing.
A bulb syringeYou can use a bulb syringe to clear thick secretions from your baby's nose.
To use the bulb syringe:
It's especially important to use the bulb syringe before your baby's feeding. A clear nose makes it easier for your baby to eat. Combine the tool use with over-the-counter saline drops, which you can place into each nostril and suction out afterward.
Cool mist humidifierA humidifier can introduce moisture into the air, helping thin your baby's secretions. Make sure to clean and care for the humidifier properly.
Hot water or steam humidifiers could be harmful to your baby because they can cause scalding.
You can talk with your child's doctor about treating any fevers with acetaminophen. Your doctor will suggest a dose based on your baby's weight. Do not give your baby aspirin, as this can harm their health.
Providing fluids, such as breast milk or formula, can prevent dehydration in your baby. You can also ask your doctor about potentially giving your baby an electrolyte-replacing solution, like Pedialyte.
Keep your baby in an upright position, which makes it easier for them to breathe. You can keep your baby more upright in a stable and secure car seat or baby seat while they are awake during the day.
Except while in a car, never put a baby to sleep in a car seat due to the risk of suffocation. If using a car seat to prop your baby up while they are awake, place the car seat on a stable, secure, low surface with direct supervision at all times.
Limiting your baby's exposure to cigarette smoke is also vital to keeping them healthy. Cigarette smoke can make your baby's symptoms worse.
When an otherwise healthy baby has RSV, they can pass on the infection to someone for 3 to 8 days. Try to keep the child with the infection separate from other siblings or children to prevent transmission.
RSV is transmissible through direct and indirect contact with a person who has an active infection. Transmission can involve touching a person's hand after they sneeze or cough, then rubbing your eyes or nose.
Frequent handwashing with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds per time is the best way to reduce the risk of RSV. It's also important to help your baby cover sneezes and coughs.
The virus can also live on hard surfaces, such as a crib or toys, for several hours. If your baby has RSV, regularly clean toys and surfaces where they play and eat to help reduce the spread of germs.
Babies can make a full recovery from RSV in 1 to 2 weeks. Most babies can recover from RSV without receiving treatment in a hospital setting.
If you think your baby has dehydration or is in moderate to severe distress, get emergency medical care.
Pediatricians Are Now Recommending Goat Milk Formula For Infants
Baby with bottle
gettyOn the heels of severe formula shortages in the U.S., leading to parents resorting to diluting formula to make it last longer and for emergency supplies being imported from overseas, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has now officially expanded their infant formula recommendations to include goat milk-based products. As I wrote for Forbes earlier this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now approved several brands of formula using goat milk as their base, including Aussie Bubs, based in Australia, Kabrita, based in The Netherlands, and Kendamil, based in the United Kingdom.
Herd of goats on mountan meadow
gettyFor non-breastfed or breastfed-supplemented infants, the AAP is currently recommending formula with cow's milk or goat's milk base equally, followed by soy milk-base for infants with allergies or intolerance to dairy products. With that, many parents and caregivers may have some questions regarding goat milk as a base in infant formula. Dr. Ari Brown, who is a medical advisor for Kabrita, as well as a pediatrician and author of the "Baby 411" series, notes "goat milk is closer to human milk than cow milk is. The casein proteins are more alike (beta casein) and goat milk casein has less A1 casein than cow milk with which A1 causes firmer and less digestible curds. The whey proteins in goat milk also have a similar, more rapid transit time to human milk compared to cow milk based formula. And goat milk naturally contains more volume and diverse oligosaccharides (prebiotics) than cow milk. Behind lactose and fat, oligosaccharides are the 3rd largest ingredient in human milk...Goat milk based formula for all these reasons seems to be more easily digestible and leads to less gastrointestinal discomfort than cow milk based formulas, as it is more similar to human milk."
Holstein cows at dairy farm.
gettyLooking into whether or not goat milk provides adequate nutrition for growth during infancy, results of several trials have been published. A randomized controlled trial published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition in 2022 demonstrated no significant difference in infants weight and length over a 3-month period of consuming either cow milk-based or goat milk-based formula. Similar double-blind studies in years prior also demonstrated no differences in infant growth between those consuming cow milk or goat milk-based formulas.
Group of infants
gettyAs many may continue to liken goat milk-based formula to goat milk as a beverage (it's not), there have been questions and concerns regarding taste, safety profile, cost, and humane treatment of animals supplying the milk. Dr. Tanya Altmann, pediatrician, author and medical advisor to Aussie Bubs, has done some taste tests with her patient families: "Goat milk infant formula tends to taste creamier than cow milk based infant formula, especially the whole milk-based versions. My [patients'] parents who taste it (yes, many parents do taste test formula options for their infants) tell me that it tastes more like creamy, condensed milk in flavor compared to the traditional US cow milk based infant formulas. This could also be due to the higher quality ingredient profile in the new US goat milk infant formula options compared to the traditional US formula options that parents report tend to taste more metallic in nature."
Father tasting goat milk formula
gettyWhile there has been some concern about humane treatment of dairy cows, certainly in the US, the smaller, often family-run goat farms both in Europe and Australia maintain strict adherence to animal welfare and environmental regulations of animal care and milk production. Goat farmers also do not use steroids or other hormones to enhance milk quality, as is often the case for milk produced by dairy cows. From a cost standpoint, these formulas are certainly not a great bargain, but are on par with many of the premium cow milk and soy-based formulas already sold in the US.
Multiple baby formula brands
Getty ImagesThe variety and choices of various formulas for infants can be easily overwhelming, especially when buying for an infant with no particular dietary restrictions. Goat milk-based products, until recently, were not considered to be mainstream or first-line, but recent support by the AAP, a member-based pediatrics association comprised of nearly 70,000 board-certified pediatricians and pediatric specialists, as well as increased goat milk based formulas being approved by the FDA, provides a new take on providing nutrition for non-breastfed or breastfed-supplemented infants.
Can Rash Be A Symptom Of RSV?
Medically reviewed by Casey Gallagher, MD
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been known to cause a rash in addition to the more common symptoms of a runny nose, coughing, and wheezing. However, an RSV rash is rare.
This article explores how to recognize RSV and other viral illnesses that can cause a rash, as well as how to treat them.
Link Between RSV and RashRSV is primarily a respiratory virus. Rashes are an uncommon symptom of RSV, but they do occur. When a widespread skin rash develops from a virus, it's called a viral exanthem. RSV rashes are more likely to occur in children than adults.
In one study, a rash was seen in about 1% of people with RSV subtype A and about 10% of people with RSV subtype B. A rash was more likely to occur when the person had an additional viral illness, such as influenza, at the same time.
Other viruses that can cause respiratory symptoms and rashes, especially in children and infants, are roseola, measles, rubella, and chickenpox. T
Unlike with RSV, rash is a major feature of these conditions. Rashes in these diseases have a unique appearance that allows a healthcare provider to make a diagnosis.
Close to 60,000 children under age 5 are hospitalized with RSV annually in the United States. About 5% of adults will have an RSV infection each year, although it can be as high as 7.8%.
In people older than 65, RSV leads to anywhere from 60,000 to 160,000 hospitalizations and up to 10,000 deaths a year.
Identifying RSV Rash SymptomsIn the uncommon event that an RSV rash develops, it is usually accompanied by other symptoms of RSV, such as wheezing, a runny nose, fever, and cough.
A viral rash often appears as small bumps, spots, or blotches that may or may not be itchy. It's usually concentrated on the trunk of the body, with less of an eruption on the arms and legs, and typically lasts about five days.
In one study, rashes appeared in about 1% of people with RSV subtype A and about 10% of people with RSV subtype B.
When Do Symptoms Warrant Hospitalization?An RSV rash is not dangerous in and of itself, but the accompanying RSV symptoms may be serious. You may need hospitalization with the following symptoms of difficulty breathing:
Bluish tint to the skin or nails
A bad headache or earache
Signs of severe dehydration
The initial symptoms of RSV in most children are similar to those of a cold, such as:
Congestion
Cough
Fever
Runny nose
Sore throat
In infants, the symptoms might include:
Breathing difficulties
Fatigue
Irritability
Not drinking enough
Rash, rarely
Call your healthcare provider and get urgent medical attention if an infant is showing severe signs of difficulty breathing, including:
Shallow and rapid breathing
Flaring nostrils on each breath
The chest caving in with each breath
Bluish tint to the mouth or fingernails
A barking or wheezing cough
Almost all children contract RSV, usually before they are 2 years old, and most recover in a few days. If you have any concerns about an infant or child, don't wait to contact a healthcare provider.
Treatment for RSV Viral RashIf you or your child appears to have RSV and develops a rash, it will usually go away on its own like other widespread rashes caused by viruses. If the rash is itchy, a topical anti-itch cream appropriate for the person's age can help. If the rash is severe, your healthcare provider may provide a topical steroid cream.
Itchy skin may respond to home remedies like a cold compress or oatmeal bath. However, consult your healthcare provider before using any home remedies on young children or babies.
If a viral rash is caused by an illness other than RSV, your healthcare provider may recommend additional treatments, so a correct diagnosis is important.
Other symptoms of a mild RSV infection should resolve with just at-home supportive treatment in a week or two. For fever, you can use nonprescription, over-the-counter (OTC) fever reducers.
For a stuffy nose in an infant or child, you may use saline nasal drops or suction the mucus. Keep the child or adult comfortable and have them drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration.
PreventionA vaccine for RSV is available for adults aged 60 and over and pregnant people. Vaccines for other viral illnesses that can lead to rash, including measles, rubella, chickenpox, and shingles, are also available for children and adults.
If you are pregnant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting a single RSV vaccine shot between weeks 32 and 36 of your pregnancy. This will help protect infants up to 6 months old. Alternatively, your baby can be given preventive antibodies after you give birth.
Adults over the age of 60 and those with chronic diseases are at higher risk for a severe case of RSV. Talk to a healthcare provider if you are wondering whether to get the RSV vaccine.
RSV and other viral illnesses can be very contagious, so be careful not to transmit the disease to others. RSV can be transmitted through direct contact with a person with the virus, droplets expelled when a person coughs or sneezes, or by touching surfaces contaminated with the virus.
When to Seek Medical AttentionIf you see symptoms similar to a cold in a baby or child, contact a healthcare provider to check for RSV in the following circumstances:
Babies under 3 months of age
Asthma or other respiratory disease is present
Fever above 100.4 degrees F in babies under 3 months, above 101 degrees F in babies 3 to 6 months of age, and above 102 degrees F in babies older than 6 months
Symptoms that last for more than 10 days
Symptoms that seem to go away and then return
Signs of an earache, like tugging on an ear
Symptoms of severe RSV in children mean you should call 911 or take your child to the emergency room. These include:
Wheezing (noisy breathing when exhaling)
Difficult breathing indicated by rapid breaths or widening nostrils, chest caving with each breath, or bluish tint to skin, lips, or nails
Severe headache around the eyes or the back of the neck
Red or swollen eyes
Repeated vomiting or signs of dehydration like dry mouth or lack of tears
Respiratory syncytial virus infection can cause a rash, although this is an uncommon symptom. An RSV rash is a widespread viral rash, known as a viral exanthem.
Other causes of viral rashes that may have respiratory symptoms include measles, roseola, rubella, and chickenpox. An RSV rash is not common, so discuss any rash with a healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis.
Most children and adults recover from RSV in a few days. But if you see signs of severe illness, including breathing difficulties, call a healthcare provider right away. Vaccines can prevent RSV and other viral infections.
Read the original article on Verywell Health.
View comments
Comments
Post a Comment