Another Article About Flu Season

I found this article on Johns Hopkins Children's Center's Facebook page.

More info on the importance of the flu shot and the high risk for preemies. 

The holiday party season is no time for very young infants to be mingling with germs that prevail this time of year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.The holiday party season is no time for very young infants to be mingling with germs that prevail this time of year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From November through April, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) typically has its season in Maryland, said Dr. Julia McMillan, professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center. The virus hits its victims with symptoms similar to cold virus, but RSV can threaten the lives of those with immature lungs, either because of youth or premature birth.

It may be spread by older children and adults, who get it.

“It’s very contagious,” McMillan said. “(Older patients) just don’t get very sick.”

She estimated that almost every child has had the virus by the age of 2, but getting it before the age of 3 months – or older in a child born prematurely – can land them in the hospital. They may need oxygen and intravenous feeding in the most serious cases.

Infants’ airways are narrow, and RSV makes breathing and nursing difficult, she said. Babies may exhaust themselves and dehydrate, laboring to breathe and eat.

They may struggle to breathe as much as once per second. Age, larger airways and immunity after the first infection make subsequent RSV infections less likely to seriously affect the child, she said.

RSV is the major cause of the condition bronchiolitis, and may cause pneumonia.

So far this season, the number of cases is high, according to the CDC, and about as predicted, McMillan said.

“Every year, we have a very big epidemic,” she said.

Follow Patti S. Borda on Twitter: @FNP_Patti

RSV facts

Leading cause of infant hospitalizations

125,000 infant hospitalizations each year from RSV

400 infant deaths each year attributed to RSV

Under 2 months old or premature* babies most at risk

Maryland season: November-April

Symptoms: persistent coughing; rapid, difficult breathing; fever over 100.4 in infants under 3 months old; bluish color around lips

Details: www.RSVProtection.com

* Born before 37 weeks gestation

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention