Doctors Warn Parents Against Kissing Babies Due To Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Doctors are warning people especially the parents worldwide not to hug or kiss babies if they are feeling sick due to the risk of Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV.

According to doctors, RSV is a mild illness with symptoms similar to the common cold, but it can also cause severe illnesses such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

The virus can most seriously affect infants under six months old and can make them sick enough for a hospital visit, Tiffany Hill, a pediatrician with UT Health East Texas, told CBS19.

An estimated 57,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized each year due to RSV infections, reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


Symptoms of RSV infections in infants include irritability, decreased activity, decreased appetite, and apnea, according to the CDC.

In adults, symptoms typically include a runny nose, a decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever, and wheezing.

However, health officials said symptoms don't always surface in infected adults but the virus can make someone sick anywhere from three to four weeks.

“Even though RSV has no treatment, parents can help their child get through it with fluids, a humidifier, and saline washes,” Hill said.

Making sure a baby is hydrated and can breathe properly through their nose is important to overcoming RSV.

“Respiratory syncytial virus just causes a lot more inflammation and secretions in the airway then some of the other typical viruses,” Hill said.

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It’s crucial for parents to practice healthy hygiene habits to stop their babies from getting RSV as well.

Hospital officials say that washing your hands, wiping down hard surfaces, such as countertops and shopping carts, and getting vaccinated along with your babies are important steps to take to avoid RSV.

“If you have a younger infant, you’re really the stopping point for the illness, so I really recommend the parents you know, take that and get vaccinated or any caregivers and then again, just reiterating really good handwashing,” Hill said.

Source: Fox