How You Can Prepare for rsv Season
Hey there mama-
The dreaded respiratory season will soon be upon us, often referred to as “RSV” season.
But not to worry, I'm going to be sharing with you all the things we pediatric nurses do for our respiratory kids in the hospital and what you can do for your own babies at home.
This is in no way meant to be medical advice, but for educational purposes only. Always consult with your pediatrician for expert advice and personalized care for your baby.
Alright- Let’s jump right in!
What is RSV?
RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus. Often times parents ask me, “Whats the difference between RSV and the Flu?” And I tell them not much. They are two different viruses, but often show the same symptoms of one another. The same goes for many other cold flu viruses, like rhino/entero virus (the “common cold”) and corona virus.
What makes RSV so special is it often creates extra thick, sticky secretions. And can effect young children and babies at a more severe level than adults because their airways are developed differently. Young children and babies have funnel shaped airways. So pair that with a virus that makes thick, sticky secretions and you have a breathing problem.
Why is rsv so bad?
Like I said before, any one of these viruses can have the same awful effects. But RSV is the most common cause for a complication called bronchiolitis. Bronchiolitis is when the small airways (bronchioles) in the lungs get inflamed, causing more airway restriction.
We see babies come in to the hospital when they start working hard to breathe, often times from bronchiolitis.
Breathing is normally a passive action. When the airways becomes inflamed and jammed up with secretions, air and oxygen exchange cannot then happen. The result is increased work of breathing: faster breathing, use of accessory muscles (muscles on the chest and trunk not designed for breathing), and retracting (where you can see ribs and skin sucking in at the trachea) because a baby is sucking so hard for air.
Even more, getting sick just sucks. You don’t want to eat, drink, and you feel awful. Your body is working harder than usual to fight infection and is tired.
This creates more of a disadvantage for our littles. When you don’t want to eat, your energy lacks, making you feel more crummy. Not drinking allows for secretions to get thicker and stickier, and that much harder to cough up. And feeling crummy makes it that much harder to have energy to fight illness if your baby is struggling to breathe.
what you can do:
wash your hands and wash your babies hands.
Hand washing is hands down (literally) the number one, best way to prevent the spread of illness.
with little babies, be more mindful if illness is going around.
Keep your distance if you have friends or family that are sick. Ask visitors to wash their hands before holding your baby and to keep their kisses to themselves. If you have a holiday gathering opt to baby-wear your baby instead of passing them like a side for Thanksgiving (haha!) And keep breastfeeding if you’re able to, your body will create antibodies custom to your baby’s immune system needs. Their saliva quite literally communicates with your body and produces perfect nutrition and immunity for their body’s needs.
stay ahead of the illness.
If you notice your little isn’t feeling well call your pediatrician. Don’t wait. If you’re able to triage over the phone, great! But if your baby is starting to concern you or your mama instincts are alerting you, make an appointment ASAP. It’s best to be seen and have the resources for getting through a virus before it gets worse.
Be prepared.
Get these things ahead of RSV season to have for a rainy day:
Saline drops, spray, or mist (Moistened boogies are easier to remove than thick, dried boogies.)
Suction (Clear that airway!)
Humidifier (So soothing and helps keep that airway moist.)
What we do in the hospital vs. what you can do at home:
Fluids
Hospital: Our babies are well, sicker. Often times we start an IV and administer IV fluids for hydration. You can’t cough up secretions if they aren’t hydrated.
Home: Stay on top of your baby/ toddler’s hydration at home, if you notice they aren’t drinking well or making their normal wet diapers call your pediatrician right away. If you notice your little is starting to get sick stay ahead of the illness with good hydration. A great way to increase fluid intake is through breastmilk, coconut water, broth, popsicles, breastmilk popsicles, watermelon, and cucumber.
oxygen
Hospital: We monitor respiratory status very closely, by watching their oxygenation, work of breathing, breath sounds, and overall well being. We administer oxygen as needed and escalate care to more intense measures if a child doesn’t respond and they worsen.
Home: Watch how your baby is breathing. If you notice they are working to breathe (its no longer passive), their breathing is faster, they are retracting, making unusual noises, or your worried in anyway- seek medical attention right away.
suction
Hospital: We suction- and we suction A LOT. You can’t breathe with a clogged up airway. We suction before eating, when work of breathing ramps up, and if a child sounds or looks like they need it. Sometimes we deep suction and go down into the pharynx through the nose with a little straw called a catheter that is hooked up to suction. This happens when a baby isn’t able to cough up their secretions well or they need deeper relief.
Home: If you need to suction at home do this is before your baby eats, when they sound junky, and before bed. Try to only suction before your baby eats instead of after. They get more junky once they start eating so do this before. Suctioning after eating can cause babies to throw up, let’s be real they hate it and many times will get worked up- and that results in throwing up if they just ate. You can suction often but not too frequently. Don’t over do it, those little airways can get tender and inflamed fast so you want to be gentle with your approach.
Saline
Hospital: We use saline when we suction, it helps hydrate and mobilize the boogers and secretions we are trying to get out.
Home: Put a couple drops of saline (or use a mist/ spray) in a nostril before suctioning it out. Add a little more if needed.
Pain relief
The choice to use OTC medications for pain control is completely up to you. You can always talk to your provider to get correct dosing and indication to use pain/ fever reducers. On a personal note, we try to let fevers ride with close monitoring in our home. Fever is an indication that the immune system is at work! Find a pediatrician you trust and work closely with them to determine how you want to go about safely treating pain and fevers in your own home.
I hope you have a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and wash those hands!
Until next time,
Sar