Rsv - Elmer,NJ

My son had RSV at 3 weeks old. He was hospitalized twice for a week at a time. He is 4 y/o now and suffers from exercise induced asthma. When he runs around a lot or in cold weather he starts coughing. He does not have to use an inhaler yet. Since he hasn't started school/sports yet I don't know how this will effect him when the exercise becomes more intense. He is treated by an allergist for seasonal allergies so they monitor his breathing/lung function. I'm not sure as he gets older if we'll need to switch to a pulminologist. I hope this helps.

Hi M.,
My son had RSV twice, once at 5 months and again at 4 years old both ending in hospitalizations. The doctor and respiratory therapist reassured me at the time that there would be no ill effects because of the virus. My son is asthmatic, but I believe that is not the result of the RSV, but rather more susceptible to the virus.

My 7 month old was just in the hospital with RSV for 6 days. My first son (now 3 1/2) also had it but was only hospitalized overnight...he didn't have it all that bad and i wondered if it was just a bad cold. The dr said that this winter, he may have a harder time shaking off a normal cold, and to cover his face so he breathes the least amount of cold air as possible. they can definitely get it again and if they do it is likely to cause hospitalization again...it's a virus so there's no real treatment except for o2 and breathing treatments (in our case anyways). i do think everyone is different...my older son has no effects and doesn't need a neb at all.

Hi M.
my daughter also had it and was in the hospital twice back to back 10 days and had a nebulizer and they wantd us to continue on treatments even after her illness went away. I opted to not continue because of the side affects that steriods can do. I only treated her when she got sick and had trouble breathing. She conitued to get sick until right after she turned 3 and needed treastments. I keep the Albeuteral and nebulizer in the closet in case if needed but she hasnt been sick for 9 months. Completely Healthy! She had an XRAY and there was some damage after the sickness but after it cleared up no signs of any damage was seen by the Dr at 3 month follow up visit .

Good Luck to you and your family

S.

Hi M.,
My oldest son contracted RSV and was hospitalized when he was only 8 days old. He was in the hospital for 10 days and was on a nebulizer throughout the duration of his stay and for a short while afterward. He's now almost 4 years old and has had no respiratory issues whatsoever from the illness other than an occasional cold.

I have 2 nephews who got RSV when they were 2 and one of them was hospitalized for several days. Both of them are now 6 and haven't had any long term respiratory effects either. Hopefully this will be the case for your boys as well.

M

My son had RSV when he was about 12 weeks old. He is now almost 1 1/2. Since he has had the RSV he wheezes and gets a bad "chesty" sounding cough whenever he has a cold. He does very well otherwise and we use a nebulizer when he does have a cold and he does pretty well with that too. It was last December that he had the RSV and last winter he did have to go back to the emergency room once because the nebulizer wasn't helping, they gave him steroids that time and he was fine. Every baby/ child is different of course, but my son is doing really well.

Hi M.,
My nephew had this at 4 months!!! The doctor said he would have to be on a nebulizer for a really long time and would possibly have asthma when he got older, and basically be sick ALL the time. Well he is now almost 4 and hasn't had any of the illnesses that they said he would. Alos he doesn't need a nebulizer. I think it just depends. Every kid is different with this I think. Just try to keep him healthy!! Good luck!!