It's RSV season

Though she was a healthy one-year-old, RSV knocked my older daughter for a loop. After about 5 days of pretty severe cold-like symptoms, she started wheezing. Her doctor tested for RSV and immediately put her on a nebulizer for several weeks. She recovered pretty quickly after that, but it was scary time for us as new parents.

RSV is a virus that causes cold-like symptoms in many of the people it infects, and it infects most kids by age 2. But in some, especially preemies, children with chronic health problems, and sometimes even healthy infants, it can also cause bronchiolitis, or inflammation of the small airways in the lungs. My pediatrician told me it was like "temporary asthma" and it's often treated with bronchodilators. There's no vaccination, and since it's a virus, antibiotics won't help either. So for at-risk populations like kids with asthma and preemies, it's important to practice preventative steps.

At-risk children can get regular shots of RSV antibodies during RSV season, and other children can be protected by practicing cold and flu prevention strategies. Keep hands washed and keep sick children home until they are well. Unlike some illnesses, RSV can reoccur, though the infection may be milder.