Respiratory Syncytial Virus

When a baby or a young child has a cough, difficulty breathing, or wheezing during the cold season, the assessment of the pediatrician and the pulmonologist is key. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a very common respiratory infection that affects mainly infants and young children, and usually spreads easily.

Common symptoms: Nasal discharge, cough, fever, and, in the youngest, rapid or labored breathing, whistling when breathing, and irritability.

When to seek care? In the case of difficulty breathing, refusal to feed, or listlessness in a baby.

Who treats it? The pediatrician and the neonatologist assess the youngest ones, while the pulmonologist and the allergist take part depending on the case. Coming in promptly at signs of difficulty breathing is the most prudent thing.