You see the sick babies every year over and over.
“My poor little guy has RSV!” they comment on their Facebook pages.
And guess what? Nearly ALL kids will be infected with RSV by age 2.
There are many things we will all try to do in order to keep our kids healthy in the harsh winter months. But there is one vital rule for keeping little ones safe from this particular virus: Don’t kiss the babies.
What Is RSV?
RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus, a highly infectious virus. For most of us, it causes common cold-like symptoms that aren’t particularly dangerous. BUT, for kiddos under 2, it can lead to serious problems like lung infections, pneumonia and bronchiolitis.
And yes, it can absolutely be deadly. It’s responsible for 160,000 deaths a year.
There are a couple of reasons kissing a baby can be so very dangerous when it comes to RSV.
1. There is no vaccine. No way of preventing it.
2. You can be contagious days before you know you are sick.
This is the biggest reason to keep your mouth away from little babies. Not only could you not be showing symptoms yet, but even if you do have say, a bit of a runny nose, it could seem harmless when in fact it isn’t.
If you are a family member or friend of someone with a young baby, remember that just because they request no kisses doesn’t mean they don’t love you. It doesn’t mean they think you have cooties. They are just protecting their baby. ♥
Read next: 10 Things Every Parent Should Know About RSV
Liz is a just a mom trying to keep it real about how little she sleeps, how often she gets puked on and how much she loves them. You can find her here every day writing about real-mom moments.
jennifer Lane-Clark says
Thank you for educating the public.
Matseko Magare says
Thanks my son had RSV last year and we had to stay in hospital for almost a week. It was so bad.
Gregory Krummenacker says
This is fear mongering at it’s finest! RSV is NOT responsible for 160,000 deaths per year, at least not in the United States.
It is responsible for 14,000 deaths per year in the United States for people 65 and older, typically in the form of pneumonia.
This is very irresponsible “journalism” and the facts should be reflected correctly, or this post should be taken down.
I don’t want randoms kissing my kid either, but it’s not because of the risk of them contracting an illness that almost EVERYONE gets before they turn 2…
SOURCE: https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/research/us-surveillance.html
Cait says
The source you shared says 14,000 deaths among adults. It doesn’t specify children.
Jeremy says
My eldest son (who is about to turn 2 in December) nearly died after an RSV infection when he was about a month old. He spent 1 month in the NICU sedated and on a breathing machine to keep him alive.
I don’t want anyone kissing on my babies, but these numbers are unrealistically high.
The 14,000 number is based on calculations from decades old data, not actual fatality rates.
According to the newest numbers there are approximately 42 deaths per year from RSV. Most deaths are not directly due to the RSV, but due to complications caused by underlying issues that are complicated by the RSV.
https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/135/1/e24
Michele says
RSV-associated deaths among children <5 years of age are thought to be uncommon, estimated at 100-500 per year. Among US adults, an estimated 177,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths associated with RSV infections occur annually.
https://wwwn.cdc.gov › conditions
Respiratory Syncytial Virus-
Sandy says
Extremely poor journalism! First of all RSV IS TRANSMITTED VIA DROPLETS, like the flu and can be transmitted via those droplets so stop telling people this nonsense. If they think they are sick they shouldn’t be within 3 feet of the baby or anyone else!
Aimee says
Correction- there IS a vaccine. It’s just that it’s crazy expensive and will only be covered by insurance if you meet certain criteria.
Crystal says
My youngest son had rsv at 4 months old he was in the hospital for a week he had already had breathing issues already from the moment he was born. His Dr said to keep bringing him back to the office everyday for the next few weeks to monitor him and on the third day I went to the hospital to get a second opinion and I’m glad I did his heart rate was 214 per minute and his oxygen levels were at a 50 percent he was transported to another hospital right away
John Reeves says
I had no idea about this thank you for information