Infant with RSV

Take her to the hospital right away. If her cry is faint and she is weak that is not a good thing and she is having to work way too hard to breath.

Didn't they put her on a respirator in the hospital? Did the doctor prescribe you any type of nebulizer machine with medicine so you can give her treatments at home? Similar to those with asthma? No? get a new doctor. Go back & ask these questions. She should have only been released if her breathing was strong on her own. The hospital should have monitored her oxygen levels. If not go back.

Have you tried the saline drops to suction her nose? She probably won't like it but it really helps loosen things up.

Go to Whole Foods or the locally owned health food store. Do not go to GNC, they don't know anything and don't care what they carry as long as it has a profit. Ask the store staff in the herbal medicine section about some herbs. For babies you can get them in eye dropper bottled liquids and put the drops in her water or juice or directly down the throat depending on the taste.
There is a book by Balch and Balch. 1 is an MD and the other a nutritionist. The book is 8 1/2 X 11 X 1 1/2 inches. Kind of intimidating but written for laymen, not professionals. It's called 'Prescription for Nutritional Healing' but it uses the abreviation Rx for Prescription. In this book you can look up symptoms and it will talk about supplements that will help. Or you can look up a supplement and it will talk about that. Very user friendly. It will help you slowly become your own expert.
I had tremendous results with Echinacea, Golden Seal, and Astralagus as far as herbs are concerned. The Echinacea is for mucous cell support. It will work on sinus congestion and chest congestion. And with these symptoms improving you will get an automatic help with any ear infection, throat pain, cough, and headaches. Herbs are subtle and don't bulldoze their way through like Pharma drugs so don't expect to see overwhelming changes. The change is gradual but consistant and much safer.
Golden Seal is for immune system support and can be used when not sick to prevent sickness. Astralagus is for deep immune system support used usually when you are sick to get better.
I used herbs and vitamins exclusively for all of my children's illnesses. We didn't do prescription or over-the-counter children's meds or antibiotics ever and my children are in 3rd and 6th grade. So I personally know that they work well. We also do not do flu shots.
God Bless

If your baby is wheezing, then get her to the ER immediatly. I know from experience that RSV can get serious fast. It sounds like she needs breathing treatments if you're not already giving them to her. The ER doc will be able to tell you if she needs breathing treatments. They will take an xray of her chest. I'm telling you though, this is serious and can get bad really fast. It sounds like, since you've had to hold her upright since friday, you should be taking her to the ER. DOn't play around with RSV.

L.,

If you feel she is still sick then you need to take her back to the hospital since your doctor won't do anything else for her. I would also get a new pediatrician. I don't know where you live, but if you're in the NW Houson area, Steeplechase Pediatrics is a good place. We see Dr. Mario Garza, Jr. ###-###-####, but all of the doctors are good there. We've been taking our 3 kids there since we moved to Cypress 12 years ago. My very first pediatrician in Florida told me that my mother's instinct was far better than any doctor's advice because I knew my child better than they did. He was the one that diagnosed my first child with RSV at 3months and Thomas stayed in the hospital for 6 days in an oxygen tent.

Good luck,
Cindy

My friends baby is a month old and recoverying from RSV and he was on around the clock breathing treatments at the hospital and at home to help with the mucous in the lungs. She is going to get into trouble again if the lungs fill up with mucous.

I thought that there is a series of shots that can be given to infants that have RSV. You way want to research on the web more about the shots. I think that they may be for the little ones that are not sick at the time of the shots. But other than that, there is nothing that can be given to your little one as far as over the counter meds.

Sorry that I could not have helped with more advise, but hopefully this will be over soon for your little one.
Best of luck!
J.

My oldest son had RSV when he was 2 months old. The Dr. put him in the hospital overnight and he recieved breathing treatments of Albuteral with a nebulizer. We were sent home with the nebulizer to continue treatments for almost a week. I can't beleive you were told there was nothing you could do. I would get a second opinion if I were you.

If her cries are faint and she is listless you need to take her to the doctor. Try another one since your first one said they couldn't do anything for her. Follow your instinct. If you feel something is wrong, there is. It worries me that you say her crys are faint. Take her to another doctor.
Also, I've always been told to use cool mist humidifiers and not warm mist. Put some Vicks on her chest and back too, that sometimes helps.

My daughter had RSV at 2 months and we were able to treat her at home with breathing treatments. She had them every 4 hours during the day and if she woke up at night (which she did not). She lost her voice as a result of the drainage and it took her almost a week to get it back. After a week of treatments at home she was much better and back to her normal self.

We all know RSV can be very serious. If your doctor has yet to provide you a prescription for the breathing treatments I would call first thing this morning and tell them you want that for your baby. You can rent the nebulizer (sp?) from the Target pharmacy for $10 and it's really easy to administer.

I hope your little one gets better soon, I know it's not an easy virus to have to watch your little ones fight off but with your love and care she will be feeling better in no time!

Run the shower on the hottest setting and open the door/curtain. Place your baby in her infant car seat on the floor in the bathroom (NOT in the shower/tub). Close the door. Let the steam fill the bathroom as much as possible and let her stay in there as long as possible. Do this as much as needed, several times a day if you can. It works faster than a humidifier. But, keep the humidifier on in the home. You can also add a couple of drops of Eucaplyptus Oil in the shower water which will help (like vicks). Also, rather than keeping her upright, you need to help her loosen up that flegm. So, sometimes lay her on your lap where your legs are slightly angled down, baby on her stomach-face down-facing downward toward floor slightly. Gently pat her back to help loosen it up. Your daughter may be getting weak because she is dehydrated. Look for other signs of dehydration and act appropriately. Kids always need more fluids when congested. They can get dehydrated fast - at this age it can be very life threatening. Watch for dry diapers, loose skin, no saliva under tongue, etc. Keep up with the vicks.

Call the pediatrician's office first thing this morning. The "faint cries" sounds really worrisome to me!

I'm sorry, that's rough to have a sick baby and no meds! My niece had undiagnosed RSV for several months and although I said she had RSV, the ped never ran any tests and said it was just a cold. When she finally wound up in the ER she was so severe that they thought they'd loose her! As another poster said, she had albuterol in a nebulizer and IV fluids. They sent her home with a prescription for a nebulizer and albuterol. She has permanent damage from it and now has to have a nebulizer treatment frequently and has had several ER trips due to severe breathing problems. RSV scarred her lungs.

Besides getting a nebulizer, I would recommend asking her dr about the RSV (synagis) vaccine next year. I don't know if you get life immunity to RSV but if not and her lungs are damaged by RSV then it could be really serious next year.

S.

It's true, the virus has to run its course. If she is truely having that much trouble breathing though you could take her to the ER. We usually hospitalize infants w/ RSV and give breathing or oxygen treatments.
Are you also using saline nasal spray and a bulb suction to remove nasal congestion?
Good luck.

You need to get your baby over to Dell Children's Hospital ER to get examined immediately.

The humidifier in her room is always good, but you may want to ask your doctor about a nebulizer. I think you could use albuteral (sp?) and saline drops. This has been a life saver for us and will always clear out the chest, from our RSV run to croup coughs etc.

L.,

They should have given you a nebulizer with an Albuterol/Saline combination. When the little ones get RSV and many other respiratory illnesses, it is recommended that we use that fairly frequently, and for as long as several weeks or even months. Best wishes for your baby's recovery!

L.,
That sounds painful, she is so little.

When my granddaughter was a baby, we gave her a natural juice and it help tremendously, fast and without side effects.

look up xanthones at the National Library of Medicines,
www.pubmed.gov ,
the science is there, all we have to do is ask,
ASK your Dr about XANTHONES, and how these can help your baby,

Watch this video, ABC news, the first 2 minutes are very informative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4ipAblzpfM


my email is tecuento123 at yahoo
I will be at IHOP this morning in Georgetown at 10AM,
you can stop by and ask for more info and a taste of this wonderful God given fruit juice.

God bless you and your baby,
Oly

If your daughter is having any trouble breathing...rapid breathing (40 or more breaths per minute)...flaring nostrils...contractions just below her ribcage with every breath...wheezing...take her back to the doctor or hospital today. Have them test her blood oxygen levels to make sure she's taking in enough oxygen. Ask your pediatrician about treatments for asthma and the possibility of using a decongestant and/or expectorant!

I don't want to frighten you but my son caught RSV as an infant and he ended up spending a week in the hospital on oxygen receiving multiple medications normally used to control asthma attacks...and every time he caught a cold after that, he had trouble breathing. The good news is that with a nebulizer and a prescription for Albuterol I was able to open his airways enough at the first signs of a cold to prevent future problems...and he grew out of the asthmatic response to colds by the time he was four.

Yes, RSV does have to run its course just like a common cold...but unlike a regular cold, you need to keep a close eye on it to keep it from affecting breathing (and ultimately the way the lungs react to viruses in the future). The studies indicate that anywhere from 25 to more than 50% of the children that contract RSV end up developing asthma...and in my experience, it is sometimes very difficult to tell the difference between an asthma attack (that can and should be treated) and a respiratory virus (that has to run its course).

Go back to the doctor...there's a good chance he'll tell you you're overreacting...but I learned the hard way that overreacting is better than underreacting when it comes to something that affects breathing!

Get a new freaking Dr. he sounds like an IDIOT, she is 3 months old for goodness sake. This is a serious virus and you need s/o who is interested in helping you.

Go to ER or another Doctor.......

Has your daughter been on breathing treatments? My son is five now, but the first two years of his life, he continuously had drainage, ear infections and he was on breating treatments every fall and winter season. At bed time, we always propt him up so he could get to sleep. As he was old enough, we tickled him alot, so he would laugh. I know this sounds strange, but this would make him cough. The more he coughed, the more it would break up the mucous.

The faint cries does not sound good. Your daughter is having difficulty breathing. Please take her back to another doctor for breathing treatments.

I hope your baby girl gets better quick!! Blessings!

Deborah

Don't take her out of the house until the cough is gone. Steam up her room with a humidifier asap. (Wash it out with vinegar every day so no mold grows) The humidifier will loosen the cough. Bringing her in the bathroom and really steaming it up is good in addition. I massage my children's chests with a special mixture of essential oils diluted with olive oil and in a couple days their cough is gone. It's amazing. Problem is I don't know if it's ok to use on a baby so little. But it works like nothing else. I'll give you their website, the oil mixture is called "Deliverance" and I just put a couple drops in my hand with a little olive oil and massage the entire chest morning and night. http://butterflyexpressions.org/
You could also check with People's pharmacy. They have some people on staff that can give you safe natural solutions. But they are not allowed to dispense that information over the phone so you have to go in. They really helped me out one time when my baby was sick. Best of luck. Keep her inside. The cold air is not good when her lungs are compromised. Blessings!

My son also had RSV at 5 months old. We were in the hospital with a humidifier and breathing treatments every four hours to help him get rid of the congestion. You might go back to your doctor and ask about nebulizer breathing treatments and a humidifier without the vicks. It is viral so antibiotics will not help.

Be agressive with your doctor. Don't leave them alone until you are satisfied your daughter is on the mend!!

My son got it & I can't remember exactly how old he was, I know it was before he was 9 mos. His Pedi gave us an inhaler for him. We attached it to a mask to put over his nose & mouth. Though he was older than your baby, I can't imagine why they won't do anything for her. Call her Pedi again & mention that a friend of yours' son got an inhaler when he had it & ask if your baby could get one since she's in such terrible shape with the cough. If he says no, ask why. I can't imagine a doctor doing nothing for an infant in that shape, so if he won't, get a 2nd opinion from a different doctor. You may have to take her back to the ER since it's urgent. But I urge you to find someone to give her something to help her breathe. RSV has to run it's course, but they can & should treat the cough to help her breathe. If you get treatment elsewhere it's time to find a new pedi.

My 10 month old just got over RSV. You are diong the right things.

The only thing I gave my daughter was saline drops in her nose almost every other hour and gave her water to break up the mucous.

One thing you need to watch for is her tugging slightly on her ear. Once the fever went away, she had the same cough.

It just by chance happened that she had to go back the next Monday to get the other half of her flu shot. I asked the dr. to look at her ears and it ended up she had gotten an ear infection from the mucous build up. He gave us some antibiotics. Once she started taking those, everything cleared right up.

I'm so sorry you're having to go through that, along with your baby girl. We had a bad case of bronchiolitis when my son was almost one and they gave him a nebulizer with breathing treatments. I wonder if something like that would help.

I'm awaiting other responses of mommas who have gone through the same thing. I'm having my baby this week, and I am personally freaked out by having a newborn during RSV season.

Good luck. I'll keep y'all in my prayers for a speedy recovery.

To me it sounds like your daughter is in significant distress to require hospitalization. They would probably help calm her lungs with a nebulizer treatment containing albuterol as well as give her some IV fluids. Because she has been suffering so long, I worry that her lungs might collapse. Hold her upright and observe her chest. If you can see her rib/chest muscles rising & falling dramatically, her muscles are helping her breathe and this a sign to get to the hospital. To me, it sounds like your Dr is minimizing the risk to your daughter, you need a 2nd opinion. My son's Dr. is one of the best and he has always recomended being ultra cautious regarding lung and breathing problems. They are the absolute most life threatening situation in the Emergency Room. We used to have to go all the time when he was little. It's not fun, but this is serious.

Hi, L.!

I am so sorry to hear that your daughter has RSV...my daughter had it when she was 3 weeks old and was hospitalized for it. I guess your doctor didn't think her RSV was serious enough to have her hospitalized, but I would take her to another doctor to get a second opinion...it can be deadly. I'll be praying for her, and for you!

Blessings & Prayers,
S.
SAHM of 7 (ages 2 to 14)

Have you used a Nebulizer? My son had RSV when he was an infant too and was hospitalized. They tried an IV for fluids and they couldn't start an IV on him. (I let them try three times and that was IT!) Then they gave him treatments with a nebulizer. During the treatments I would pat his back to loosen the mucus. Most insurance companies cover the cost of the machine, you're need a Doctor's order as well as for the mist that's put into the small vile. I don't recommend the vaporizer with Vicks. Maybe a cool mist humidifier and buy the distilled water. I would suggest keeping the baby close to the humidifier and patting her back. My mother-in-law gave me some advice I've used many, many times. Rub Mentholatim on chest, back and feet and put socks on...works great overnight.
Hope this helps.
Also, I must add. As a mother you have to go with your gut. My son was ill a few months after being in the hospital and my MD recommended I take him back. I had to follow my instincts. I did not take him. Sometimes being in the hospital worsens things and they're more exposed to more serious illnesses. If you don't feel your MD is addressing the situation appropriately seek a second opinion. I have two Pediatricians I alternate with! :)

My 6 month old is getting over an infection too.She is tons better now.
Doctor told me the same thing. But she did suggest the shower/vapor thing & also saline spray. My mother does alot of home remedies and we cooked some garlic in olive oil and I would give her a tiny bit of the olive oil every morning. (about what goes in a baby spoon). This is suppose to help her pass the phlegm in her stools.
I am not sure what worked, or if it was a combination - but she is good now! She only has a slight runny nose, but I think that is due to the sudden change of weather we just had.

I would put her in the bathroom in her carseat, whenever anyone would take a shower. If I did not catch anyone other than myself taking a shower or bath, then I would just run the hot water in the sink and hold her over the vapors (face down) so that she could inhale. I did this AT LEAST 3 times a day. Morning, when I got home from work, and then before bed. In the morning and at night, I would squeeze the saline solution in each nostril (2 sprays) This often made her sneeze and a whole bunch of the mucus would come out. And the olive oil, I would always give to her on the way out the door every morning. I would have her strapped in her carseat and ready to go & I would do that and then leave for the day.
GOOD LUCK> I know it is worrisome for any mother to have her infant sick.

I am so sorry about your little baby girl. We finally took our son to the Ear Nose and Throat doctor. He had to get tubes in his ears. He was having ear ache after ear ache. Taking him to the doctors and being on all those meds didnt help. Finally I was asking someone what do we do we keep taking him to the doctor and they keep saying its allergies or something stupid. And they suggested a specialest. When taking your daughter to the doctor and your not getting results, ask to be reffered to a specialest. Find out for sure if there really is nothing left to do and it just has to run its course. So sorry about your little one. I will say a prayer for her and you. God bless.

I know that this will sound strange but when mine were little I would take them into the bathroom while I took a shower. The steam from the shower helped them this is easy enough to do along with the vaporizer you might be able to use a warm washrag on their chest off and on in the daytime. A small amount of lemon juice and honey might help with the cough also. All are natural will not cost much and it worked for mine. Good luck.

um, I have to agree with alot of the other mommies on here, and I don't mea to scare you but....you need to find another doctor! OH gosh, my little brother had RSV as in infant and they gave him a nebulizer and he took like 3 treatments daily. To this day in the winter time he still gets sick and they give him the nebulizer! My cousin's daughter caught RSV as a toddler and was in the hospital for about 3 weeks, they had to pat her on the back to loosen her phlem in her chest and gave her a nebulizer treatment.. RSV does not just "run it's course" ..PERIOD!!! Trust me, i've seen 3 different cases of RSV... Use a WARM mist vaporizer with the vicks, that will help a little with the congestion,rub vicks on her chest and on the bottom of her feet, (I know it sounds crazy but it really does work), I would recommend the Johnson &Johnson brand (the green baby bath bottle) soothing baby bath..(it smells like vicks) if she has a runny nose suction her with a bulb syringe (like the one they should have given you in the hospital, if you don't have one, they have one exactly like the hospital kinds at babies r us for under $2) Please go find another doctor or take baby to the hospital ASAP. My cousin lost a 4 month old baby boy to RSV, I don't ever want anyone to go through that experience.PLEASE PLEASE go get her some help before it's too late!

cool air humidifier, vicks on chest and feet. Be upright as much as possible (I slept in a recliner with my kid). If your gut isn't feeling right, go back tot he doc. Something like RSV cannot be fooled with.

L.,
first of all, I hope your baby heals quickly! I am a mother of three and we went through the RSV with our son when he was six months old. As I'm sure you know, it is a common respiratory virus, but difficult on children under a year. We actually borrowed my cousin's nebulizer and gave him regular treatments every day. Also I would take him in the bathroom and turn on the shower, hot water only, and let it get really steamy then sit in there with him, maybe thump his back for a few minutes to loosen the phlegm. The main concern with RSV in infants is their breathing/lungs. You want to do all you can to keep the mucus clear. We did saline nasal rinses(you can get them at People's Rx or make your own with plastic syringe and warm salt water) several times a day as well and those really helped (though our son didn't enjoy that very much!). We would hold him upright also so he could sleep, and it was a sleep deprived household for a couple of weeks, but thanks to God we got through it and he recovered well. We made 2 trips to the ER during this time because of breathing issues, but once we got down a regular schedule down of nebulizer and saline treatments he improved. We also gave him expressed milk from a plastic syringe when he was too congested or fussy to nurse directly from the breast, that way we could control how much he was getting. I empathize with you but hang in there and your baby will get through it.
Blessings to you guys!
-D.

Hi L.!

So sorry to hear about your baby girl. My 8 month old son was sick a few weeks ago, with a cough and runny nose. I put a cold water humidifier in his room, and it worked wonders. If you haven't tried that, you might want to give it a shot. My son was also able to sleep longer. Along with the humidifier, I put a pillow underneath one end of the mattress in his crib, and that seemed to help alot.

Good luck!

J.

Hi L.,

Dr. Singh in Tomball Texas placed my daughter on a nebulizer using 1 vial of Xopenex 3x a day for a week. This worked great for my daughter. Her congestions cleared up and she was so was able to breathe so much better and alot faster than just waiting it out. I don't think I could have handled just waiting it out and watching her be so miserable. Hope this helps.

M. C.

When my daughter was 2 months old she also got RSV. We took her to the doctor and at first they told us it was just a virus and it would have to run its course. Two nights later she was choking with congestion and we took her to the hospital. She was running a very high fever and they had to do a spinal tap on her. Anyway it turned out to be RSV and she was hospitalized for 3 nights. After the hospital stay she still had a bad cough so I took her back to the doctor and he gave her a nebulizer. It really helped and got rid of the cough fast.

Get your daughter back to a doctor or a hospital ASAP! My daughter had RSV three years ago. She was hospitalized and intubated (on a breathing machine) because she got so ill that she couldn't breathe sufficiently for herself. She needed oxygen for many days. Don't let your daughter get any worse! I would hate to see you go through what we did. Does Austin have anything comparable to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston? That's where my daughter was hospitalized...Best wishes.

I would call your Dr. back, how are her diapers, is she getting dehydrated? Ask the DR. about breathing treatments, or a nebulizer. Maybe even take her to a clinic, or if she is struggling to breath, maybe even the ER. RSV can be dangerous if it goes untreated. Don't let your Dr. just say there's nothing that can be done; if she is not getting enough oxygen, she needs to be hospitalized. I'm not trying to scare you, but don't let the DR. send you away thinking nothing else can be done for her! If she is just congested,like a cold, then ask him about Ceron DM (or Rondec) drops? She might be too young, but works well for my kids. Also vicks on the chest and vicks on the feet with socks over. Saline nasal flush with bulb suctioning. That's all I can think of. Hope it works! God Be with y'all, S.

Take her for a second opinion.
Is there another doctor in the office that can see her, if you have an insurance that only lets you see one doc?

Could they not put her on breathing treatments to help her lungs clear up? They really help to get the mucous cleared up, plus, they have small amounts of steroids to keep the lungs strong, and, from hurting so bad from the coughing.

My daughter got pnemonia when she was a few months old. There was not much they could do for her either, but, her pedi had her on breathing treatments every few hours to help get her cleared up and from being in so much pain.

Try ocean water. It come in bottles at the pharmacy. All it is truely what it says ocean water. Follow the directions on the bottle.

Dear L.,
Sounds bad to me! I would take her back to the doctor ASAP!
I don't think he understood how bad it is.
J.