Parenthood is full of big decisions, and the safety and health of your little one plays a big role in making them.
Parenthood is full of big decisions, and the safety and health of your little one plays a big role in making them.
That’ s why it’ s important that you know about respiratory syncytial virus( RSV).
Around 2 in 3 babies will catch RSV before their first birthday. 1
For most babies, an RSV infection will cause mild symptoms such as a runny nose, coughing, sneezing, and congestion. 2, 3
But for some babies, it can get worse and lead to more severe symptoms, which might mean a stay in hospital is needed. 4
In fact, RSV is a leading cause of hospitalisations in babies under a year old. 5-7 It’ s also difficult to predict which babies will get seriously ill and require hospital care after becoming infected. 8, 12 Even a baby born healthy and at full term is still at risk of being hospitalised in their first year, if they catch RSV. 4, 8-10 Almost 1 in 10 cases in children under 2 years progress to lung infections, such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia. 11 Some babies may develop pneumonia when RSV goes deep into their lungs, causing inflammation. 2, 3, 13 This leads to fluid and pus building up in the tiny air sacs in their lungs, making it difficult and painful for them to breathe. 2, 3
Bronchiolitis is an illness caused by an infection in the smallest airways of the lungs, which are called bronchioles. 3 When bronchioles become inflamed and swell, mucus can build up and block them, making it difficult to breathe. 1 RSV is responsible for up to 80 % of bronchiolitis cases in babies. 3 A baby’ s immune system continues to mature after birth, so it’ s difficult for them to produce a strong enough
14, 15 immune response to protect against RSV disease on their own.
Babies’ lungs continue to develop throughout infancy and childhood. 16 In the first year of life, the airways in their lungs are very small and fragile, 17 and babies’ airways can be smaller than the tip of a pencil. 16 As in some other infections, when babies have an RSV infection, these narrow airways are much more likely to become blocked with mucous, which can make it difficult for them to breathe. 3 So, along with their developing immune systems, their tiny lungs make babies vulnerable to developing a severe illness following an RSV infection. 16
Fortunately, protection for infants against RSV is now available in South Africa. Ask your healthcare provider about keeping your baby safe during their first RSV season.
1. Walsh EE. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection: An Illness for All Ages. Clin Chest Med. 2017; 38( 1): 29-36. 2. Piedimonte G, Perez MK. Respiratory syncytial virus infection and bronchiolitis [ published correction appears in Pediatr Rev. 2015 Feb; 36( 2): 85. 3. Meissner HC. Viral Bronchiolitis in Children. N Engl J Med. 2016; 374( 1): 62-72. 4. Hall CB, Weinberg GA, Iwane MK, et al. The burden of respiratory syncytial virus infection in young children. N Engl J Med. 2009; 360( 6): 588-598. 5. Moyes J, Walaza S, Mkhencele T, et al. The burden of RSV-associated illness in children aged < 5 years, South Africa, 2011 – 2016. BMC Med. 2023; 21( 1): 139. 6. Demont C, Petrica N, Bardoulat I, et al. Economic and disease burden of RSV-associated hospitalizations in young children in France, from 2010 through 2018 [ published correction appears in BMC Infect Dis. 2023 Feb 27; 23( 1): 122. 7. Suh M, Movva N, Jiang X, et al. Respiratory Syncytial Virus Is the Leading Cause of United States Infant Hospitalizations, 2009-2019: A Study of the National( Nationwide) Inpatient Sample. J Infect Dis. 2022; 226( Suppl 2): S154-S163 8. Demont C, Petrica N, Bardoulat I, et al. Economic and disease burden of RSV-associated hospitalizations in young children in France, from 2010 through 2018 [ published correction appears in BMC Infect Dis. 2023 Feb 27; 23( 1): 122. 9. Arriola CS, Kim L, Langley G, et al. Estimated Burden of Community-Onset Respiratory Syncytial Virus-Associated Hospitalizations Among Children Aged < 2 Years in the United States, 2014-15. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2020; 9( 5): 587-595. 10. Bianchini S, Silvestri E, Argentiero A, Fainardi V, Pisi G, Esposito S. Role of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Pediatric Pneumonia. Microorganisms. 2020; 8( 12): 2048. Published 2020 Dec 21. 11. Langley JM, Bianco V, Domachowske JB, et al. Incidence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Lower Respiratory Tract Infections During the First 2 Years of Life: A Prospective 14. Study Across Diverse Global Settings. J Infect Dis. 2022; 226( 3): 374-385. 12. Pickles RJ, DeVincenzo JP. Respiratory syncytial virus( RSV) and its propensity for causing bronchiolitis. J Pathol. 2015; 235( 2): 266-276. 13. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. What is Pneumonia? Available at: https:// www. nhlbi. nih. gov / health / pneumonia. Accessed: September 2024. 14. Simon AK, Hollander GA, McMichael A. Evolution of the immune system in humans from infancy to old age. Proc Biol Sci. 2015; 282( 1821): 20143085. 15. Lambert L, Sagfors AM, Openshaw PJ, Culley FJ. Immunity to RSV in Early-Life. Front Immunol. 2014; 5:466. Published 2014 Sep 29. 16. Di Cicco M, Kantar A, Masini B, Nuzzi G, Ragazzo V, Peroni D. Structural and functional development in airways throughout childhood: Children are not small adults. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2021; 56( 1): 240-251. 17. Hussain M, Xu C, Lu M, Wu X, Tang L, Wu X. Wnt / ß-catenin signaling links embryonic lung development and asthmatic airway remodeling. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis. 2017; 1863( 12): 3226-3242 sanofi-aventis south africa( pty) ltd., Reg. no.: 1996 / 010381 / 07, Floor 5, Building I, Hertford Office Park, 90 Bekker Road, Midrand, 2196. Tel:( 011) 256 3700. MAT-ZA-2500463-1.0-09 / 2025