It's that time of year when the cold and flu continue to spread and among children. In North Texas, health providers say they've seen a significant increase in RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) in children.
Cook Children's said last week between Oct. 22 and Oct. 28, 25% of all tests at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth came back positive for RSV. That's bout 191 out of the 764 tested. In comparison, in the first week of Oct., they saw about 50 cases.
"This time of year we do tend to see more RSV as well as other circulating viruses," said Sandeepa Rajadhyaksha, M.D., a pediatrician at Cook Children's in Frisco.
She described the symptoms of RSV and said it's important for parents of young children to pay attention.
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"If most adults get it, it's a little bit of a cough and runny nose. In kids less than 2 years old, especially infants, it can be this wet productive what I call a 'juicy cough' with a lot of mucus, it's that high-pitched cough, sometimes it's accompanied by wheezing or trouble breathing," she said.
Dr. Rajadhyaksha suggested parents help remove mucus from a child's nose using a nose-sucking tool. She said what parents really need to look out for is the way their child is breathing.
"Look at how they're breathing. Are they sucking into the point that you can see their ribs? Is their belly going in and out a lot? Is that muscle right underneath the neck pulling in?" said Rajadhyaksha.
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She explained that if a parent answers yes to any of those questions, it's time to see a doctor, go to the urgent care or emergency room.
Rajadhyaksha said another sign of labored breathing is if a child's lips turn blue.
Dehydration is also a concern for a child with RSV.
"A lot of times kids with RSV don't want to drink a lot because now their mouth is blocked and their nose is blocked and they can become dehydrated. So the two most common reasons I send kids to the ER are if they are if they are dehydrated or having trouble breathing," explained Rajadhyaksha.
There is a new treatment for RSV that is relatively new on the market called by the brand name Beyfortus, but it's currently in short supply.
"Babies up to the age of 8 months old during the RSV season can get and it gives the antibodies to them explained Rajadhyaksha who said it can help them fight the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control has said because of the shortage of the antibody, doctors are tasked with only giving it to the highest-risk patients. That tends to be newborns and infants who are susceptible to a major illness.
Children's Health said during the week of Oct. 26, it saw its highest number of RSV cases in 2023, which was 291 cases in the system. They said that is a 42% increase from Oct. 1 of this year.
Doctors are reminding parents about good hand washing, keeping sick kids home and suggesting pregnant women in their last trimester get the RSV vaccine to help with passing it on to the baby.
