While in the hospital, Shanisty says she held Adam as much and as often as she was able.
I had no idea what RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) was. I am not a medical professional. I am an average mom with three kids.
Like most kids, mine get the sniffles and sneezes during cold and flu season. They are up-to-date on their vaccinations, and interact with other children on a regular basis. Play dates, playgrounds, the grocery store. I’ve never kept my children in a bubble.
We had our third child in November 2016. Adam was healthy and weighed a whopping 9 lbs., 8 oz. Right before Thanksgiving, my older son started to show signs of a nasty cough. He never ran a fever, and after about a week, the virus had run its course. As in most families with multiple children, the virus was passed down to my 2-year-old daughter.
It hit her much harder. She ran a high-grade fever for four days and nights. The nasty cough was causing her to vomit. She wasn’t eating and was extremely lethargic. Between my two older kids, I had been to their pediatrician seven times in two weeks. Finally, my daughter was prescribed an antibiotic for her ear infection, and she started to show signs of life again.
Clockwise from top left: Jeff, Shanisty, Adam, Eden, Luke
I was extremely naive when it came to my newborn. I seriously thought since I was breastfeeding him, he would have extra immunities against this nasty virus my older two were passing back and forth. I was stupid. And I regret it.
I was over at my parents’ house one evening and my dad was holding Adam when he called me into the living room. “Adam is really sick.” I kind of laughed it off, in a complete sleep deprived stupor. I didn’t want to believe him, because I didn’t think I could handle one more sick child.
That evening, Adam took a turn for the worse. He was coughing a phlegmy cough. The next few days were kind of a blur. Adam was taken back to the pediatrician twice. The second time, his nose was swabbed, and he tested positive for RSV and bronchiolitis.
“What is RSV?” I asked a tech. She couldn’t tell me. They were very busy at the office, so she just said to watch him closely. I should have pressed the pediatrician’s office more, but I kind of felt dumb. I was now on my ninth visit in two weeks. So I left.
Adam's bout with RSV was life-changing, but he's now a healthy - and smiley - little boy.
That night, Adam started running a low-grade fever. What I didn’t know was that even a low-grade fever is dangerous for a newborn. Stupid, like I said. He was vomiting after every feed. The next morning, he had gone a full 12 hours without a wet diaper. I called back to the doctor’s office. Instead of setting up my 10th appointment, they told me to take him to Nationwide Children’s Hospital immediately.
Adam spent four days and three nights hooked up to oxygen, IVs, fluids, antibiotics. He had multiple tests, chest X-rays, breathing treatments, nose aspirations. His care and treatment at Nationwide Children’s was first-class. I can’t rave enough about the hospital and staff. While I loved the hospital, I never want to have to go back again.
During RSV season, I see multiple articles about RSV pop up on my news feed. Which is awesome, but I still don’t think there is enough awareness about this virus. The reason I’m sharing our story is because I want other parents to know what I didn’t.
- Watch their breathing. Take your child’s shirt off and see if you can see their rib cage when they are trying to breathe. There is a tiny V shape under your child’s neck. When they suck in, if that V is exposed, they are working too hard to breathe. Lastly, does their head bob when they breathe? If so, they are working too hard. Adam was doing all three of these for a few days.
- RSV peaks on days three to five. I didn’t take him in to Nationwide Children’s until day five. Unfortunately, it’s a virus that causes patients to get worse before they get better.
- RSV is common. Like, super common. The average adult will get RSV multiple times in his or her lifetime. It’s just a cough with a common cold. For Luke, it was just a cough. For Eden, it was a fever, cough and vomiting. For Adam, it was four days at Nationwide Children’s.
- The RSV cough will last four to six weeks. Adam had a nasty cough for about six weeks after our stay at Nationwide Children’s. My husband and mom had the same cough. That season, RSV hit our entire family.
- Hand washing is great, but isolation is best. If you have kids and plan on coming in contact with a newborn, just stay away. Children are carriers of this virus, and while it may be a slight cough for a 5-year-old, it could be deadly for a 5-day-old or 5-week-old.
- Rain brings RSV. While there is no scientific evidence of this, researchers at Nationwide Children’s tell me when the weather warms up and the rain sweeps through, RSV is on the rise.
People may think I’m crazy, but I’ve canceled play dates and seek out a babysitter if anyone shows a sign of a sniffle. Our family canceled two vacations because of this virus.
Since our run with RSV, Adam is a proud graduate of the case study at Nationwide Children’s. Medical researchers are working on a vaccine for RSV. There is currently one for preemies, but should they succeed, this vaccine would be readily available to all newborns.
I am hoping Adam is able to help save future babies from contracting this horrible virus. And I’m hoping our story sheds some light on a virus I previously knew nothing about.
Shanisty (Myers) Ireland grew up in New Albany, where she attended school from kindergarten through high school graduation. She runs a blog on parenting, www.shesbecomingdomestic.com. She and her husband have three children and are happy to be living in New Albany.
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