PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pediatricians are worried about an increasing number of cases of the respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV, which is a very common virus that a large number of children are exposed to in the first two years of life.
RSV is mild in most cases, but for certain children — especially premature babies and newborns — the virus can be aggressive and require hospitalization.
RSV impacts the lungs, and a buildup of mucus can make it hard to breathe among certain children. Dehydration can also be an issue as well.
Normally, RSV is a bigger problem in the winter, but this year, it is attacking much earlier. The theory is that kids have not built natural immunity to it because of quarantine precautions in the past year.
KYW Newsradio’s Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.