Urgent warning for parents to 'stop kissing babies' after winter illness spreads
Parents have been warned to ‘stop kissing babies’ after the spread of a winter illness.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) triggers wheezing, rasping, coughing, and vomiting in babies and can also affect a child’s breathing if contracted. Younger kids can also develop bronchiolitis if they have the disease. The condition is spread easily after being in contact with a person who is already infected and this can include when babies are kissed by family members.
A mum called Abby, who runs TheMotherhoodHome on Instagram, told followers on the social media site: "It’s RSV season and this is your friendly reminder to NOT KISS babies and toddlers on the hands or faces if they aren’t your child. Even if you are immediate family. This is not about you. This is about protecting children from becoming seriously sick.
"In fact, just don’t kiss babies full stop. This is just a reminder that RSV season is here. Do not be afraid to tell your family to NOT kiss your baby/toddler. People seem to think toddlers are safe from RSV, but they’re not. They can still become very sick. Let’s keep our littles safe." RSV symptoms can include a runny nose and decreased appetite. Other ailments to look out for are coughing, sneezing, fever and wheezing. Health experts say the RSV virus can even survive on surfaces for up to seven hours.
The NHS says RSV is common and almost all children are infected with the virus by the time they turn two years old. Youngsters under the age of one have the highest risk of catching RSV. Babies under six months old often develop bronchiolitis and pneumonia which can lead to them being admitted to hospital.
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In November The Mirror reported how Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) was on the rise with more cases being identified. The infection with cold-like symptoms can cause more serious diseases in the vulnerable, elderly people and infants. Most children will have had RSV at least by the time they reach two, as their immune systems develop according to the NHS. It can be severe, with around 70,000 children under five spending time in hospital with RSV in the US every year, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the nation says. The report said Government data showed the overall positivity for RSV increased to 10.7 per cent, with the highest positivity in those aged under five years old at 39.4 per cent at the moment in the UK.
Emergency department attendance for acute bronchiolitis continued to increase nationally, as well as hospital admission rates. RSV often causes acute bronchiolitis, a common lung infection which causes swelling and irritation and a build-up of mucus in the small airways of the lung. Dr Conall Watson, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said. "UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) surveillance shows that – as is expected as we head into winter – many young children are now needing NHS assessment and care for conditions like bronchiolitis caused by RSV."
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