A mother is urging parents to consider the newly available preventative treatments for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) after her son’s harrowing experience with the illness. Jessica Cohn can still recall the raw feelings of helplessness as her infant son, Eitan, battled RSV. This epic engagement led to a 15-day hospital stay while he was still under 30 days old. This potentially life-threatening respiratory virus can produce symptoms that include fever and irritability. It especially affects newborns and children under five years of age, causing respiratory distress and loss of appetite.
Dr. Darine El-Chaâr, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at The Ottawa Hospital, says RSV can be fatal. She warns that half of all cases in infants lead to hospitalization within their first half-year of life. The Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC) recently published a report on RSV, outlining the importance of preventative measures available for newborns.
Understanding RSV and Its Impact
RSV remains a top health threat to our youngest patients, and especially newborns. The virus can cause significant respiratory damage, so it’s important for parents to understand what this virus means.… pictures Dr. El-Chaâr emphasizes the importance of educating new parents about RSV. He implores them to look at the ways they could prevent a bad outcome.
“Fifty percent of RSV cases are hospitalized in the first six months of age, and it’s devastating for families with young children to be in hospital and to watch them suffer through it,” – Dr. Darine El-Chaâr
Jessica Cohn’s personal narrative underscores this urgency. She describes the experience as “devastating,” sharing the emotional burden parents face when their infants require hospitalization due to RSV complications.
“For a little baby that can’t cough it out, that can’t blow their nose, it can be catastrophic,” – Jessica Cohn
Prevention Strategies for Newborns
Fortunately, there are proven approaches to safeguarding newborns from the dangers of RSV. The FMWC report indicates that these strategies include vaccinating pregnant mothers in their third trimester, which allows antibodies to be passed to the infant, or administering Palivizumab directly to newborns. Palivizumab is a monoclonal antibody that is administered prophylactically, monthly, during RSV season to protect high-risk infants from severe disease.
Dr. El-Chaâr points out an important trend: thanks to the vaccine and Palivizumab, fewer infants are being admitted to hospitals for RSV. This shift has hit home especially in recent years. Vaccine provision is inconsistent even within Canada, with some provinces offering the vaccine and others opting to provide Palivizumab, leading to inequitable access based on province of residence.
“We’re in a time where there’s options, there’s ways to prevent these babies from getting so sick. So it’s important to educate yourself as a new parent, know your options, know they exist,” – Jessica Cohn
The Call for Awareness
No matter where you are—consider Jessica Cohn’s story a reminder to remain vigilant about RSV. Parents need to know what it lacks to keep their children safe. She hopes that all parents in Ontario will use the newly preventative treatments that became available to their babies this spring. Her message is clear: knowledge is power when it comes to safeguarding children against this dangerous virus.
The emotional burden of watching a child battle RSV can be staggering. Cohn reflects on the desire parents have for their newborns:
“As a new parent, you want to be home with your baby. You want to be enjoying it. You don’t want to see that baby hooked up to tubes and machines.” – Jessica Cohn
