My Baby Was Hospitalized With RSV After a Relative Kissed Him at a Party

When Lauren’s seven-month-old son, Jack, tested positive for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) a few days after snuggling with family members at a get-together, the New Jersey mom wasn’t initially too concerned. Jack had no underlying conditions and was in good health, and at first the symptoms looked a lot like a common cold. But soon things took a turn for the worse. Now, Lauren, who preferred not to use her last name to protect her child’s privacy, wants other parents to understand just how serious RSV can be—and how easily the virus, which is the No. 1 cause of infant hospitalizations in the US, can spread from something as well-meaning as a loved one’s kiss. Here’s her story, as told to Kathleen Felton.

I first heard about RSV at some point when my son, Jack, was a baby. My doctor told me the virus was something to be aware of and most kids get it at some point, but it’s usually no big deal. A few months later, my cousin’s baby actually tested positive for it and ended up having to be monitored in the hospital for a few hours. She went home and everything was fine, but that did put me on alert. I remember thinking, Oh, RSV can actually be dangerous.

Still, Jack was a healthy baby. He wasn’t born prematurely, didn’t have any conditions, and was up-to-date on all of his vaccinations. So I was mostly fine with him being held and snuggled by other people. I’m part of a big Portuguese family, and we’re super physically affectionate—that’s just the cultural norm.

When Jack was seven months old, he had a mild allergic reaction and I decided to keep him home from day care for a few days to keep an eye on him. By the time the weekend rolled around, though, he was feeling much better, so we decided to attend a few family events. We’d been invited to a baptism, a birthday party, and dinner at my in-laws. I do remember feeling a little hesitant about all of the socialization—my cousin’s baby recently had that bad experience with RSV, and it was the middle of winter, which is peak season for respiratory viruses—but I told myself it would be fine. There were one or two moments that weekend when I looked over and saw some of my relatives holding and kissing Jack, but I didn’t feel comfortable saying anything. I didn’t want to offend anyone.

A few days later, his symptoms started. At first, Jack had a cough and was very congested, but he was fever-free and still had an appetite. Even though it seemed like a regular cold, we brought him to the pediatrician’s office to be safe. They tested him and confirmed he had RSV. Our doctor didn’t seem super concerned, though, so we didn’t worry either. After all, RSV symptoms are usually mild. We were told to keep an eye out in case Jack developed a fever or stopped eating.