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Or maybe it’s less dangerous for older children because they were already exposed as younger children. Immunology is really tricky because the human immune sys

by User23 4y ago

Or maybe it’s less dangerous for older children because they were already exposed as younger children. Immunology is really tricky because the human immune system is quite complex. These kinds of findings sadly need to be taken with a grain of salt.

coryrc 4y ago
Toddlers have more robust immune systems than infants in multiple different ways. There's no evidence for your hypothesis. Evidence with a sample size of 1: I have a pandemic toddler and a baby. Toddler was not sick once in first 18 months. Both just got RSV. Toddler was fine after a couple days. Infant was in ER and is still having effects weeks later.
- Vecr 4y ago
  If the child gets RSV right as their maternal antibodies (to RSV) start fading, it could actually be less severe. It happened with polio, though polio has much more susceptibility to antibodies circulating in the blood if all you care about is severe disease.
  - User23 4y ago
    A child receiving maternal immunoglobulins from breast milk during the first year postpartum who is exposed to RSV might not even become noticeably ill or present as a mild cold. Nevertheless the exposure will help teach their developing immune system. None of that is to downplay the potentially fatal seriousness of RSV. The immune system is imperfect after all. The NICU is maybe the most depressing place I’ve ever been in my life and my heart goes out for every parent who has or has had a child there or in any pediatric ICU.
abap_rocky 4y ago
When my then 4 month-old was hospitalized with RSV last year, the medical staff told us the main issue with RSV in very young children (under 6 months) is that their respiratory system is still immature. That is, their airways are still very small and their coughs are less productive. This means that RSV symptoms that would be manageable for an older child can become potentially life threatening for the very young. For example, if your toddler has a stuffy nose, you can help them to blow it. For an infant, you need a tool to suction their nose which can be difficult to do. That same stuffy nose might cause poor feeding and dehydration which on top of the general breathing issues caused by RSV can lead to a rapid deterioration in the infant's health. Even with all the supportive care (oxygen, regular suctioning, a feeding tube), it took a full 5 days in the hospital for our infant to recover. My first-hand experience with this seems to be consistent with larger trends as well. A recent CDC presentation shows that children age 0-5 months are hospitalized by RSV at far higher rates than any other age group. [1] [1]: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2022-06-22-23/03-RSV-McMorrow-508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-...

by User23 4y ago

coryrc 4y ago

Toddlers have more robust immune systems than infants in multiple different ways. There's no evidence for your hypothesis. Evidence with a sample size of 1: I have a pandemic toddler and a baby. Toddler was not sick once in first 18 months. Both just got RSV. Toddler was fine after a couple days. Infant was in ER and is still having effects weeks later.

Vecr 4y ago
If the child gets RSV right as their maternal antibodies (to RSV) start fading, it could actually be less severe. It happened with polio, though polio has much more susceptibility to antibodies circulating in the blood if all you care about is severe disease.
- User23 4y ago
  A child receiving maternal immunoglobulins from breast milk during the first year postpartum who is exposed to RSV might not even become noticeably ill or present as a mild cold. Nevertheless the exposure will help teach their developing immune system. None of that is to downplay the potentially fatal seriousness of RSV. The immune system is imperfect after all. The NICU is maybe the most depressing place I’ve ever been in my life and my heart goes out for every parent who has or has had a child there or in any pediatric ICU.

abap_rocky 4y ago

When my then 4 month-old was hospitalized with RSV last year, the medical staff told us the main issue with RSV in very young children (under 6 months) is that their respiratory system is still immature. That is, their airways are still very small and their coughs are less productive. This means that RSV symptoms that would be manageable for an older child can become potentially life threatening for the very young. For example, if your toddler has a stuffy nose, you can help them to blow it. For an infant, you need a tool to suction their nose which can be difficult to do. That same stuffy nose might cause poor feeding and dehydration which on top of the general breathing issues caused by RSV can lead to a rapid deterioration in the infant's health. Even with all the supportive care (oxygen, regular suctioning, a feeding tube), it took a full 5 days in the hospital for our infant to recover. My first-hand experience with this seems to be consistent with larger trends as well. A recent CDC presentation shows that children age 0-5 months are hospitalized by RSV at far higher rates than any other age group. [1] [1]: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2022-06-22-23/03-RSV-McMorrow-508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-...