RSV exposure during pregnancy?

Anyone know anything about this? I have tried searching online and here, but am coming up empty handed. Everything I find online is about RSV and young infants, not about possible effects on a baby still in utero. I can call my OB today, but wanted to check here first for any BTDT word.

We spent time with DH's two sisters and their children last weekend. Our 8-month-old nephew vomited twice and had diarrhea while we were together for just a few hours. He recently returned from a visit to Pakistan with his parents, and SIL was sick before her son was. Not sure what kind of bug he has/ had and if he picked it up during his travels or not. MIL told us on Wednesday night that nephew was being tested for e coli. Lovely. Apparently, that test came back negative. Whew! So I guess he had some sort of less serious bug. He's feeling better now. None of us are showing signs of any GI bugs, so I am hopeful that we escaped that one. (DS and nephew were playing with the same toys and they were in nephew's mouth a lot.)

Other SIL has two DDs. The youngest (now ~8 weeks old) spent a couple of days in the hospital in mid-December with RSV. Poor little one had to have a spinal tap to rule out meningitis before they confirmed RSV. She seemed fine over the weekend and DH and I both held her frequently. On Tuesday, her breathing was raspy and SIL took her back to the ER. SIL called last night while I was at a meeting and said that niece tested positive for RSV again :( and that she also tested positive for strep and staph! The hospital thinks there was a lab mistake since she tested positive for too many things and there was a new technician on duty. They are re-running the tests with results due back today.

Of course, I started exhibiting cold symptoms earlier this week and DS's nose has started running again. I'm not overly worried about RSV in either of us, but I am concerned about any possible effects on the baby I am carrying. Online searches are not helping me, so I thought I would check in here to see if any of you have experience in this realm.

I've already told DH that we are not spending time with his family anymore until it is confirmed that no one is carrying any freaky illnesses. (Just kidding, sort of.)

TIA for any guidance you can offer.

Jerilyn
DS, Sean 10/03
expecting #2! EDD April 1, 2006, but anticipating a C/S in March: IT'S A GIRL!!! :)

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."

RSV in adults just causes the common cold. I work in the pediatric intensive care unit so I am exposed to RSV every year and there are no concerns to the unborn baby. I worry more about my baby getting exposed when they are very young.

Andrea
mom to Andrew 8/14/02
& #2 EDD 3/28/06

My one year old is finishing a long bout of RSV. Basically his ped. said that for most people it is simply a "cold-type" illness. It lasts a long time and the big problem, especially for babies, is that it produces thick sticky mucus, making it hard for them to breathe. That is why it is particularly dangerous for premature babies and newborns. He told us that you basically feel like crud for a while and eventually get better. I wouldn't think it would be any different for you than having a "regular" cold. I hope everyone is feeling better soon!!

Thank you both for the reassurance. I really wasn't so much worried about how I would feel, I just had an irrational/ unfounded fear that if the virus was in my system it could somehow effect the baby's lung development. I thought if it could lead to icnreased susceptibility to respiratory problems when young infants had it, it might do the same or worse for a baby in utero. But, I guess it is probably better to be exposed while she is still cooking and has my protection than for her to be exposed when she is a newborn. The things an expecting mom can concoct in a moment of worry...

Jerilyn
DS, Sean 10/03
expecting #2! EDD April 1, 2006, but anticipating a C/S in March: IT'S A GIRL!!! :)

"Baby makes days shorter, nights longer, home happier, and love stronger."