Doctors are urging parents to be alert for RSV symptoms in babies as South Africa faces the winter respiratory season.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common respiratory infection in babies and young children, is placing families and healthcare services under growing pressure as the country’s RSV season coincides with an early influenza season.

Most children contract RSV before the age of two and symptoms often begin like a mild cold, including a runny nose, cough or fever. However, the virus can quickly develop into serious lower respiratory infections such as bronchiolitis or pneumonia, particularly in infants younger than six months.

According to health experts, babies younger than three months account for one-third of RSV-related hospital admissions among children under five in South Africa. Infants younger than six months account for 95% of RSV-related deaths.

Jean-Baptiste Bregeon, head of vaccines and country lead at Sanofi South Africa, warned that severe RSV is not limited to premature babies or children with underlying conditions.

“A large share of serious disease occurs in healthy babies born at term,” he said.

Seek medical attention if babies struggle to feed, become unusually sleepy, breathe rapidly or show signs of breathing difficulty.

“In a very young infant, it’s safer to ask early than to wait for symptoms to become more obvious.”

Preventative measures include avoiding close contact with sick people, regular handwashing and keeping newborns away from crowded indoor spaces during peak RSV season.