Mother Advocates for RSV Antibody After Son’s Life-Threatening Battle

A mother from Ontario is urging parents to consider a newly available antibody treatment for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) after her own son endured a harrowing health crisis due to the illness. Jessica Cohn’s son, Eitan, now aged ten, developed RSV when he was just three weeks old, leading to a series of hospital visits that left his family fearing for his life.

RSV is a common virus that primarily affects the lungs and can be particularly severe in children under five years old. Symptoms include fever, irritability, breathing difficulties, and decreased appetite. “For a little baby that can’t cough it out, that can’t blow their nose, it can be catastrophic,” Cohn stated. She first became concerned when she heard a muffled cough from Eitan through the baby monitor and noticed he was unusually unsettled.

Upon taking him to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in Ottawa, doctors confirmed he had RSV and warned that his condition could worsen. After two days and multiple visits to the hospital, Eitan was connected to machines to assist his breathing.

50 percent of infants with RSV require hospitalization, highlighting the seriousness of the virus. “I remember one night, after he had been ill for nine or ten days, the doctors and nurses crowded into his room,” Cohn recalled. “I asked, ‘What’s going on?’ and they said, ‘He’s really not doing great right now. We might have to intubate.’” Fortunately, Eitan’s condition began to improve the following day, yet he spent a significant portion of his early life in the hospital.

Dr. Darine El-Chaâr, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at The Ottawa Hospital and an author of a report by the Federation of Medical Women of Canada (FMWC), emphasized the devastating impact RSV has on families. “Fifty percent of RSV cases are hospitalized in the first six months of age, and it can lead to long-term effects such as asthma, wheezing, and chronic lung diseases,” she explained.

According to FMWC research, RSV is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections, accounting for up to 80 percent of bronchiolitis cases and around 40 percent of pneumonia cases in infants. The report also noted that nearly one-quarter of children hospitalized with RSV require admission to intensive care.

There are three methods to protect infants against RSV: a vaccine given to expectant mothers during their third trimester, antibodies transferred from mothers infected with the virus, and a direct antibody treatment for newborns. The third option, known as nirsevimab and marketed as Beyfortus, became available in Ontario last year for all infants.

Despite the approval from Health Canada, the rollout of nirsevimab is managed by individual provinces and territories. Currently, both Ontario and Quebec are providing the antibody to all newborns, as are the territories. Some provinces have begun offering it this fall, while others continue to administer a different antibody called palivizumab, which requires monthly injections rather than a single dose.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization reports that RSV causes up to 16 times more hospitalizations among young children compared to influenza. The Canadian Immunization Guide indicates that nirsevimab can reduce RSV hospital admissions by between 81 and 83 percent. “The data shows nirsevimab works,” Dr. El-Chaâr affirmed.

Cohn is grateful her son recovered without serious complications. “We are in a time where there are options to prevent these babies from becoming severely ill,” she said. “It’s crucial for new parents to educate themselves about these options. You want to be home enjoying time with your baby, not seeing them connected to tubes and machines.”

As awareness of RSV and its potential impacts grows, Cohn’s story serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventive measures available to protect vulnerable infants.