Early Treatment Prevents Future Childhood Virus

A study has found that a short-term treatment to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in premature infants with lung disease not only prevented RSV during their first winter but also provided significant respiratory and immunologic benefits up to 10 years later. The findings were reported in the June 2002 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.

The children in the study were born 10-11 weeks prematurely and had spent weeks in intensive care and on ventilators. Their compromised lungs made them especially susceptible to RSV infection. During their first winter, 13 received monthly injections of an immune globulin preparation with antibodies to RSV, which was effective in preventing RSV infection that winter. Seven to 10 years later, the researchers compared the 13 to 26 similar children, also premature infants with lung diseases, who had not received the preventive treatment. They found that more than 80% (21/26) of the control group had contracted an RSV infection, compared to only 15% (2/13) of the children who had received the immune globulin. Children in the RSV prevention group also had fewer asthma attacks than children in the control group.

The study was conducted by researchers at the National Jewish Medical and Research Center, the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and the Children's Hospital , all in Denver (CO, USA).

"Preventing these premature infants from contracting an RSV infection during their first winter had long-term benefits for their health,” said Sally Wenzel, M.D., co-author of the study and professor of medicine at National Jewish. "They have better lung function, and fewer colds, asthma attacks, and allergies.”