[Respiratory syncytial virus infections in newborn infants]

Twenty-three of 23 neonates were contaminated in the course of an outbreak of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in a neonatal care unit. Symptoms among 22 infected symptomatic infants included rhinitis (n = 21), dyspnea (n = 19), cough (n = 17), apnea (n = 5), seizures (n = 3), fever (n = 3). Five patients presented with severe respiratory distress. The occurrence of non-obstructive apnea was significantly correlated with a history of respiratory disease, RSV infection during the first 15 days of life and the severity of lower respiratory tract RSV infection.