Mum of baby in Adelaide hospital with RSV speaks out about dangers

With over 300 cases a week in SA, Little Leo is the latest young child to be hit with a potentially deadly respiratory infection that’s on the rise across the state.

Three-month baby Leo has been diagnosed with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and Rhinovirus. Picture: Supplied

A three-month-old baby is the latest victim of a potentially deadly respiratory disease which is on the rise across the state.

Leo Phelps is currently being treated at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

His mother, Chantel, explained how her son initially had a cough but was soon struggling to breathe and is now on high-flow oxygen.

“He’s having trouble breathing, he’s lifting his head up for breaths, and he’s coughing up phlegm,” she said. “It’s because he’s so little, his lungs can’t cope on their own.”

Leo’s mother fears Covid was the start of her baby’s health problems. Picture: Supplied

Three-month baby Leo. Picture: Supplied

The Murray Bridge mum took her son to hospital when he developed a cough.

He was quickly transported to WCH, where he was diagnosed with RSV and rhinovirus infection.

RSV has been on the rise in South Australia since the start of the year, with just over 300 cases each week.

The latest figures show that 10,808 people have been diagnosed with RSV this year in SA, compared with 5952 for the same time period for 2022.

In most cases, RSV is mild, with symptoms similar to a cold. However some children develop severe RSV and require medical attention for lung infections such as bronchiolitis and pneumonia.

Signs of severe RSV in young children include difficulty breathing, not eating or drinking, exhaustion, fever and short, shallow and rapid breathing, where the child’s chest caves in between and under the ribs or the lower neck.

Ms Phelps claims that Leo’s more serious symptoms could be down to him also suffering from Covid when he was a newborn.,

She said that Covid “impacted his lungs but we didn’t know that at the time”.

Chantel feels like there was a point when she nearly lost Leo.

She said, “It’s being mentally draining, I’m not going to deny it.

“Keelan [Leo’s father] obviously wants to come down but financially right now we can’t afford that.

“And my kids, obviously don’t see much of me at the moment, and they don’t really understand what is going on.”

Chantel Phelps has started a GoFundMe page aiming to raise $4500 to cope with the cost of living as she stays in hospital with Leo and her husband is managing his job and the kids at home.

Originally published as Mum of baby in Adelaide hospital with RSV speaks out about dangers