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Effect of young sibling visitation on respiratory syncytial virus activity in a NICU

Journal of Perinatology volume 35, pages 627–630 (2015)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

To determine whether the restriction of young sibling (<13 years) visitation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season was associated with a reduction in the rate of RSV infection among NICU patients.

Study Design:

A retrospective chart review of all RSV positive infants from the 2001–2010 RSV seasons. The 2001–2006 RSV seasons (group 1) contained 639 admissions and the 2007–2010 (group 2, with sibling restriction) contained 461 admissions. Groups were compared by using the Fisher’s Exact Test.

Results:

There was a reduction of RSV positive infants from 6.7% in Group 1 to 1.7% in Group 2 (P<0.0001). There was a reduction of symptomatic infants from the number of infants with symptomatic RSV infection from 23/639 infants with young sibling visitation to 2/461 (P<0.001).

Conclusion:

Exclusion of young sibling visitors <13 years of age during RSV season was associated with a significant reduction in the number of RSV positive infants in the NICU.

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Acknowledgements

All authors have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    A M Peluso, B A Harnish, E R Cooper & A M Fujii

  2. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    N S Miller

Authors
  1. A M Peluso
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  2. B A Harnish
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  3. N S Miller
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  4. E R Cooper
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  5. A M Fujii
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A M Fujii.

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Competing interests

AMP designed the study, completed data collection, carried out analysis, drafted the initial manuscript, revised the manuscript and approved the final manuscript. BAH reviewed data analysis, critically reviewed the manuscript and approved the final manuscript. NSM provided information on assays used, reviewed interpretation of data, critically reviewed the manuscript and approved the final manuscript. ERC conceptualized the study, provided assistance with data collection, critically reviewed the manuscript and approved the final manuscript. AMF conceptualized the study, supervised data collection, critically reviewed the manuscript and approved the final manuscript.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Journal of Perinatology website

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Peluso, A., Harnish, B., Miller, N. et al. Effect of young sibling visitation on respiratory syncytial virus activity in a NICU. J Perinatol 35, 627–630 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2015.27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2015.27

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