'At capacity': Blank Children's brimming with COVID-era children

WE'LL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT HOW MUCH YOU CAN EXPECT COMING UP. THANK YOU. JASON. NEW TONIGHT. ALL THE BEDS AT BLANK CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN DES MOINES ARE FULL DOCTORS SAY IT'S DUE TO A RISE IN RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES. KCCI'S PEPPER PURPURA IS LIVE WITH. WHY? THERE IS A SUDDEN SPIKE. PEPPER? YES, BEN. TYPICALLY CHILDREN'S. EXCUSE ME. BLANK CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL ONLY SAYS THEY SEE THIS TYPE OF A SPIKE DURING COLD AND FLU SEASON. SOME OF THOSE FALL AND WINTER MONTHS. HOWEVER, RECENTLY THEY'VE HAD SO MANY CASES THEY'RE HAVING TO ADD BEDS. HE IS 12 DAYS OLD AND JUST NEEDS A LITTLE EXTRA HELP BREATHING RIGHT NOW. THREE DAYS AGO, MADELEINE SMITH RUSHED HER NEWBORN TO BLANK CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. IT WAS REALLY SUCKING IN HIS RIBS AND HE HAD A FEVER. HE HAS RSV, A RESPIRATORY ILLNESS, BUT ALONG THE HALLS OF BLINK CHILDREN'S ON WEDNESDAY, SMITH'S BABY IS ONE OF HUNDREDS IN A SIMILAR CONDITION. WE'RE RUNNING PRETTY MUCH AT CAPACITY. EVERY BED AT BLAKE CHILDREN'S IS CURRENTLY TAKEN, MANY OF THEM BY CHILDREN WITH SEVERE CASES OF RESPIRATORY ILLNESS. YOU USUALLY DON'T SEE THIS MANY HOSPITALIZATIONS IN CHILDREN AND YOUNG CHILDREN THIS TIME OF YEAR. AND THE ISSUE IS EXTEND BEYOND BABIES. A LARGE NUMBER OF 3 TO 5, 3 TO 6 YEAR OLDS BEING HOSPITALIZED WITH REGULAR VIRUSES THAT WE USUALLY DON'T SEE DATA FROM THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL SHOWS COVID, FLU AND RSV CASES ARE UP FOR CHILDREN UNDER FOUR ACROSS THE NATION COMPARED TO THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR. WADDELL SAYS HE HAS A THEORY ON THE CAUSE. THIS IS THE GROUP. THIS IS THE COHORT OF CHILDREN WHO, UM, WERE IN ISOLATION WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, WADDELL SAYS YOUNG CHILDREN IN QUARANTINE LIKELY DIDN'T GET EXPOSURE TO BUILD THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEMS, WHICH IS WHY MANY ARE REACTING SO SEVERELY NOW, PAIRED WITH THE UNUSUAL TIMING OF THE SPIKE THAT CAN CATCH PARENTS LIKE SMITH OFF GUARD, IT WAS NOT ON OUR MIND ONE BIT THAT HE'S GOING TO GET RSV. WE WERE JUST TRYING TO GET THROUGH THE BIRTH. NOW TO MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD IS SAFE, DOCTOR WADDELL SAYS TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE UP TO DATE ON THEIR VACCINES AND IF THEY DO GET SICK, KEEP THEM HOME. IF THEY HAVE A FEVER, IF THAT FEVER STARTS TO SPIKE OR THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING, HE SAYS TO GO AHEAD AND FIND MEDICAL ATTENTION FOR THEM. IN DES MOINES, PEPPER PURPURA, KCCI EIGHT NEWS.

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'At capacity': Blank Children's brimming with COVID-era children

Blank Children's Hospital is running out of beds amid an unseasonable spike in hospitalizations of young children with respiratory diseases.Pediatric infectious disease Dr. Joel Waddell said the hospital staff is working overtime to care for the unusual number of patients with RSV, flu and other respiratory illnesses at the hospital. Waddell said cases typically drop off in the spring as cold and flu season comes to a close, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, he's noticed more illnesses happening outside the "sickness season."He also said the types of patients experiencing serious symptoms are unusual. Illnesses that usually only manifest severely in babies or immunocompromised patients are impacting healthy 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds similarly, contributing to the number of patients requiring hospital support. "This is a cohort of children who were isolated when the pandemic hit," Waddell said.By quarantining during their formative years, Waddell is concerned many of his young patients were not exposed to elements that would've boosted their immune systems, leaving them more vulnerable to disease now.To protect your children, Waddell recommends checking that they are up to date on vaccinations. If your child does get sick, keep them home if they're experiencing a fever and seek medical attention if their fever spikes or they're having trouble breathing.» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google PlayGet the latest headlines from KCCI

DES MOINES, Iowa —

Blank Children's Hospital is running out of beds amid an unseasonable spike in hospitalizations of young children with respiratory diseases.

Pediatric infectious disease Dr. Joel Waddell said the hospital staff is working overtime to care for the unusual number of patients with RSV, flu and other respiratory illnesses at the hospital. Waddell said cases typically drop off in the spring as cold and flu season comes to a close, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, he's noticed more illnesses happening outside the "sickness season."

He also said the types of patients experiencing serious symptoms are unusual. Illnesses that usually only manifest severely in babies or immunocompromised patients are impacting healthy 4-, 5- and 6-year-olds similarly, contributing to the number of patients requiring hospital support.

"This is a cohort of children who were isolated when the pandemic hit," Waddell said.

By quarantining during their formative years, Waddell is concerned many of his young patients were not exposed to elements that would've boosted their immune systems, leaving them more vulnerable to disease now.

To protect your children, Waddell recommends checking that they are up to date on vaccinations. If your child does get sick, keep them home if they're experiencing a fever and seek medical attention if their fever spikes or they're having trouble breathing.

» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

Get the latest headlines from KCCI