Is Your Baby At Risk?

Because it is so easy to catch and can be serious, every parent with an infant or young child should know about rotavirus. Many cases of rotavirus are relatively mild, while some are severe. If your baby has a severe case of rotavirus it can quickly lead to a loss of body fluids called dehydration, which can be life threatening. Your doctor can't predict which babies will have serious cases of rotavirus.

Every year in the United States, rotavirus results in about 400,000 physician visits, and sends about 250,000 children under age 5 to the emergency room and up to 70,000 children to the hospital.

Your child is at risk because rotavirus:
  • affects almost every child by age 5
  • affects children of every ethnic group, culture, and economic status
  • occurs regardless of quality of water, food, or sanitation
  • is a common cause of diarrhea in infants and young children in the United States
  • has been shown to pass from member to member of a family regardless of age

This site is intended only for residents of the United States, its territories, and Puerto Rico.
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