When your child is sick and you don’t know what’s wrong, you want fast answers and effective treatment. At WVU Medicine Children’s, our infectious disease specialists will evaluate your child’s condition and deliver a customized care plan. We treat infants, children, and teens with infectious diseases, caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. The team also has extensive experience treating rare and complex illnesses of unknown origin.
Conditions We Treat
Infectious diseases can affect children differently than adults. It’s important to get an accurate diagnosis from a specialist who understands the unique needs of children. We create a family-centered environment where you can get the answers you need about pediatric infectious diseases.
We treat:
- Bacterial and viral infections
- Bone and joint infections
- E. coli
- Emerging infectious diseases
- Fever of unknown origin
- Food-borne illness
- Hepatitis
- HIV/AIDS
- Immunodeficiency disorders
- Infections acquired during travel
- Lyme disease
- Measles
- Meningitis
- Pneumonia
- Respiratory infections (including RSV)
- Salmonella
- Sepsis
- Staph infections
- Tropical diseases
- Tuberculosis
- Whooping cough
Treatments and Services
Our specialists use lab tests and imaging procedures to diagnose infectious and immunologic diseases. We work with a team of radiologists, immunologists, critical care doctors, and others to ensure comprehensive care for your little one. Child life specialists are on hand to keep your child calm during evaluations and procedures.
We offer:
- Antimicrobials
- Antivirals
- Consultations
- Corticosteroids
- Disease management
- Medical travel advice
Antibiotic stewardship
Antibiotics are a powerful treatment for infections caused by bacteria. However, antibiotics can be prescribed too often. Too much antibiotic use in children can do more harm than good. It can lead to illnesses that keep coming back. It can also prevent a child’s immune system from doing its job. When antibiotics are overused, bacteria adapt to the medications that are meant to kill them. Then, the antibiotics are no longer effective.
The infectious diseases doctors at WVU Medicine Children’s treat illness with antibiotics only when appropriate. Many common illnesses, such as a cold, flu, or respiratory infection, are viral and can’t be treated with antibiotics. Parents should always have informed discussions about antibiotic use with their child’s pediatrician or specialist.
Cystic Fibrosis Center
Persistent lung infections and pneumonia are two of the most common problems in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). Expert pediatric pulmonary care is available at WVU Medicine Children’s Cystic Fibrosis Center.
We are accredited by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This means we conduct important research while offering the highest standard of care. Our focus is on early detection and effective treatment for CF in children. Our goal is to help them lead full and happy lives.
Travel medicine for children
We offer advice, vaccines, immunizations, and medication for children who will be traveling internationally. Our travel medicine specialists can also review guidelines to help your family avoid illnesses, like malaria, typhoid, and hepatitis A.
Resources
Clinical trials
We participate in clinical trials, so that we can offer our patients the latest, most innovative therapies available. We adhere to strict safety procedures in all trials. If you would like to learn more about clinical trials at WVU Medicine Children’s, talk to your doctor or visit ClinicalTrials.gov.
Ronald McDonald House
If your child has to stay at the hospital for treatment of an infectious disease, you are invited to stay at the Ronald McDonald House of Morgantown. Speak with your care coordinator at our clinic about a referral.
Coronavirus in children
For answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in children, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
RSV in children
Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms for most people, but it can be serious, especially for infants. For more information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.