The Experience Miracles Podcast

Q&A | How to Help Prevent RSV and Respiratory Illnesses in Kids

Feb 13, 2026

RSV and Respiratory Infections in Children

Episode 182, Experience Miracles Podcast | Host: Dr. Tony Ebel, DC, CACCP, Pediatric Chiropractor & Founder of PX Docs | Published: February 13, 2026 | Duration: ~13 min

Key Takeaways

  • Children born premature or via birth interventions (C-section, induction, forceps, vacuum) are significantly more susceptible to RSV and respiratory infections because these events push the nervous system into a chronic Sympathetic Dominance, fight-or-flight state, that directly suppresses immune function and limits respiratory capacity.
  • The immune system and respiratory system do not operate independently, both are controlled by the nervous system. When the nervous system is stressed, it produces rapid and shallow breathing, increases mucus and inflammation, and weakens immune response.
  • Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care addresses the root cause of chronic respiratory susceptibility by releasing tension in the neck, shoulders, and thorax; stimulating the vagus nerve; and activating the parasympathetic system’s anti-inflammatory response.
  • Medications can be lifesaving in acute respiratory crises, but they do not rebuild immune resilience, repeated use can leave children increasingly vulnerable to chronic illness over time.
  • Dr. Tony Ebel’s son Oliver was born prematurely with PPHN (persistent pulmonary hypertension) and hypoxic brain injuries, told he would be chronically sick his entire life. Through a proactive, nervous system-focused approach, he now runs cross country with full lung function.

Why Are Some Children Chronically Susceptible to RSV and Respiratory Infections?

Children who struggle repeatedly with RSV, croup, bronchitis, ear infections, and respiratory infections often aren’t simply unlucky. According to Dr. Tony Ebel, DC, CACCP, the root issue is neuro-immune system dysregulation, a breakdown in the nervous system’s ability to properly regulate both immune and respiratory function.

The nervous system controls the immune and respiratory systems. When a child’s nervous system is locked in a state of Sympathetic Dominance, the fight-or-flight stress response, it produces two predictable outcomes: rapid, shallow, restricted breathing, and a suppressed, pro-inflammatory immune system. This is not a coincidence. It is how the body was designed, and it explains why nervous system dysfunction and chronic respiratory illness track together so consistently.

Children born prematurely or through stressful birth interventions are especially vulnerable. Their nervous systems begin life in an already-compromised state, and without targeted support to restore nervous system balance, the immune and respiratory systems remain in that dysregulated pattern as the child grows.

Oliver’s Story: From Premature Birth and PPHN to Winning Cross Country Races [00:02:00 – 00:04:30]

Dr. Tony Ebel: I want to share this not just from a clinical perspective, but from a parent’s perspective as well.

My son Oliver was born just short of six weeks early. He came into the world with a condition called PPHN, persistent pulmonary hypertension, along with hypoxic brain injuries from low oxygen, and seizures. What doctors told us was that Oliver would be sick his entire life. We were told to expect RSV, croup, ear infections, bronchitis, and asthma. They said his respiratory system would be compromised permanently.

What I knew, as both a father and a chiropractor, is that if we stayed in the traditional conventional medical world alone, that prognosis would likely hold. Because drugs and medication can be and often are lifesaving, but they’re not life-restoring. They don’t rebuild resilience. They don’t rebuild health.

Medicine saved Oliver’s life, and I’m eternally grateful for that. But it was the natural, nervous system-focused approaches I’ll teach you in this episode that actually rebuilt his immune system, rebuilt his nervous system and respiratory system, and made them stronger.

We still faced croup, RSV, and respiratory challenges when he was little. Every single time it was stressful. Every time we wondered: are we going to have to go back to medication again? But we stood strong and doubled down on the proactive immune-building path. Because every time a child turns to medication for an infection, it helps them through that specific challenge, but it leaves their system weaker long-term.

“Drugs and medication can be and often are lifesaving, but they’re not life-restoring. They don’t rebuild resilience. They don’t rebuild health.”

Oliver made it through all of those infant challenges. He’s 15 now, winning cross country races, with full lung function. Let me show you how we got there.

The Nervous System Is the Root Cause Most Parents Never Hear About [00:04:30 – 00:07:00]

Dr. Tony Ebel: Here’s the key separation we need to make: the virus, whether it’s RSV or whatever respiratory infection is circulating, and the child’s immune system are two separate things.

The virus is the external trigger. But why does one child get RSV and fight it off in four days while another ends up in the hospital? The difference lives in the immune system. And the immune system doesn’t function on its own.

“The immune system doesn’t function on its own. The respiratory system doesn’t function on its own. It is controlled by the nervous system.”

When the nervous system is stressed and stuck in fight-or-flight, it does three specific things that directly increase respiratory vulnerability: it causes rapid, shallow, and limited breathing; it suppresses immune system function; and it creates more mucus, more congestion, and more inflammation.

This is why it’s not enough to just ask “what’s going on with my child’s immune system?” You have to ask what’s going on with their nervous system, because the nervous system is the upstream controller. Get the nervous system working properly, and the immune and respiratory systems follow.

If we don’t address that nervous system dysfunction and instead layer medication on top of medication every time a child gets sick, we’re not solving the problem. We’re suppressing the symptoms while the underlying dysfunction compounds. The science is clear: children who remain in that cycle often end up dealing with chronic autoimmune challenges. And the nervous system-inflammation link runs even deeper, it connects to ADHD, anxiety, autism, and other neurodevelopmental conditions as well.

How The Perfect Storm Drives Chronic Respiratory Problems [00:07:00 – 00:09:00]

Dr. Tony Ebel: What I call The Perfect Storm is the sequence of stressors, prenatal, birth-related, and early childhood, that compound to push a child’s nervous system into a state of chronic Sympathetic Dominance.

It starts in pregnancy. High-stress pregnancies, marked by preeclampsia, hypertension, gestational diabetes, or maternal anxiety, flood the developing baby with stress hormones that begin shifting the fetal nervous system toward fight-or-flight even before birth.

Then come the birth interventions. A C-section, induction, forceps or vacuum extraction, meconium aspiration, all of these are physically and neurologically stressful events for an infant. The upper cervical spine and brainstem, the most critical regions for autonomic nervous system control, absorb much of that stress and tension.

Add premature birth on top of all that, and the picture becomes even more serious. A premature nervous system is inherently more immature and more stuck in sympathetic overdrive. Then the baby goes into the NICU, one of the most stressful, high-stimulation environments imaginable, and the nervous system stays locked in that state.

All of these factors stack on each other. That’s why we call it The Perfect Storm. And the result is a nervous system in sympathetic overdrive, driving rapid and shallow breathing, suppressing immune function, and creating exactly the conditions that make a child highly susceptible to RSV and chronic respiratory infections.

“When the immune system and respiratory system are out of whack, the nervous system is probably the underlying, almost hidden-in-plain-sight cause of that dysfunction.”

Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care: The Drug-Free Solution [00:09:00 – 00:12:00]

Dr. Tony Ebel: The number one thing that addresses this sympathetic nervous system storm is probably not the first thing parents think of when their infant is struggling with respiratory infections. But it’s the thing that has been an absolute game-changer for so many families: Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care.

Let me be very clear: chiropractic care is not a treatment for RSV. It is not a cure for croup or ear infections or any respiratory condition. We don’t treat. We don’t cure. What we do is care for the body neurologically, by removing stress and tension from the nervous system and restoring proper function from the inside out.

The adjustments for an infant or toddler are lighter and more gentle than the pressure you’d use to check the ripeness of a tomato. But because an infant’s chest, neck, and shoulders become wound tight through birth trauma and sympathetic overload, that tension stays locked in without intervention.

What the adjustments accomplish is this: they release the subluxation, the stuck tension, within the neck, shoulders, and thorax, the area where the lungs, respiratory system, and immune system are anchored. When that tension releases, the child can breathe easier almost immediately.

The second mechanism is equally important. These adjustments stimulate the vagus nerve and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the rest, relaxation, digestion, and immune system side of the nervous system. Vagus nerve stimulation produces an anti-inflammatory effect throughout the body and makes the immune system more efficient at clearing congestion and fighting infection.

“We support your child to become stronger, more resilient, so they get through these challenges not only better on their own, but they get ahead of them and deal with less of them down the road.”

It is a far more natural and proactive approach than waiting for the bad news to arrive and throwing more medications at it. That reactive approach is why we have so many chronically sick children today.

Building Resilience Instead of Managing Crises [00:12:00 – 00:13:00]

Dr. Tony Ebel: The fork in the road for parents is this: if every time your child is challenged with a respiratory infection the response is medication, the science tells us where that path ends. You end up with a child who is chronically sick, whose immune system is progressively weaker, and who may face wider systemic challenges as the nervous system-inflammation connection affects other areas of health.

If instead you take the proactive path, addressing the nervous system dysfunction that’s driving the vulnerability in the first place, you build a child who is genuinely stronger and more resilient over time.

This is not anti-medicine. Medicine is at its best in crisis mode. But building health and rebuilding resilience happens outside of crisis mode, through consistent, natural, neurologically focused care.

If your child was born premature, had a traumatic birth, or struggles repeatedly with RSV, croup, or respiratory illness, consider adding Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care to your team. Not to treat the infection. To restore the nervous system that’s making your child more susceptible in the first place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my premature baby keep getting RSV every season?

Premature babies are more vulnerable to RSV because their nervous system is born in an immature, already-stressed state. That stress locks the nervous system into Sympathetic Dominance, fight-or-flight mode, which suppresses immune function and limits respiratory capacity. Without addressing this nervous system imbalance, the susceptibility doesn’t simply resolve with time or medication.

Can birth trauma affect my child’s immune system?

Yes. Birth interventions like C-sections, induction, forceps, and vacuum extraction create physical stress on the infant’s upper cervical spine and brainstem, pushing the autonomic nervous system into a chronic fight-or-flight state. This state directly suppresses immune function and creates a pro-inflammatory environment, making children born this way far more likely to struggle with respiratory infections like RSV, croup, and ear infections.

What is the nervous system’s role in respiratory health?

The nervous system controls both the immune system and the respiratory system. When it’s stuck in a stress response, it causes rapid and shallow breathing, suppresses immune activity, and increases mucus and inflammation. Dr. Tony Ebel describes this as neuro-immune system dysregulation, and it’s the hidden driver behind many children’s chronic respiratory challenges.

Is chiropractic care safe for infants with RSV or respiratory issues?

Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care for infants uses adjustments lighter than the pressure used to check the ripeness of fruit. It is not a treatment for RSV, but it works to release tension in the neck, chest, and shoulders, tension that restricts breathing and keeps the nervous system in fight-or-flight. By stimulating the vagus nerve and activating the parasympathetic system, it helps the body reduce inflammation and clear infection more efficiently.

What is The Perfect Storm and how does it connect to respiratory problems?

The Perfect Storm is Dr. Tony Ebel’s framework for understanding how prenatal stress, birth trauma, and early childhood stressors combine to push a child’s nervous system into chronic sympathetic overdrive. This state causes shallow and restricted breathing and suppresses immune function, creating the exact conditions that make children highly susceptible to RSV, croup, and recurring respiratory illness.

How do I find a neurologically focused chiropractor for my child?

The PX Docs directory lists trained practitioners in Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care across the country. You can search by location to find a PX Docs office near you: Find a PX Docs Office Near You.

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