This is part of a sponsored collaboration with AstraZeneca and DiMe Media. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
There is a good chance that you have heard of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), especially if you have followed me for a while. You already know some of the facts that I am going to share with you but it is always good to have a refresher. Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV is seasonal virus contracted by nearly 100% of infants by the age of 2. That sounds scary enough all byself.
RSV occurs in epidemics, typically from November through March in most of the US. However the “RSV season” can vary from year to year. So what do you look for? Well that can be difficult since in most babies RSV leads to mild respiratory infection with symptoms similar to the common cold or flu. It can develop into a much more serious infection. Here are a few facts:
- RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization for babies during their first year of life in the US
- RSV is the cause of approximately 125,000 hospitalizations and up to 200 infant deaths each year in the US
- RSV causes up to 10 times as many infant deaths each year than the flu
- RSV is the reason for every 13 pediatrician visits and one of every 38 trips to the ER in children under the age of five
Those are some hard facts aren’t they? Well here is another one! Preemies (babies born earlier than 35 weeks gestation) are at a greater risk of contracting a severe case of RSV. Preemies are twice as likely to be admitted to the hospital for RSV. The reason is because of their underdeveloped lungs and the fact they don’t have the full amount of infection-fighting antibodies that are transferred in utero. This is not good and the fact that more than half a million babies are born prematurely in the US each year it really makes me nervous.
Symptoms of RSV
Knowing the symptoms of RSV can help you get the care your child needs when he or she needs it. Symptoms include:
- Coughing or wheezing that does not stop
- Fast or troubled breathing
- Spread-out nostrils and/or a caved-in chest when trying to breathe
- Bluish color around the mouth or fingernails
- Fever (especially if it is over 100.4°F [rectal] in infants under 3 months of age)
Those symptoms can of course mimic other things as well. Reese had many of those symptoms last month and we were worried but he simply had a cold. It was scary though because he had RSV before and we knew what to watch for. The picture below is an old where he finally got over his RSV and although it wasn’t serious (he had a mild case) we were HAPPY! Luckily neither of the twins had it.
Ways to Prevent RSV
You can prevent RSV! In fact prevention is the key since there is NO treatment for RSV.
- Wash your hands and make sure you ask others to do the same. If they don’t DON’T let them touch your baby!
- Keep toys, clothes, blankets, and sheets clean
- Avoid crowds and/or being around people. This includes young children who may already be sick during RSV Season (remember it can vary but is typically November through March)
- Ask your child’s pediatrician if he or she may be at high risk and any ways that you can help protect a high-risk baby
Let’s fact we want them all to grow up and do simply and sweet things like this:
Educate Yourself about RSV
You can find out more by visiting www.RSVprotection.com which I highly recommend you all do. This is something that you need all the facts you can get to be prepared for.
I live in a small Georgia town that you most likely have never heard of and I LOVE it! My house is more than full as I am a single mother of four & caregiver to my aging mother and uncle. Lover of all things Outlander. Goes to the beat of her own drum woman.
ginette4 says
Wow real eye opener..I’m sharing this with members of my family, little one born last November and one at the end of this year..scary stuff.
Rita says
Make sure that you do. A day after I posted this my sister in-law had a family member whose baby was hospitalized with RSV. It is really serious and something that even though it is common a lot of people don’t know anything about it.
Mary Beth Elderton says
This is such important information. I would also urge pregnant moms with older kids in preschool or school to be very careful when spending time in those places.
Rita says
That is a GREAT point. Many times people don’t thing about that.
Michelle S says
My son had this years ago – I didn’t realize how serious it was back then. He’s 16 now and thank goodness got over it and was fine.