Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) effects many infants each year. RSV is a virus that effects the respiratory system and symptoms include persistent coughing or wheezing; rapid, difficult, or gasping breaths; blue color on the lips, mouth, or under the fingernails; high fever; extreme fatigue; and difficulty feeding. Is is comment and nearly 100% of children contract RSV at some point before their second birthday. RSV can live on surfaces such has doorknobs, counter tops, toys or bedding for several hours. It is often spread through touching, hugging and kissing. Some babies may be at a higher risk for severe RSV disease. This can lead to severe complications. In most older children, RSV runs its course with mild symptoms similar to the cold or flu, and many parents may not even know their child has the virus. But in very young babies—and especially preemies and those with certain lung and heart diseases—it can lead to a serious respiratory infection.
I remember when my cousin was a baby and got RSV. She was hospitalized for over a week. It was scary and we didn’t know what to expect or what was going to happen. It is the scariest thing ever, I could never imagine having to go through it with my own children. I have been lucky they have been healthy, but this is something that could have easily happened to any of them…or at least wasn’t severe.
The most important way to protect your baby from contracting RSV is by being cautious of exposing infants to visitors. RSV is responsible for more than 125,000 hospitalizations and up to 500 infant deaths each year. You want to do what you can to protect your baby so they do not end up in the hospital. Of course everyone wants to see the new baby, but you need to protect them. ”RSV season” is between November and March, so be particularly careful during those times. There is no “cure” for RSV, so the most important thing is to protect your small babies.
Here are some tips to help keep your baby safe:
- Ask visitors to call before they visit. This will allow you to prepare.
- Ask that any visitors please postpone their visit if they feel like they might be getting sick or have recently been sick.
- Ask visitors to wash their hands frequently.
- Ask that toddlers not visit, especially during the winter months. We know they want to see the baby as well, but young children may carry germs and viruses, like RSV, which is easily spread.
To learn more about RSV, how to protect and see if your baby is a high risk, visit RSVprotection.com.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of MedImmune and received promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.
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It is so sad that this happens more than we hear about. This is a great post for new or soon to be new moms to learn about the virus. Great informational post!!