I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for MedImmune. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Tis the season for the weather to change and here in Wisconsin it’s already quite chilly and we’ve had a few signs of snow.  This time of year is the worst time to get sick as well because there are all kinds of nasty infections out there.  As a mom, on thing I always worry about, is the kids getting R.S.V.  

If you are not familiar with RSV, it is Respiratory Syncytial Virus, a common season virus that nearly all children will contract by the age of 2. It can cause typical mild to moderate cold-like symptoms in healthy, full-term babies but it is also the #1 reason babies are hospitalized during the first year of life.

We have dealt with RSV in the past, when Libby was an infant and it was one of the worst things ever. She went through a lot of breathing treatments and we all lost a lot of sleep.  I will never forget what it was like when she first became sick.  There was a lot of coughing and wheezing and you could tell she was physically uncomfortable and breathing was not easy for her.  After rushing her to the ER, getting her on oxygen, a dose of an antibiotic and sent home with a nebulizer to continue breathing treatments 3 times a day until she was better, it was not an enjoyable time.  I was a young mom, 21, and was scared.  Thankfully she pulled through and was on the mend quickly.

Since World Prematurity Day is coming up on November 17th and knowing that RSV infection is more likely to root in premature lungs, making premature children more susceptible, I want to make sure you are educated as well.

With Ellie (4 weeks 6 days premature) being our little preemie and having recently had croup in the last month, and add in our extremely cold weather here in Wisconsin, you can bet I will do everything in my power to protect her and the other kiddos from getting sick. When Ellie became sick last month and wsa coughing, or should I say barking, in her sleep  I was scared that we were headed down the path of RSV once again.  I was actually thankful when I took her into the ER that night that it was just croup.

Our little glow worm preemie.

As parents, it is our job to protect our little ones from illness so it helps to know the symptoms of RSV so you can get an early diagnosis.  You can find out more about RSV and how to protect your children in the infographic below or visit the RSV Protection site.