I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for MedImmune. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

With World Prematurity Day coming up on the 17th of November and winter right around the corner it’s time to talk about RSV and learn the facts, find out the risk RSV has on preemies, learn the symptoms and find out how you can protect your child from RSV.

First off, if you are not familiar with RSV, it is Respiratory Syncytial Virus, a common season virus that is contracted by nearly all children by the age of 2.  RSV causes typical mild to moderate cold-like symptoms in healthy, full-term babies.  Libby had it as a child and required breathing treatments for about a week and has been fine since.

When our little Ellie was born a month premature and labeled a preemie, in the middle of December, RSV came to mind because preterm infants are born with undeveloped lungs and immature immune systems that put them more at risk to contract RSV and require hospitalization.  

RSV infection is more likely to root in premature lungs where developing airways are are narrowed and very fragile and preterm babies also carry fewer virus-fighting antibodies.

Here’s what you need to know about RSV

Key RSV Facts:

• RSV occurs in epidemics each year, typically from November through March, though it can vary by geography and year-to-year
• RSV disease is the leading cause of hospitalization for babies during their first year of life in the United States, with approximately 125,000 hospitalizations and up to 400 infant deaths each year
• RSV disease is responsible for one of every 13 pediatrician visits and one of every 38 trips to the ER in children under the age of five
• Despite being so common, many parents aren’t aware of RSV; in fact, one-third of mothers have never heard of the virus

Learn the Symptoms of Severe RSV Disease:

Contact your child’s pediatrician immediately if your child exhibits one or more of the following:

• Persistent coughing or wheezing
• Bluish color around the mouth or fingernails
• Rapid, difficult, or gasping breaths
• Fever [especially if it is over 100.4°F (rectal) in infants under 3 months of age]

 How Can I Help Protect My Baby From RSV?

RSV is very contagious and can be spread easily through touching, sneezing and coughing. Additionally, the virus can live on the skin and surfaces for hours. There is no treatment for RSV disease once it’s contracted, so prevention is critical. To help minimize the spread of RSV disease, all parents should:

• Wash their hands and ask others to do the same
• Keep toys, clothes, blanket and sheets clean
• Avoid crowds and other young children during RSV season
• Never let anyone smoke around your baby
• Steer clear of people who are sick or who have recently been sick

Since Ellie was a preemie and born in the middle of winter and just a week before Christmas, it was decided that Ellie would not be traveling and visiting our rather large family for the holidays and instead Alex and I would stay home and enjoy our time with her.

You can learn more about RSV from the infographic belowor visit the RSV Protection website.

[gview file=”http://themegalomaniacmommy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/RSV-Infographic.pdf” height=”1500px” width=”640px”]