I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for MedImmune. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
Today is World Prematurity Day and what better way to honor families who have experienced the birth of a premature baby than to discuss RSV Prevention. Up to 1/3 of parents are unaware of the risks and symptoms of RSV and often brush them off as a simple cold. However, when you're dealing with an infant, especially a premature one, any illness should be taken seriously.
When Lynzie was about 22 months old, she contracted RSV. Her symptoms included blue color around her mouth, as well as a raspy cough and gasping for breath. As young parents with no experience recognizing the symptoms of a sick baby, we held off taking her to the doctor much longer than we should have. We'd dealt with sickness like this ourselves as adults and knew we eventually recovered fine. It didn't occur to us how this sickness could be much more serious in a baby or toddler.
When my husband noticed her "falling asleep" on the couch, I realized she was actually passing out. We raced her to the emergency room, me singing, You Are My Sunshine, all the way just to keep myself from panicking. Her oxygen saturation was very low and she was immediately put into an oxygen tent where she spent three days.
We were blessed to have a baby who recovered, yet not all children do. Up to 200 infants die each year from RSV.
When my husband noticed her "falling asleep" on the couch, I realized she was actually passing out. We raced her to the emergency room, me singing, You Are My Sunshine, all the way just to keep myself from panicking. Her oxygen saturation was very low and she was immediately put into an oxygen tent where she spent three days.
We were blessed to have a baby who recovered, yet not all children do. Up to 200 infants die each year from RSV.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus effects nearly all babies by the time they're two years old. It usually causes mild or moderate cold-like symptoms, but in some babies, symptoms become severe and cause a dangerous infection.
Premature babies, those born before 37 weeks, are at a higher risk for severe symptoms since they usually have underdeveloped lungs and immune systems. RSV season usually runs November-March and accounts for about 125,000 hospitalizations each year.
Here are some things to look for in your infant:
*Persistent coughing/wheezing
*Bluish color around lips, mouth, fingernails (indicates lack of oxygen)
*Rapid, difficult, gasping breaths
*Fever (over 100.4ยบ in infants 3 mo. and younger)
How can you prevent RSV? Here are some crucial steps:
*Understand risk factors to see if your baby is at an increased risk.
*Never let anyone smoke around your baby.
*Wash your hands and require others to do the same before handling your baby.
*Keep toys, clothes, and blankets clean.
*Avoid crowds or other young children during RSV season.
I'm so sorry to hear your daughter was affected by RSV...but has amazingly pulled though it! A very dear friend of mine was not so lucky. Thank you for spreading the awareness, it seems to me the majority of people are not aware till their loved one has contracted it.
ReplyDeleteI was unaware of this information. Thanks for sharing it. I hope a mom who needs it finds it.
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