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Did you know that if your baby is born a preemie that they have so many more struggles? It’s so important for us to do everything we can do to have full term babies! So much goes on and every week your baby grows inside you is so important. When they come out early like my boys did they have so many more chances of getting sick and having other issues as the lungs and brain are also still developing during this time.
Johnny was my first born. He came hard and fast and there was no stopping him. At 36 weeks he welcomed this world. He didn’t last very long though before he started getting sick. It first began a little cold and then grew into pneumonia. Before I knew what was going on he was being admitted into the hospital and hooked up to IV fluids and a nurse was telling me he had RSV. I didn’t even understand what she was telling me. I had never heard of RSV before.
WHAT IS RSV?
RSV is a common seasonal virus, most children will actually contract it by age two, and usually causes mild to moderate cold-‐like symptoms in healthy, full-‐term babies. Usually RSV starts effecting babies from November through March, though it can vary by where you live year to year. When babies are born premature they are actually twice as likely to get severe RSV and be admitted into the hospital. Like me, most parents don’t even know what RSV is until it’s too late. Did you know approximately 125,000 babies are hospitalized each year? Sadly, 200 babies die from it every year too!
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS FOR SEVERE RSV?
- 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 PREVENT RSV?
- Wash your 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
Don’t think just because your baby has celebrated their first birthday that they are in the clear! That’s what I did and when Gavin was 18 months old when he was diagnosed. He too, just like his brother, was born early at just 36 weeks 2 days and was at risk. What I didn’t realize that RSV doesn’t go after just babies! The only reason they even tested him was because there was a six year old there who was just diagnosed!
With Sawyer I’m not going to let a small cold turn into anything. I’m now knowledgeable and know the importance of early diagnosis. If you feel that there are symptoms that could be RSV then trust your mommy gut because it’s almost always right!
Here’s a great infographic about RSV I want to share:
To learn more about RSV make sure to check out the website www.RSVprotection.com for more information. They can also provide tips on what to talk to your pediatrician about and what your child’s personal risk factors are. They can also provide area specific data so you know how bad this contagious disease is spreading in your community!
I am printing this post and giving it to my daughter who is expecting a baby. Important and helpful information
When my son Mica had his staph infection at 7 months, we couldn’t go to our preferred hospital because they were fill with RSV. Off to another hospital we went. They had it there to. I could hear kids coughing, and crying. I worried so much about my little boy getting it.
what a great and informative post,some really good points for moms to be