This post was sponsored by AstraZeneca as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
As a mom of five I know all too well how scary it can be when your baby gets sick. The younger they are, or the more severe it seems, the more you tend to feel panic inside. While it’s no surprise that a babies lungs are fragile, did you know that the biggest threat to their lungs this season is RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)? It’s actually the leading cause of hospitalization for babies in the US during their first year of life. With up to 125,000 hospitalizations and around 200 infant deaths each year.
As we strive to keep our babies safe and warm, it’s very important to know the facts about RSV and help protect babies’ little lungs.
To help parents and caregivers learn how to protect the babies around them from RSV, October has been declared National RSV Awareness Month. This month is the time to educate parents, caregivers and family about not only the signs and symptoms of RSV disease, but also what preventative measures you can take to protect the little ones around you. RSV is a common seasonal virus that typically strikes between November and March in the US. It’s important to know that nearly all babies in the US will contract RSV by the age of two, but severity varies and knowing when to get babies treated is very important.
Symptoms of RSV
- Nasal congestion, runny nose, mild cough, and low-grade fever are the typical initial symptoms of both the mild and of the more severe forms of the disease.
- Barking cough, which can be a sign of significant swelling in and around the vocal cords
- Fever, either low grade (less than 101 degrees F) or high (more than 103 degrees F)
- Difficulty breathing that includes abnormally fast, nasal flaring or “caving-in” of the chest in between the ribs and under the ribs (chest wall retractions)
- Wheezing (a high-pitched whistling sound as the patient breathes out)
- Difficulty drinking
- Lethargy or irritability
- Bluish color around the mouth, lips, and fingernails
- Apnea (stopping breathing) is a common symptom of RSV bronchiolitis among very young infants, especially in babies born prematurely
Causes and risk factors of RSV in babies:
RSV is caused by a virus and spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The virus enters the body through the nose or mouth or very often through the eyes- which happens way easier than you think. Babies are always exploring, and those sweet hands make it to their eyes and mouths in a blink!
- Crowded places with people who may be infected
- Exposure to other children (e.g., in daycare) or to older siblings attending school
- Infants younger than 6 months of age
- Young children, especially those under 1 year of age, who were born prematurely or who have an underlying condition, such as congenital heart or lung disease
- Children with weakened immune systems
How to prevent RSV
RSV is a highly contagious disease, but there are some ways to help your baby not contract it:
- Avoiding close contact with infected people. Have sick visitors wait until they’re feeling better before seeing your baby.
- Avoiding sharing cups, bottles, or toys that may have been contaminated with the virus (it can live on surfaces for several hours); and
- Hand washing with soap and water for 30 seconds after coming into contact with an infected person. Though remembering to wash your hands often throughout the day is beneficial, as you never know if someone is infected without symptoms.
This rsv-infographic seeks to help you learn more about RSV, and what you can do to prevent it. You can find out more at the RSV Protection site here: http://bit.ly/2bvRxSm
Have any of your kids ever been impacted by RSV? If you know any one with little ones this season please pass on this important information to keep their babies as healthy and safe this season as possible.
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