AstraZeneca RSV Awareness

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored collaboration with AstraZeneca and DiMe Media. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Have you heard of RSV? I’m not surprised if you haven’t. In fact, many mothers have never heard about it until they experience it.

I had my first experience with RSV when I was volunteering at a center. A baby there contracted RSV and ended up being hospitalized for several weeks. I spoke with the mom and she had been so scared the entire time and felt so guilty that she did not know more. From that day, I made a promise to myself to learn about RSV and how to prevent it from happening to children.

So, what is RSV?

RSV, (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), is a very common season virus that nearly all children contract before the age of 2. In healthy, full-term babies, it typically causes mild to moderate cold-like symptoms. RSV is most common from November through March, but it can vary from year-to-year. In the US, it is the leading cause of babies being hospitalized during their first year.

Every baby is at risk of contracting RSV, but babies born prematurely are twice as likely as full term infants to be hospitalized because of RSV disease and/or symptoms.

If your infant exhibits any of these signs or symptoms, please call your pediatrician right away:

Coughing or Wheezing that is persistent
Bluish tinted color found around the mouth or fingernails
Rapid or difficult breathing, or gasping for breath
Fever (especially if the rectal temperature is over 100.4°F in infants under 3 months of age)

RSV is a very contagious disease and can be easily spread by touching, coughing, or sneezing. The virus can live on skin and surfaces for hours. There is no treatment for RSV once it has been contracted, so prevention is key.

Here are some tips to help you prevent the spread of RSV disease:

Parents should wash their hands often and ask others to do the same. (This goes for siblings too – especially school-aged children!)
Keep baby’s clothes, toys, sheets, blankets, and clothes clean.
Avoid large crowds and other young children during RSV season.
Don’t ever let anyone smoke near your baby.
Keep baby away from people who are sick or have recently been sick.

Still want to learn more about RSV? There’s an easy way to do just that! Visit www.RSVprotection.com for lots more information and make sure that you are aware of everything. There, you’ll find out how to talk to your child’s pediatrician about their risk factors for contracting RSV, data about RSV and how it is affecting your area, and real stories about families that have experienced RSV. Follow these stories are more at #RSVawareness and #PreemieProtection.

Each year worldwide, 13 million babies are born prematurely. Despite these startling numbers, many parents still aren’t aware of the risks of premature birth. The leading cause of neonatal death. In fact, 75 percent of parents don’t know the definition of prematurely and during prenatal care, most pregnant women don’t ask their healthcare provider about the risk of delivering prematurely and the potential consequences of preterm birth for their child.

Before I close, I want you to take a look at this easy to read infographic:

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