RSV Prevention & Tips to Prevent RSV Disease

“I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for MedImmune. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”

 In January 2006 I brought home my second child!  I was so excited to have a boy since my first was a girl.  He was a strong healthy little guy and I just loved having another baby in our family! When he was just 2 1/2 weeks old my daughter got croup. She was only 2 1/2 at the time and had to have breathing treatments. She was miserable.  I tried to keep her away from the baby, but didn’t do the best job of it. I would walk in the room and she would be sitting next to him snuggling up to him and holding his little hand….and coughing.  UGH.  After about 2 days of my daughter being sick my son started getting stuffy, and one night in the middle of the night I remember waking up with him realizing he was struggling to get breath.  I held him in my arms and watched him. He was breathing, but it took a lot of effort.  I took him to the doctors and they tested his oxygen levels and sent us straight to the NICU where we spent a full week trying to keep his oxygen up, suctioning his nose and throat and praying that my little baby would get better, along with my daughter who was still sick at home with grandma watching her.

I was very grateful that we got him diagnosed early and that it didn’t get worse than it was. It was not a fun time, and every time winter comes around and I have a baby I am way more cautious and careful by following these preventative ways to keep my children healthy during the winter months!

So what is RSV?  RSV is a seasonal virus that can affect a child’s lungs and breathing. It usually starts looking like a mild to moderate cold, especially in healthy, full-term babies.  RSV season is typically between November – March each year.  With approximately 1250,000 hospitalized and up to 200 infants deaths each year. RSV disease is the leading cause of babies being hospitalized in their first year of life (in the US).

RSV is common and you would think most people know about it, but I was surprised to hear that almost 1/3 of parents haven’t ever heard of it.   I even knew about it before my son contracted it, but even with two sister as nurses I didn’t really understand how bad it could be.  Also,  Premature babies are at higher risk for contracting RSV.  In-fact it can be more severe in premature babies, and they are twice as likely to get RSV than full term babies.    My cute sister-in-law just had these two sweet babies a few months ago born at 2 and 4 lbs.  They are both still on oxygen and still developing their lungs. I sure don’t want these sweet little babies contracting this disease and neither do their parents.

If you don’t know a lot about RSV, I am sure you are wondering what the Symptoms of RSV are?
If your child is

• wheezing
• persistent coughing
• bluish color around mouth or fingernails
• having difficulty breathing by gasping or rapid breath
• has a fever of over 100.4º

So how can you protect your baby from contracting RSV? First of you need to know that RSV is very contagious and can be shared through touching, sneezing and coughing.  The virus can live on the skin or surfaces in your home for 7 hours.  There is no treatment for RSV disease once it’s contracted, so prevention is critical. Obviously they will take care of your child and help them get better, but there is no medicine to help.  They have to suction their lungs and put them on oxygen.  It took my son 7 days to get his oxygen levels back up to 90 which is what they had to be able to leave the hospital.

To help minimize the spread of RSV disease parents and care givers need to wash their hands, and have family and friends that come around do the same, keep their toys, pacifiers, blanket and clothes clean, don’t let people smoke around your baby, avoid crowds and stay clear or people who are or have been sick. Also if you are sick don’t go around babies! Use common sense!

There is a great website here to answer all of your questions regarding RSV and prevention.  I wish I knew more of these tips when I was a first time mom of a winter baby.  I am grateful none of my other children have had to go through the week long torture that we went through.  It is very important as a parent to be aware and to try hard to prevent your children from getting RSV.  Education and awareness are the keys to preventing RSV.