I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for MedImmune. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating
November 17th is World Prematurity Day, and we wanted to take a moment to discuss RSV with our readers. Many people have heard of RSV, however they don’t full understand what it is or how they can prevent it. We have family members that were affected by RSV. It was very hard for myself, as a mother, to watch my family members having to deal with this sickness. They were hospitalized and scared.
RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is a virus that infects the lungs. It is very contagious and spreads rapidly among children. Most children will catch RSV by the age of 2 years old. Most will recover within 1-2 weeks, however even after recovery, infants and children can continue to spread the virus for 1-3 weeks (this is a very important factor to remember).
Premature infants or those with lung or heart problems who get severe RSV disease can lead to serious lung infection and hospitalization.
RSV Signs & Symptoms:
Children that have been infected with RSV will start to get sick about 4-6 days after being exposed. Some of the first signs and symptoms you might notice are coughing, sneezing and fever. Other signs and symptoms include:
- Coughing or wheezing that does not let up
- Fast or problems breathing
- Fever (especially if it is higher than 100.4 degrees F in infants under 3 months old)
- Bluish color around the mouth or fingernails (these are signs that should not be ignored and you should see a doctor immediately if you notice)
- Spread-out nostrils and/or a caved in chest when trying to breathe
- Gasping for breath
If your child has the above symptoms you should seek medical help.
RSV has a season sort of like the flu has a season. This is the time of the year that your child is most likely to catch RSV. In most parts of the country RSV season runs from Fall to Spring (meaning we are in RSV Season as we speak). With that being said, RSV activity in your area may vary from season to season. In different parts of the country RSV season can come at different times. It is important to know the warning signs and be prepared.
You can talk to your pediatrician for more in-depth info about how you can protect your baby from RSV. You can also visit RSV protection.com for more information.
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for MedImmune. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating
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