Know the Facts About RSV #RSVAwareness #MC

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.

Did you know that November 17th is World Prematurity Day ??

My four children were all full term. However, I have had experience with premature babies during my nursing career as well as having a few very close friends with premature babies. My youngest daughter was my smallest baby, and while she was not a preemie, she did come down with RSV when she was just a few weeks old.  It was a very rough patch for her and I.  Her little lungs had such a hard time.  And as a worried mom, I was up all hours of the night (and all day long) keeping an eye on her to be sure she was getting enough oxygen.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), RSV, a common and contagious seasonal virus, occurs annually in epidemics throughout the fall and spring seasons. In healthy, full term babies, RSV can cause mild to moderate cold-like symptoms. However, for infants born at or before 37 weeks, RSV proves a great risk due to their undeveloped lungs and immature immune systems. While contracted by nearly all children by the age of two, RSV poses a serious threat to premature babies. Simple measures, such as reminding friends to use hand sanitizer or to keep their distance when feeling under the weather, help to keep our little ones RSV-free during this high risk season. You can read more about RSV at RSVProtection.com!

How can we protect our little ones from RSV?