“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.”
On November 17th is the 3rd Annual World Prematurity Day, a day to honor the millions of baby that have died because they were born too early. Each year worldwide there are more than 13 million babies that are born prematurely. More than one million preemies have died just this year from the health challenges that they face from being born premature.
When babies are born premature, their lungs and their immune systems are not strong. They are are also at risk of developing infections and respiratory problems. One virus in particular is RSV which stands for respiratory syncytial virus. This virus is common and virtually all children by the time they have reached aged 2 have contracted it. This virus causes a lung infection that can cause babies and small children to become very sick!
Important facts that you probably don’t know:
- In the US, 1 in 8 babies is born prematurely.
- Worldwide, 13 million+ babies are born too soon each year.
- RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitilization
- RSV is more prevalent during the winter months
With each of my pregnancies, I remember wanting the pregnancy to be over with before my due date. Being huge and pregnant and not getting much sleep can be stressful. Although I never wanted to have my children early, I do remember that I couldn’t wait for the last few weeks of each of my pregnancies to be over. Unfortunately with all 3 of my pregnancies, I had c-sections so each of my children were born a week early. With my last pregnancy, my son had a some newborn jaundice which can develop if babies are born too early, but it went away fairly quickly.
When it comes to RSV, we need to take the extra steps to prevent it! Here are some ways that you can help to prevent this virus.
- Wash hands, toys, bedding and play areas frequently
- Make sure everyone in your home uses hand sanitizer
- Avoid large crowds or being around people that are sick or been sick
- Never let smoke around your children or in your home
- Don’t share personal items like pacifiers, bottles, toothbrushes, etc.
To learn more about RSV, visit: https://www.RSVProtection.com
I’m so glad that you are sharing this info with people because one of my friends had to deal with her son having RSV. It was terrible. He was in the hospital for a long time. He’s OK now, but it was tough to go through.
This is so scary!!! Thanks for this info. New moms have so much to worry about!!
RSV is very scary, glad you’ve shared this. I had a preemie, but luckily I was able to keep him healthy and knew what to look for.
We don’t have babies in the house anymore but I’m shocked my doctor never told me much about this when we did have one. Sounds scary!
my son had rsv when he was a baby. so scary
Thank you for raising this awareness! With two 9 month olds, I’m so scared of this!