MedImmune Preemie & RSV Awareness

This month on November 17th was the 2nd Annual World Prematurity Day, a day to honor the more than 1 million babies worldwide that have died because they were born too soon! To also honor the 14 million more that are struggling each day to survive. This was a day to focus our attention to the problem of premature birth, but something we should be thinking of every day.

When babies are born premature, their lungs and immune systems are not strong, therefore they are at risk of developing infections and respiratory problems. One virus in particular that everyone should know about is RSV.This stands for respiratory syncytial virus that 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!

I want to share with you some important facts that many are not aware of:

• In the United States, 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

Take a peek at this interesting RSV infographic below:

With all of my pregnancies, I remember thinking I couldn’t wait for the pregnancy the be over during the last few weeks. I was tired, felt huge and didn’t get much sleep. 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
• Don’t share personal items like pacifiers, bottles, toothbrushes, etc.

To learn more about RSV, visit: https://www.rsvprotection.com

“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of MedImmune and I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”