RSV Etiquette- Keeping your baby safe

Have you ever dealt with RSV? I haven’t, luckily, but it can be pretty serious to some babies. “Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a very common virus that leads to mild, cold-like symptoms in adults and older healthy children. It can be more serious in young babies, especially to those in certain high-risk groups.” My kids may have had it, but since they weren’t preemies, they weren’t at risk and it never became anything worse than a cold for us.  To find out more about RSV and whether your baby is at risk visit RSV Protection.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common, easily spread virus that almost all children catch at least once by the time they turn 2.^1,2

RSV disease usually causes
moderate-to-severe cold symptoms. However, for some babies, complications from RSV disease can lead to a serious lung infection.³Call your baby’s doctor if your baby has any of these problems^4,5:

• Coughing or wheezing that does not stop
• Fast breathing or gasping for breath
• Spread-out nostrils and/or a caved-in chest when trying to breathe
• A bluish color around the mouth or fingernails
• A fever (in infants under 3 months of age, a fever greater than 100.4°F rectal is a cause for concern)

What can you do to help prevent RSV? RSV spreads just like a common-cold virus.¹Taking a few extra precautions around your family and friends can help protect your baby.

• Wash your hands thoroughly before touching your baby, and ask others to do the same¹
• Don’t let anyone smoke in your home, or near your baby^2-6
• Wash your baby’s toys, clothes, and bedding often¹
• Keep your baby away from¹:
  – Crowds and young children
  – People with colds

Remember to visit RSV Protection for more information about keeping your baby safe!

A few tips to remember when a loved one has a new baby:

• Call before you visit. New parents need time to set up a routine and bond. By giving them time to do so before you visit, you are respecting the new family.
• Postpone a visit if you feel that you may be getting sick, have recently been ill or exposed to illness.
• Remember that parents know best. If you feel they are being overprotective or overly cautious, just consider that only they know what’s best for the health of their new son or daughter.
• Offer to do something to ease their responsibilities as they spend time as a family, such as laundry, cooking or dishes. Sleep-deprived moms and dads will appreciate your help!

If you do schedule a visit with a new baby:

• Wash your hands frequently—upon entering the home and especially prior to holding the baby. Parents, and the new baby, will appreciate it.
• Leave toddlers at home, especially during the winter months. Young children, especially if they attend day care or preschool, often carry germs and viruses, like RSV, that are easily spread.

A few facts about RSV that all parents, caregivers and loved ones should know:

• Almost every baby will contract RSV by age 2, but only 1/3 of moms say they’ve heard of the virus.
• Serious RSV infection is the leading cause of infant hospitalization, responsible for more than 125,000 hospitalizations and up to 500 infant deaths each year.
• RSV occurs in epidemics each fall through spring. The CDC has defined “RSV season” as beginning in November and lasting through March for most parts of North America.
• There is no treatment for RSV, so it’s important for parents to take preventive steps to help protect their child (e.g., wash hands, toys, bedding frequently; avoid crowds and cigarette smoke).
• Certain babies are at an increased risk of developing serious RSV infection, so it’s important to speak with a pediatrician to determine if a baby may be at high risk for RSV, and discuss preventive measures.

• Symptoms of serious RSV infection include: persistent coughing or wheezing; rapid, difficult, or gasping breaths; blue color on the lips, mouth, or under the fingernails; high fever; extreme fatigue; and difficulty feeding. Parents should contact a medical professional immediately upon signs of these symptoms.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of MedImmune and received promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.