RSV Awareness and Prevention

Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored collaboration with MedImmune and Latina Mom Bloggers. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

I been lucky enough to have always had very healthy babies, with 5 pregnancies behind me and one on the way, there are things you learn and preventions you take when caring specially for your newborns. After all they are so little and defenseless it is our job as Mommy's to educate ourselves and protect them as much as we can from any harm including viruses such as the RSV or Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

RSV is as you might not even guessed a very common virus that is contracted by almost all babies It is so common 100% of babies will get the virus once in their life time before the age of 2 years old.

When babies are born full term and they get RSV, the symptoms will be mostly mild almost flue like.  But the most severe is when premature babies born before 37 weeks contract the virus, due to their lungs not being fully develop and immature immune systems, fighting the virus is so much harder at times almost impossible. It is said that there are approximately 125,000 hospitalization and up to 200 infants deaths each year caused by Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Here are some symptoms that would be consider Severe specially if your baby was born before 37 weeks

• Persistent coughing or wheezing
• Bluish color around the mouth or fingernails
• Rapid, difficult, or gasping breaths
• Fever (especially if it is over 100.4°F [rectal] in infants under 3 months of age)

The good news is that we as Moms do have some kind of control in preventing this virus, First and foremost with anything remember to wash your hands all of the time, specially when caring for your little ones. Teach your kids the same sometimes they come home from school and carry with them all the viruses their little friends have. This also goes along the lines of keeping blankets, sheets, toys and anything that the baby comes in contact with clean. Try to stay away from big crowds or little ones as much as possible, specially if your baby was born prematurely, I would go as far as keeping your own sick children away from the baby if they have any cold or flue like symptoms. 

Another thing you can do is to educate yourself specially if your baby was born prematurely, to do this I encourage you to visit RSVProtection.com.