This post was sponsored by AstraZeneca as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. #LittleLungs #RSVAwarenessMonth
There are a lot of things to learn when you become a parent for the first time. Like how to get your child to sleep through the night, what soothes her when you’re on your last nerve, and how to fit her needs into your already too busy life. But one of the most important things new parents need to know about is one many won’t likely discover until the find their infant with a fever and then they’ll suddenly realize their child’s well-being is in their hands. If they’re prepared for their child’s illness, they can save themselves a lot of worry and heartache, so learning ahead of time about some of the most common childhood diseases your infant is likely to experience is a must.
One such disease is RSV and since October is National RSV Awareness Month it’s a great time to share some excellent resources for parents. But first let me tell you a little more about this common, seasonal virus that normally strikes between November and March here in the US. It’s so common that most children will contract it before their 2nd birthday. But sadly, many of these infants will require hospitalization to recover. In fact, RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization in a baby’s first year of
Children without complications usually recover in 7-14 days. But what makes RSV so different is that a child can continue to spread the virus for up to three weeks after recovery. That’s one of the properties that makes RSV so different. Most people assume once a fever is gone, the child is no longer contagious, but with RSV, that’s simply not the truth.
Preventative Measures to Avoid Contracting RSV
Beyond keeping your child away from those who are or have been sick with RSV, what else can you do to keep your child safe? Handwashing is the number one way to prevent the virus from being passed from one person to another. Wash your hands before and after attending to your child’s needs and ask friends and family to do so as well. Wash toys and bedding at least once a week or at the first sign of soiling. Also, keep your child away from crowds and cigarette smoke.
Don’t be afraid to ask visitors to adhere to your standards, you’re the one who’ll have to deal with an ill child long after they’ve gone home.
Signs and Symptoms of RSV
Also, watch for signs of a RSV infection in your child and have your child seen if you notice the following symptoms: difficulty breathing, a high fever, a thick discharge from the nose, a cough that produces green, yellow, or gray mucus, unusual irritability or inactivity, and refusal to bottle or breastfeed.
Get more in-depth information on how to detect, prevent, and what to look for in treatment should your child contract RSV. Visit RSV: Get the facts to help protect your baby (http://bit.ly/2bvRxSm).
Cautious but not Crazy
This will be my first winter as a mother. You can be sure I’ll be putting some of these preventative measures in place. But I also know that sometimes even after taking every precaution, my sweet little girl could get sick. But with the information and tools provided, I’ll be able to remain calm and confident that I can handle whatever this winter throws at us. Plus, proper preparation will save me from going crazy with worry.
RSV Infographic
A baby’s lungs are so fragile and so it’s important to keep it protected from winter’s biggest threat. Check out the RSV infographic below for more facts about keeping your child healthy and safe.
It is very scary. Especially for someone so little. Parents need to be educated more about this issue.
One of my babies got RSV, and it was so scary. Luckily we caught it early. It’s so helpful to make people aware.
I’m so sorry to hear about your baby, I’m so glad you caught it early. It’s definitely something to look out for!
My son was born at about 35 weeks and was a preemie. I am so thankful that he did not get RSV.
This is such an important post. I have never dealt with babies with this, but I have heard about it. I couldn’t imagine how hard it may be for both the babies and parents.
Such important information as I’m about to have an infant in the house again. Those numbers are so crazy! I do keep my toddler at home.
My daughter was born at about 36 weeks and was a preemie. I am so thankful that she did not get RSV.
These statistics are staggering. I didn’t realize that RSV was contagious for that long.
I didn’t know all of this about RSV. I will have to pass this information on to my sister.
Wow, so informative! I never new about rsv. Thank you so much.
RSV is SO scary! My daughter had it last year, and I hated it! I can’t believe it’s already that time of year again.
Definitely have to share this with all my friends that recently and are expecting little ones.
I think it is great there is a National RSV Awareness Month. So many people do not know about it. We all need to know the warning signs. It is something your Doctor should tell you when you have your baby.
I had no idea there was no cure for RSV. I will have to share this with my friends with little ones.
It is that time of the year again. So many people are sick in my area. It is so important to know the signs of RSV.
Thank you for the information to know the signs of a RSV infection. It would be awful to have a sick child and miss the warning signs.
It is so important to know the signs of a RSV infection. I will have to share this with my friend. She just had her baby.