As the parent of a child who attended day care at a young age, I know full well about the risks of exposing a child to germs and viruses. When The Boy was six-months old, he contracted RSV. I had never heard of RSV and wish that RSV prevention tips were shared with me at some point during my pregnancy. If you’re not familiar, RSV – or Respiratory Syncytial Virus – is a seasonal virus seasonal virus that affects two-thirds of all infants by age one and almost all babies by age two, because it’s highly contagious. I wish that RSV prevention tips were shared with me at some point during my pregnancy.
It is estimated that 82% of children living in the United States between the ages of six weeks to six years old, spend some amount of time in a child care or pre-school setting. It’s no secret that spending any amount of time in daycare or pre-school increases a child’s exposure to germs and viruses.
November through March is considered “RSV Season” by the CDC, that time period is when RSV is most often transmitted. During the winter months, if you’re the parent of an infant, you should pay close attention to the signs of RSV. Symptoms below are of severe RSV infection and require immediate medical care:
- Coughing or wheezing that does not stop
- Fast or troubled breathing
- Spread-out nostrils and/or a caved-in chest when trying to breathe
- Bluish color around the mouth or fingernails
- Fever (especially if it is over 100.4°F in infants under 3 months of age)
There is no treatment for RSV, making RSV prevention critical. If you have an infant at home, but send an older child off to preschool your infant may still be at risk. Germs travel home with other siblings and with parents who work with children!
Follow these easy RSV prevention tips:
- Wash toys and bedding frequently
- Do not allow ANYONE to smoke around your infant
- Avoid crowds
- Change baby’s clothing as soon as you get home from day care, story hour, and play dates. Moms and dads who work with children should change their clothing right away, too!
Certain babies are a higher risk for RSV – such as those born prematurely. You should check with your pediatrician to see if your baby falls in the high risk category.
To learn more about RSV and how you can prevent it, visit RSVProtection and be sure to share this post with your friends and family members.
Did your baby contract RSV? What precautions have you taken to protect your baby from RSV?
Disclosure: 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.
