I've been a little absent because Sweets had an ugly bout
with RSV. The virus took over our lives and scared us like a son of bitch. Poor
Sweets had to endure being in the hospital, with a follow up trip back to the emergency
room a week later. She’s only three months old and has been through so much (I
haven’t told you the story from the day she was born. I’ll get to that in a post
soon. I promise).
My heart was breaking watching her fight this virus. I would
say it took a little more than two weeks for it to run its course. And there’s
nothing you can really do but keep your baby comfortable and watch the virus
run its course. RSV pretty much stands for Really Shitty Virus … ok, that’s my
opinion. It really stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus and its symptoms are
pretty much a common cold … but for little ones it can be deadly.
If you don’t
know what RSV is and you have an infant, I suggest you do some research to learn
what you’re up against.
Below are some RSV facts:
- 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 (e.g. preemies, immature immune systems, lung/heart disease, etc.) 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.
- There is a vaccine, but it’s costly and some insurance companies either partially pay for it or pay nothing at all. And the vaccine is also done in doses so your child isn’t protected until they receive all the doses which can take months.
