Protecting Your Baby from RSV
It seems it’s becoming more and more common for a woman to deliver her baby early these days.
13 million babies are born early every year with more than half a million in the US.
With premature delivery comes certain risks, including prematurity, the leading cause of neonatal death. An infant is considered premature if they are born at or before 37 weeks gestation age.
Babies who come early face certain risks that parents need to be aware of.
Early birth often means the child didn’t fully develop in the womb and could make them more susceptible to respiratory problems. One virus in particular that parents of preemies should be aware of is RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus.
RSV is contracted by nearly all children by the age of two. It typically causes mild to moderate cold-like symptoms. However, preemies are at high risk for developing much more serious symptoms, including a serious respiratory infection (severe RSV disease) from the virus, because they are born with underdeveloped lungs and a lesser amount of vital antibodies needed to fight off infections.
How common is it? 79% of preemie moms have a baby who was hospitalized due to a severe respiratory infection. That’s almost four out of five!!
It’s critical to protect your child from RSV as much as possible by taking precautions like washing your hands often, asking others near your baby to do the same, and avoiding people who are ill.