****Disclosure- This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Medimmune****
As a mother of two handsome little boys I know firsthand the fears that every mom has while pregnant. Even if you don’t experience a difficult pregnancy, you worry. This life that you are carrying is of great importance and you make it your business to protect your unborn child. Despite our best intentions and trying to do everything right, many things are out of our control and pregnancies don’t always go as planned. Sadly, about 13 million babies are born prematurely EACH YEAR??? EACH DECADE???, and more than one million of them do not survive because of the health challenges presented to them. Many mothers blame themselves or have guilt and regret for what happens, and this is totally normal whether or not the occurrence was within our control.
Although as moms we are often NOT at fault, we can take precautions to guard against a leading killer of premature children, RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus). This contagious disease can be controlled by washing our hands and asking others to do the same when they visit our little angels. As a mom, I was very over protective and didn’t have tons of traffic come into my home, especially during the RSV season from November through March. I also remember my mother-in-law coming from The Dominican Republic to celebrate the birth of our second pride and joy and I had to turn her away. I guess because of the climate change, she developed a cold here in the States and I was NOT taking any chances with our newborn. She was forced to stay at my brother-in-law’s home for the duration of her stay.
Some important facts to remember about this horrible disease that can take the life of our babies are as follows:
- RSV is the highest leading cause of hospitalizations in the United States during a child’s precious first year of life. It has lead to 125,000 hospitalizations and sadly up to 400 deaths each year.
- It saddens me to know that many mothers are NOT aware of this deadly disease, approximately one-third of them are unaware of the severity of it.
- RSV is blamed for every one in 13 pediatric visits and one of every 38 Emergency Room trips for children under the age of five.
Although RSV is more likely to develop in premature babies, as a mother, I take full precaution. I am often that “helicopter mom” who stays home to hibernate and bond with my baby the first year. Of course, I know I cannot wrap my baby in a bubble forever but I know that there are things I can do to assist in minimizing the chances of my babies contracting this deadly disease. I often cringe when I see people who have just given birth prancing around in public with their newborn. We must educate people that, although they want to celebrate the birth of this precious gift and share their joy, spending time out and about, exposed to different environments, can be taking a chance with their baby’s life.
If you choose to go the route of the NON-Helicopter mom, I would follow some of the precautions that I discussed above. If you fear that your child has contacted this contagious disease and is suffering from coughing and wheezing, is displaying bluish coloration around the mouth or nails, rapid or difficult breathing, and fever over 100.4 (rectal) in infants under 3 months of age, it is best to contact your pediatrician or head to your nearest Emergency Room.
It’s important to raise awareness of RSV in parents not only of premies but for parents of all children. We need to be more aware of the fact that their immune systems are in the process of being developed and strengthened and we need to protect them as much as possible in the beginning of their precious lives. As we head into the winter months, parents of premies and all babies be aware and take proper precautions to keep your child safe! And, for the record, there is no shame in saying no to guests and taking some time to hibernate for the winter yourselves!
****Disclosure- This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Latina Bloggers Connect and Medimmune****
[…] and are trying to adjust to being out of the womb leaving them susceptible to all kinds of things! Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is so contagious that I did NOT want anyone to even come near my newborn baby. In fact, when my […]