This post was sponsored as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
I still remember when I heard those three little letters for the first time. I picked Brooke up from school early, because she wasn’t feeling well and had a temperature. I gave her tylenol and took her back to my office with me because she was sleeping. I needed to finish up a few things before heading home but then Brooke started looking pale. I felt her forehead and she seemed very warm so we headed home immediately to take her temperature. To my worst fear, I saw 104.3 flash across the screen. I retook her temperature, same reading. I then took my temperature to clear the thermometer and then took hers again. Same reading. I was already on hold with our doctors office by then and they prompted me to bring her in immediately.
By this time, she was very drowsy and I was one very scared mama. We got to the doctors office and after a nurse examined her and took her vitals, we finally got to see her doctor. The conclusion… RSV. Then come all my questions…
What is RSV?
Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV is a common, highly contagious, seasonal virus that affects nearly 100% of infants by age two and occurs in epidemics from November to March.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Common Flu symptoms
Coughing or Wheezing
Fast or Troubled Breathing
Bluish mouth or fingernails
Unusual lethargy or tiredness
Fever
How do you protect your baby?
There is no current treatment option for RSV so learning the signs and symptoms is a big step to take preventative measures. It is always a good idea to wash your hands frequently and have everyone who holds your baby wash their hands. You can also wash your child’s toys often to reduce the chance of exposure. This might sound obvious, but keeping your child away from anyone who is sick is a good practice as well.
October is National RSV Awareness Month, so I wanted to share some of these facts so that you can be more informed than I was when you come across RSV. It is also a good idea to ask your doctor if you child is more at risk for RSV because since Brooke was born six weeks early, she had a higher chance of developing a more severe infection. I know this RSV season, we are taking steps to help prevent Baby Kevin from going through the same thing.