This post was sponsored by AstraZeneca as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Truth: I had no clue what RSV was until last year.
The holidays were approaching and my sister Natalie and I were pretty much on the phone every single day getting excited about the whole family traveling to Pittsburgh to be together for the celebration. My new nephew, her son, Connor, was just about 3 months old and got sick. He got so sick that he was hospitalized and almost didn’t make it home for Christmas Eve – his first Christmas Eve. What did he have? RSV.
We all waited in anticipation to see if he would be released in time, and he was (thank goodness). But it was then that I learned through my sister’s experience about this really serious virus that affects babies in a really big way during this time of year. Since it’s National RSV Awareness Month, I wanted to make sure that none of you were unaware, like I was.
My nephew, Connor.
What is RSV?
RSV or respiratory syncytial [sin-sish-uhl] is a seasonal virus that typically occurs between November and March in the United States and is the leading cause of hospitalization for babies in their first year of life. (Ahem, my nephew.) It infects their little lungs and breathing passages and nearly all babies will catch it by the time they are 2. Pretty scary, huh? It spreads most rapidly among young children and is typically gone in 1-2 weeks, but spreading of the virus can continue for up to 3 weeks after the child or baby has recovered.
[pdf-embedder url=”http://projectmotherhoodnyc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/RSV-Infographic.pdf” title=”rsv-infographic”]
How do we prevent it?
Since the virus is spread as easily as the flu, you must take similar precautions. Make sure your hands (and anyone else touching your little one) are washed, keep baby away from big crowds and other sick kiddos, wash everything often (toys, clothes, bedding) and definitely don’t let anyone smoke around the baby.
Now here I am, one year later with a wee little one of my own during the time that RSV is the strongest. I’m thankful that I’m aware and able to take precaution with little Blake and hope that you all do with your littles, too.
Do you and your family have a connection with RSV? I would love to hear your story to help raise awareness in the comments below.
Fashionably Yours,
Allison
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