I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for MedImmune. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
Did you know that November 17th is World Prematurity Day? I had no idea and until this year I probably could have easily passed over it, had sympathy for those babies, then moved on without a second thought. My babies were full term and thankfully have been very healthy.
Not this year. If you have been following my blog, you will know that on October 15th, due to severe pre-eclampsia I had to deliver my son, Oliver at just 26 weeks. He weighed in at 1lb 10oz at birth. You can read more about how he is doing and follow along with the story here on the blog.
That said, the reality is we will be spending at least another 6-8 weeks in the hospital with Oliver. My 6 year old son and 8 year old daughter will not meet their little brother until he leaves the hospital. Why? RSV season. It is a very real and scary thing when you have a preemie.
While I hate that the kids are not allowed to see Oliver, and it is very difficult explaining why to them… I am extremely thankful that the hospital does not allow kids in the NICU Oct-April in order to prevent the spread of RSV. Babies that are premature are at an increased risk for severe RSV symptoms. Definitely not something that I want to have to deal with in the NICU.
Of course all NICUs take a lot of precautions to keep infection out. I spend 1.5 minutes every time I go back into the NICU scrubbing down my hands and arms with a scrub brush (I don’t think my arms have ever been so exfoliated!), I sign a paper at the front desk, every day, saying that I have not had any symptoms of sickness.
The scary thing? I DO have older kids, they attend school. They are exposed to all kinds of germs and disease.
If one of my kids gets sick during this time, guess what? I cannot go in and see my son. I cannot risk spreading any of that to him. His little body is just not up to fighting it. His lungs are just forming, he is just learning to breathe (and with help!). And I am not alone, you don’t know if that little baby in the restaurant was born prematurely and is at higher risk.
So how can you help? Very simply. Take precautions in your house to make sure you and your kids don’t get sick this RSV season, and if your kids are sick? KEEP THEM HOME. I say that with emphasis as I have way too often seen children coughing and sick at school. THAT is how we spread RSV and other sickness.
Tips to prevent the spread of RSV:
- Wash your hands and teach your kids to do the same. Not just a “rinse”. The soap is there for a very real reason. Water alone doesn’t cut it.
- Clean the toys your baby and children play with, there are a lot of great all natural cleaners out there that you can use to get these disinfected.
- Wipe down your door knobs and surfaces that are touched constantly by the kids little hands regularly. Bleach wipes are awesome. Those door knobs are dirtier than they look.
- Don’t allow anyone to smoke around your baby and children. And if you smoke, please take it elsewhere.
- Limit your and your kids exposure to places that are crowded with other kids. The ball pit at the local McDonalds = sorry, but steer clear, that is a pit for infection.
- If you know someone is sick, remove yourself and your kids from that area.
Help me spread the world, for World Prematurity Day, let’s all do our part to stop the spread of RSV. See this great infographic with more facts about RSV and prematurity here. Share it.
Has RSV and prematurity affected your life? Share your story here too!
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