As you may remember on April 24th
Ascending Butterfly hosted an Infant Nutrition Twitter Party, where we discussed the importance of Infant
Nutrition for preemies, so I definitely couldn't let today go by without a
reminder on the importance of prematurity awareness as today is ‘World
Prematurity Day!’
Did you know that worldwide, 13
million babies are born early/premature every year? More than a half of a
million in the United States alone? Prematurity is actually the leading cause of neonatal
deaths! A recent survey on prematurity awareness revealed that 3 in 10 mothers
of preemies weren't aware of the possibility of prematurity until they had
their first child.
Because their immune systems and
lungs aren’t fully developed, preemies are more likely to develop infections
and are more susceptible to respiratory problems. In fact, 79 percent of
preemie moms have a baby who was hospitalized due to a severe respiratory
infection. One virus in particular that parents of preemies should know about
is respiratory syncytial virus, commonly known as RSV. RSV is contracted by
nearly all children by the age of two, often causing relatively minor symptoms
that mimic the common cold. However, preemies are most at risk for developing
much more serious symptoms, including a serious respiratory infection (severe
RSV disease) from the virus, because their lungs are underdeveloped and they
don’t have the antibodies needed to fight off infection. Below are a few quick
facts that all parents should know about RSV:
RSV Quick Facts:
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - RSV
is the leading cause of infant hospitalization, and severe RSV disease causes up
to 10 times as many infant deaths each year as the flu.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - RSV
is most prevalent during the winter months. The CDC has defined the “RSV
season” as beginning in November and lasting through March for most parts of
North America.
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - In
addition to prematurity, common risk factors include low birth weight, certain
lung or heart diseases, a family history of asthma and frequent contact with
other children.
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Premature Baby in NICU |
Prevention is Key:
RSV is very contagious and can be spread easily through touching,
sneezing and coughing. Since there’s no treatment for RSV, parents should take
the following preventive steps to help protect their child:
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Wash hands, toys, bedding, and play
areas frequently
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Ensure you, your family, and any
visitors in your home wash their hands or use hand sanitizer
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Avoid large crowds and people who
are or have been sick
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Never let anyone smoke near your baby
(that includes YOU!)
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Speak with your child’s doctor if he
or she may be at high risk for RSV, as a preventive therapy may be available
Know the Symptoms: Contact your child’s pediatrician
immediately if your child exhibits one or more of the following:
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Severe coughing, wheezing or
rapid gasping breaths
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Blue color on the lips, mouth, or
under the fingernails
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - Speak with your child’s doctor if he
or she may be at high risk for RSV, as a preventive therapy may be available
My Take:
Do your research!
Sites like the RSV Protection Site provides detailed
information on the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (Virus Sincicial
Respiratorio). Being born prematurely, can have long-lasting effects on
health well into adulthood. It is important that pregnant women give up smoking
(even after the baby is born as second hand smoke exposure is as harmful to
children if not more so as it to adults), and it also important that elective
C-sections and labor inductions are discouraged unless there’s an important
medical reason to do. Because of my own scare this year with my Lungs (and I have NEVER smoked by the way) I take Flu and RSV prevention very seriously and I hope you will too!
Butterfly, are you a Preemie Mom? What did you learn from your doctor about Preemie Care?
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