McCloud Party of Five: Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

What is RSV??

What You Should Know About RSV

Although RSV is the most common cause of respiratory tract infection in children under five years of age, most people are unfamiliar with the disease. RSV can be particularly serious in infants born prematurely, children under the age of two suffering from chronic lung conditions, and young children with hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease. Multiples are also at increased risk for serious RSV disease.

Virtually all children are exposed to the virus during the first two years of life and re-infection throughout life is very common.2 Infants born at less than 36 weeks gestational age are at a significantly elevated risk for severe RSV disease. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year, up to 125,000 children are hospitalized with serious RSV disease and some of these children may die from RSV complications.3

For otherwise healthy children, RSV usually amounts to little more than a cold. However, for preemies and other at-risk infants, the health consequences can be much more serious. In the US, approximately 125,000 children are hospitalized each year with serious RSV disease and sadly, some of these children die.

RSV spreads easily from person to person via respiratory secretions. The chance of spreading the virus within a family is very high. Many times school-aged children introduce the virus into the family. Despite strict infection control procedures, hospital nursery units, day care centers and other similar institutions are also at high-risk for RSV outbreaks.

To help protect your baby, there are simple steps that parents and caregivers can take:

Have family members and caregivers wash their hands with warm water and soap before touching the baby (see more about proper hand washing)
Avoid being around the baby if you have a cold or fever
Avoid exposing the baby to other children with cold symptoms
Keep the baby away from crowded places
Never smoke around the baby
Talk to your baby’s pediatrician about RSV risks and prevention

McCloud Party of Five

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Happy St. Patty's Day!!!

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