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.
My childhood friend and I became mothers around the same time. Our two young families frequented parks together, visited each other’s homes, and our babies were growing up together as good friends. When our oldest daughters were around a year old they both became ill and were diagnosed with RSV. The difference was, my daughter was sent home and treated more-like she had a cold, and her daughter was rushed to the hospital to be placed on oxygen. I panicked. I worried my pediatrician wasn’t taking my daughter’s condition seriously enough. Here he was treating my daughter as though she had a cold, while my best friend’s daughter was being admitted to the hospital for the same thing — I didn’t understand.
After several telephone calls and a followup with our pediatrician, he assured me that RSV is a common virus and each child’s reaction to it is different. We were one of the lucky ones — my friend’s daughter wasn’t. She was in the hospital for several days before she made a full recovery. Her parents were traumatized by the fear they experienced during that time.
Download this infographic HERE.
For most infants, RSV causes an illness like a common cold. But babies that are at high risk may develop RSV disease, which can lead to serious complications. In the United States, RSV is the leading cause of hospitalization for babies in their first year of life. This is why it is important that parents know how to monitor their baby closely so they can quickly pick up on any RSV complications as they arise.
National RSV Awareness Month takes place every October, before the peak season for RSV beings. Please take the time to educate yourself and your parenting friends about the signs and symptoms of RSV disease — as well as prevention measures you can take. As mentioned above, RSV is a common, seasonal virus. You can look for it, typically, between November and March.
