Understanding RSV and why it's so serious for Emily

Since Emily was born, doctors and nurses have repeatedly mentioned the upcoming flu/RSV season and how critical it will be to keep Emily isolated from any exposure to germs. We have been told to keep her away from the mall and other enclosed areas where lots of people gather (churches, restaurants, etc.), and that we should not put her in a regular daycare where she will be around a lot of other kids. Basically, they advise a "flu season lockdown"!!! I have to admit, I found myself thinking that I would feel the same way whether Emily was a preemie or a full term newborn...I mean, what's the big deal about the preemie thing, because now she's a BIG GIRL, just the same as other babies! She's not 'sick' or having any health problems. But because the doctors have been so adamant about this subject, I've been doing some research and discovered this blog post which explains the effects of RSV and why it's so much more serious for preemie babies. I'm asking all our friends and family to read this information, so you can be informed as well.


The writer of that blog does a good job explaining it, so I'm going to just copy her words here. Once again, I don't take credit for this...it came from the link above!


People don't seem to really understand what sick means when we tell them they can't come over if they are "sick". What we mean is if you have the sniffles or the remnants of a cough, DON'T COME OVER! I'm not trying to be rude but the dr specifically told us that you have to be symptom free to come visit. I'm sorry but we are listening to her over anyone else.


Why is this important? Because our babies are preemies. No, they aren't small anymore nor do they look ill. They actually look like any other 6 mth old baby at this point BUT their lungs are still underdeveloped & they still have a compromised immune system. This is very important to know b/c there is a virus called RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) which to us or a full-term baby, would not do anything more than just give us a cough & a runny nose, much like the common cold. For our babies, it can mean DEATH.


Why? Our babies lungs look very different from that of a baby the same age that was born after 37 weeks gestation. Let me show you a picture of what our babies' lungs look like compared to that of a regular full-term baby. The 1st 3 pictures are that of our babies' lungs (not actual but you get the idea). The 4th picture is that of a regular baby. Scary to see how much less our babies have compared to them!

This is another good picture to look at. As you can see, they used trees to explain the difference between a normal infant's lungs (left) & a preemie's (right). WOW!
Finally, this is a photo of the airway when affected by RSV. On the left is a normal infant & on the right, a preemie. You can see how much LESS airway is open in the preemie's picture. SCARY!

Once RSV has been passed to one of our babies, hospital stay is a certainty. Actually, they would probably end up in the PICU (Pediatric ICU). There is NOTHING they can do to help our babies except to give them O2 to help them breathe. Again, something we don't want to experience.


How do we keep our babies healthy? By staying away from sick people! You may not even know you are carrying RSV & if you come over & infect our babies, you would feel very badly afterwards. Sorry if I sound so harsh but I have had to explain over & over again why it is important not to come over.


RSV is contracted through physical contact or vapor droplets in the air. This is why if Todd or I get sick, we will have to wear a mask anytime we are around the babies b/c obviously we can't avoid caring for them. RSV can also live on surfaces for several hours so you better believe I will be Cloroxing all surfaces at least once a day!


We are also hoping that we get the RSV shots but if we don't that means we are really going to be strict about who comes over & where we take the babies. No crowded places is a definite no-no. We will basically be on house arrest which is NO BIG DEAL if we can keep our babies healthy. The shots will buffer the effect, not prevent them from getting it so we are hoping & praying that we are approved!



Okay, thank you for taking the time to read that. Emily WILL be getting the "shots" mentioned in her post - they are called Synagis , not a vaccine but a shot that will give Emily antibodies to help protect her from contracting RSV. She has to get them once a month during flu/RSV season (October - April). The shots are not a guarantee that she won't get RSV, but besides keeping her away from germs and sick people, its the only thing we can do to reduce her risk. She will also be getting the regular flu shot, as will Troy and I. We are also worried about H1N1 and waiting to hear what the recommendations are for babies (and us) to get the vaccine. So far, I'm not liking the reports I hear about the vaccine!!


I hope this post has helped you understand why RSV (and the flu) are so serious for Emily. Each time we leave the house with her this fall/winter, or have visitors at our house, this will be in the back of our minds. I hope you all can understand if we don't make it to every family gathering or don't have many visitors. It will be important for Troy and I to stay healthy too, so you would be doing us a huge favor if you steered clear of us if you are ill or have been around someone who is ill. I read on the Synagis website that RSV can live up to 6 hours on toys, clothing, bedding, and other surfaces!


It's not going to be a lot of fun HIBERNATING this winter...but on the plus side, we will get a lot of alone time with Emily!!

Thanks again for taking the time to read this.