A prominent Vermont pediatrician is urging all of us to do our part to reduce the spread of disease - and it means resisting the urge to snuggle your friend's new baby.
Get those baby snuggles in after RSV season.Mom Chelsey McSweeney of Milton, Vermont knows how serious an RSV infection can be.
"He was gasping for air," McSweeney said of her toddler in an interview with NECN & NBC10 Boston’s Vermont affiliate, NBC 5 News, in late October., McSweeney said her 2-year-old son Jaxon was hospitalized for three nights earlier this fall after cold-like symptoms turned into that strained breathing.
"It was very nerve-wracking, scary; I was panicking," McSweeney recalled, adding how she wants people to take RSV very seriously. “I literally picked him up, put him in the car, and raced to the nearest place that I could get him care.”Rather than holding or kissing someone else’s baby, Bell encouraged all of us to show our love for busy new parents by dropping off a meal or maybe offering to run errands — all while practicing good hand-washing.
"Make a plan to come visit when they’re a little older and we’re not in RSV season anymore," Bell advised. If you’re the primary caregiver for a newborn or a baby and are not feeling well, Bell encouraged you to consider wearing a medical-style mask to cover your mouth and nose while in close contact with your child — to reduce the chances of spreading disease.More on RSV