Colds, RSV and Sleep

It’s that time of year …

The kids have had a bad run the past couple of weeks with yet more chest infections and colds. The problem is always amplified by their chronic lung disease from being intubated for so long in NICU. A new born baby is defined as having chronic lung disease if they have been oxygen dependent on a ventilator for at least 28 days from birth.

When infection gets into Max and Ella’s lungs, it hits them for six, and they cough for England. In the past they’ve needed additional help with extra O2 when having a coughing fit, but they are getting stronger and stronger at being able to fight it on their own now. We’re just grateful that we finally got the go ahead last November for their Synagis shots (palivizumab) to protect against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

RSV usually causes mild cold-like symptoms in adults and children. But it can make premature babies and children with certain other medical conditions very sick. In England, 28 per 1000 hospital admissions in children aged under 1 year are attributed to RSV each year, and in the US, about 125,000 infants are hospitalised with severe RSV infections. It is the leading cause of infant hospitalisation and is a significant problem for high-risk babies and children.

Full term babies get antibodies from their mothers during pregnancy, and these help to fight RSV and other viruses. But babies born prematurely often do not get enough antibodies before birth. Each dose of the Synagis vaccine gives them enough RSV-specific antibodies to help fight RSV infection for about 30 days, but at £4,000 a course, it’s not cheap! Doctors have to get special sanction from the Primary Care Trust Board to give the go ahead on every baby that needs it. Madness!

Anyway, their vaccinations seem to be working at the moment as they’ve not had anything more than the colds/chest infections (touch wood).

Sleep has obviously been a problem, and it has been a big struggle helping them to settle at night. Ella has usually been the one to have problems with sleeping, but for a few weeks now, she has been taking Vallergan (an anti-histamine with sedative properties). Seems to do be doing the trick at the moment …

Think I may try some tonight!