Hello, parents! As we gear up for another winter season, we want to share some important RSV prevention updates. RSV, or Respiratory Syncytial Virus, can cause nasty colds, but it’s particularly concerning for babies under 8 months old, as it leads to more hospitalizations than any other illness in this age group.
Good News About Beyfortus! Last winter, we saw some fantastic results from nirsevimab, better known as the brand name Beyfortus. Beyfortus is RSV antibody designed to protect our littlest ones. It was shown to be 90% effective in reducing hospitalizations due to RSV. That’s a big win for babies and their families.
How Can You Protect Your Baby? There are two key ways to help keep your young infant safe from severe RSV:
Frustrated that your young child is not listening? This in-person talk gives some basics on ways to set limits and self-calming techniques. Your two peds, Dr. Lai will be on hand to moderate!
We often hear about ways to chase away anxiety such as “deep breathing” and “grounding exercises” but how do you go about teaching your child those techniques? Drs. Kardos and Lai give three short ways to instill calmness into your child’s day. You can read more about childhood anxiety in this helpful post from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
Playing in the great outdoors really is great. But when your kids scamper inside, make sure they wash their hands. Now that the winter viral season has receded, the big reason to wash hands is spring allergy season. The pollen they’ve collected on their hands will make its way to their face exacerbating already itchy noses and eyes.
The easiest way to tell if your young child is experiencing seasonal allergies is if your nose starts to twitch. If your child’s nose also starts to twitch, they probably also have allergies. Allergies have a strong inheritance pattern. If both parents have allergies, up to 50-80 percent of their kids may have allergies. Keep in mind, allergies never cause a fever and since children need to be exposed to an irritant before they can be allergic to it, children under two years of age are less likely to have seasonal allergies—not enough seasons have passed.
For other ways to keep spring allergies in check- read up on this post contributed by Dr. Lai in the CHOP Health TIp of the Week.
Another reason to wash hands after zipping indoors? Poison ivy…but that’s a story for another day.
We know how it’s easy to spend money on the kids- just wait until they are old enough to get Venmo. Here are some money saving tips for parents to save a little dough and put that saving towards the next family vacation and orthodontia!
Parents local to Northampton Township, PA: We welcome you to come hear local pedatricians from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and mental health experts talk about basic ways you can help manage anxiety and some information about medications for children and teens on February 8, 2024 at 6:30pm in the Northampton Library.
The talk is free and there will be time for questions. Please register so we set up enough chairs!
Special note: your Two Peds will be in attendance. Hope to see you there!
According to recent US Census data, 30 percent of households have a child under six years of age. So there is a good chance that you are wondering what to get a baby, toddler or preschooler for the holidays. Before you give up and fall back on electronic screen ideas like you did when you last took your toddler to a restaurant, here are holiday gift ideas for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers from your Two Peds, by ages and stages of development:
0-3 months: Babies this age have perfect hearing and enjoy looking at faces and objects with contrasting colors. Music, mobiles, and bright posters are some age-appropriate gift ideas. Infants self-soothe through sucking—if you can figure out what your nephew’s favorite type of binky is, wrap up a bunch—they are expensive and often disappear mysteriously.
3-6 months: Babies start to reach and grab at objects. There are all sorts of crinkly, textured baby toys out there for babies to enjoy. Give items big enough to hold onto but safe enough to put in their mouths. Remember that any object small enough to fit inside a paper towel tube is small enough to be a choking hazard. Personalize a cloth or vinyl book. The baby will appreciate the book and parents will enjoy the personalization and ability to clean the book.
6-12 months: Around six months, babies begin to sit up. Intellectually, they begin to understand “cause and effect.” Good choices of gifts include toys that allow a baby to activate- to make sounds, play music, or cause animals to pop up.
For a nine-month-old just starting to pull herself up to a standing position, a water or sand table will provide hours of entertainment in the upcoming year. Right now you can bring winter inside if you fill the water table with a mound of snow. Buy some inexpensive measuring cups and later in the summer a toddler will enjoy standing outside splashing in the water.
Pediatrician and parents have waited patiently for effective protection for babies against severe RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) infections, and we finally have it.
Welcome, nirsevimab – otherwise known as brand name Beyfortus.
Nirsevimab protects against RSV, which is a nasty cold virus that attacks young lungs fiercely. While many babies with RSV end up with “just a cold,“ 20% to 30% with a first time infection end up with lung infections. Year after year hospitals fill with babies battling RSV. An additional problem with RSV: babies sick with RSV have a greater risk of developing asthma than babies who were never infected with RSV.
This viral season every newborn and any baby younger than eight months of age is eligible for a one time shot of nirsevimab. The shot gives protection in the form of antibodies to RSV.
Not a new type of medicine
A similar medication called palivizumab (brand name Synagis) has been around for years. However, only certain high risk babies, such as those who were born very prematurely, received it. Palivizumab consisted of monthly injections during RSV season (typically October through March).
Conveniently, one dose of nirsevimab gives protection against severe RSV for five months. All babies under eight months of age during RSV season will be eligible to receive this new protection.
Be sure to discuss nirsevimab with your pediatrician this fall.
For a more detailed account of nirsevimab recommendations read here.
The arrival of nirsevimab will make every pediatrician and lots of babies breathe a little easier this fall and winter.
Parents, let’s admit it. Many of the tears shed on the first day of school are our own. The first day of school for parents is not easy. There is genuine sadness and ache that goes beyond the bittersweet as our kids approach momentous milestones such as kindergarten entry and college send off. As our pediatrician friend Dorothy Novick posted on Facebook, “Because here’s a thing no one ever says out loud on Facebook: as all the balloons and congrats explode on our feeds, many of us parents of graduates are experiencing some pretty serious grief. There’s true pride in the photos, yes, but there’s also honest to goodness grief.” Continue Reading
