Educating Parents About RSV Infection
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infects approximately two thirds of all infants in the United States during the first year of life, and 90% of all children by age 2. Yet, despite the high prevalence of this virus in local communities, parents often lack critical knowledge about RSV infection.

In a recent survey of parents of prematurely born infants conducted by the National Perinatal Association (see footnote), over 50% of the respondents correctly identified that "RSV" stood for respiratory syncytial virus. Just under two thirds of respondents considered themselves "very" or "somewhat" knowledgeable about risk factors for an RSV infection, while only 4 in 10 felt as knowledgeable about preventive medicines and treatment options for RSV. (Additional information from the survey can be obtained by contacting the National Perinatal Association.)

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the infants at highest risk of developing RSV disease are those born extremely preterm (gestational age of less than 32 weeks) and those with chronic lung or heart disease. When parents of premature infants are not fully informed about RSV, it may have serious consequences for their babies' future health. This could be part of the reason why RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization. Each year, 125,000 hospitalizations occur in young children due to RSV-related lower respiratory tract infections, and about 2% of these infants die.

The Premature Infants Survey was conducted by USA/DIRECT, Inc., among a nationally representative online sample of 500 parents of premature children aged 5 years or younger. Results are reliable at the 95% level of confidence with a margin of error of ± 4%. The National Perinatal Association Premature Infants Survey was underwritten by MedImmune, Inc.