Healthy Habits: RSV and Updated AAP Guidelines

I had a cousin who had significant issues with RSV during the first year of his life after he was born prematurely. It's a major issue for infants, particularly those born prematurely. I had the chance to interview Dr. Mitchell Goldstein about RSV and recently-released AAP guidelines that affect eligibility for preventive therapy. Joining him is Vanessa Moore, who had a personal experience with RSV and now acts as an advocate for parents.



Learn more at rsvfacts.com.

Dr. Mitchell Goldstein is Medical Director Emeritus and Fellowship Coordinator of the Neonatal ICU in the Family Birth & Newborn Center. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Perinatology. He is past president of the Perinatal Advisory Council: Leadership, Advocacy & Consultation, the editor of PAC-LAC's Guidelines of Care, and PAC-LAC's CME Research Chairman. He is on the board of the American Academy of Pediatrics Perinatal Section and an Associate Professor in Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center. He is Board Certified in both Pediatrics and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Vanessa Moore’s daughter, Sydney, was born at 34 weeks gestational age during the peak of RSV season. Despite being born 6 weeks before term, Sydney’s doctors deemed her healthy and didn’t discuss the option of preventive treatment for RSV. Vanessa took every precaution to keep her daughter safe during the same RSV season – constantly sanitizing hands and toys, avoiding crowds and even skipping family gatherings – but Sydney still contracted the highly contagious virus and was hospitalized for nearly a week. After it became clear that Sydney would benefit from added protection, her doctors prescribed the preventive therapy but she was quickly denied coverage. Over the course of several months, Vanessa and Sydney’s doctors pleaded with their insurance company to obtain coverage, but they were denied time and time again. Meanwhile, Sydney had three more RSV-related hospitalizations that year. Vanessa lives with her husband and three children in Virginia.