Pneumonia in July

As a new preemie parent I was told that most preemies catch up to other children around the age of two, and that they might need to be quarantined during RSV Season for those first two years.  So, when my girl turned two I naively thought that our troubles were over.  Not so!

Not only are preemies at a higher risk of getting croup, but they are more susceptible to catching pneumonia because of their weakened immune systems.

Pneumonia is when an infection gets in the lungs, and if it is bacterial then it can be treated with antibiotics.  Some pneumonia symptoms are a fever, chest pain, coughing, and difficulty breathing.  Your little preemie with pneumonia may not have much of an appetite and might lie around the house with little energy.

Unfortunately, after spending eight months quarantined indoors without exposure to sicknesses our whole family got sick easier during the summer months.  My preemie got sick often and even went through a rough bout of pneumonia in July.  She got it simply from being around other children with mild colds.  I had been hoping that she would get some minor colds during the summer that might help strengthen her immune system for another oncoming sick season, but she didn’t get anything mildly, she got the worst end of whatever she got.  It was a rough three months and I was afraid it wasn’t helping her get stronger at all.

The following winter she continued to get sick almost as often as we exposed her to other children and public places, so we’ve decided that her quarantine is not over but will continue off and on for the next few years, if need be, until she is strong enough to get through common illnesses  with a more mild response.  I suppose some things just take time.

Even though our preemie was relatively healthy upon leaving the NICU, I have certainly come to understand the saying “once a preemie, always a preemie.”

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