"When Laura Ehrlich gave birth to her first child in 2020, the COVID-causing virus wasn't the only threat facing her son. Born a micro preemie at under 26 weeks, little Alistair was also at very high risk for severe disease from other germs, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Ehrlich says she was terrified because it was a guaranteed hospital stay for him, and after he had already spent his first 134 days of life in a neonatal intensive care unit (ICU), I didn't want that for him anymore."
"Receiving a monthly dose of palivizumab would substantially reduce the risk that her son would develop a severe case of RSV, should he be exposed to the virus. Even though Ehrlich had to bring her son in for a shot for each of the approximately five months of a typical RSV season, it was worth the effort. It was definitely reassuring to have that extra layer of protection for him, she says. I mean, here's this little baby who was so fragile, and we were 100 percent behind doing everything we could to protect him, including the RSV antibodies."
A micro preemie born under 26 weeks faced very high risk of severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection and likely hospitalization after an extended neonatal ICU stay. A monoclonal antibody, palivizumab, provided a monthly protective dose that substantially reduced the risk of severe RSV disease for fragile infants. Families accepted monthly injections across an RSV season because the protection proved reassuring. Palivizumab received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 1998 and halved hospitalization risk for high-risk infants. High cost and the need for monthly dosing prevented widespread use for most newborns.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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