8 Ways to Protect Your Infant from HMPV and Stay Healthy

For those who thought COVID was nature’s last attempt to end Humanity, first, why would you think like that? And second, you’ve got news! For the past month, the healthcare system in China has been under another severe onslaught.

A new virus called Human Metapneumovirus or HMPV has sent scores of people to the hospital. Well, not exactly new; this virus has been around for a while. It belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family and has been found in birds (avian metapneumovirus or AMPV and humans (human metapneumoviruses HMPV).

Both AMPV and HMPV are closely related and have a similar genomic organisation, causing respiratory issues in birds and humans. Discovered in 2001, HMPV has been circulating for half a century amongst us.

The symptoms of HMPV resemble a common cold, but babies and the elderly can get really sick. Keep your babies safe from HMPV. Look out for HMPV symptoms in babies.

1. Ensure Good Hygiene

When it comes to protecting babies from HMPV, this is the first step. Ensure you wash babies' hands with soap and water for around 20 seconds, especially if they cough, sneeze, or blow their nose.

Make sure that the baby’s clothing is free from respiratory droplets. Cough is not to be taken lightly. See that there’s nothing that they’re coughing up. Similarly, whenever they sneeze, make sure nothing comes up from it. It is imperative to follow proper hygiene, as this is one of the most important factors when it comes to HMPV.

2. Ensure Baby Doesn’t Come Into Contact With Anyone Having HMPV

Yes, basic HMPV prevention tips for infants. Keep children away from people who are sick. HMPV spreads through touching, so ensure that the baby isn’t touching anyone who exhibits symptoms of HMPV.

Even if the person sneezes once or wipes their nose, make sure that your baby stays miles away from them. Make sure that the baby doesn’t come into contact with anyone having HMPV. Remember, the virus targets weaker immune systems, and babies usually don’t grow very strong immune systems until they reach a certain age.

3. Cover Coughs and Sneezes

Whenever the baby coughs or sneezes, use a tissue or your palm to cover their mouth and nose. This is very important in case the baby has the virus, as it will spread among healthy individuals. Make sure you contain their coughs and sneezes so that they are safeguarded against the virus. Preventing HMPV in new-borns will be your first priority as a parent, as there are no vaccines that will do that for you.

4. Sanitise Surfaces

While we’re discussing best practices to avoid HMPV, can we forget sanitising? Regularly sanitise and clean surfaces like toys, door handles and tables. These are surfaces that the baby comes into contact with regularly, so make sure they are squeaky clean so there’s no chance of spreading HMPV.

You can use a medicated sanitiser like Dettol or Savlon. These are generic sanitisers that are available in your local pharmacy. These should be good enough to sanitise any surface to make sure that the HMPV virus does not contaminate it.

5. If the Baby Is Sick, Keep Them at Home

If your child is unwell, keep them at home and stay away from school or preschool. This is done so that they don’t spread the illness to other children who are attending school together with the sick child. HMPV spreads by touching, and if your sick child attends school, they stand the chance of contaminating the whole batch.

6. Always Use a Fresh Tissue

If you are wiping your baby’s mouth and nose with a particular tissue, always use a new tissue and never ever re-use a tissue on your baby’s face and mouth lest the disease spread. Keep a bunch of fresh tissues at hand so that whenever your baby sneezes, you can wipe their nose with a fresh tissue every time.

7. Stay Up to Date on Vaccines

Make sure that you are up to date with influenza or pneumococcal vaccines so that there are no complications or risks from other infections. Since there is no vaccine for HMPV as of now, ensure that your child is inoculated against other illnesses so there are no comorbidities.

8. Give Them a Proper Diet

Give your baby a proper diet that is high in fruits and vegetables. If they have started eating solid food, you can give them the above, or if they are still dependent on formula, then you can ask their paediatrician how to strengthen their immune system. A strong immune system is the key to staying safe from HMPV. This is one of the most important tips to safeguard babies from HMPV.

In conclusion, keeping children safe from HMPV includes taking some basic measures like good hygiene, sanitizing surfaces, using fresh tissues, ensuring that they are up to date with vaccines and making sure that they’re on a proper diet, will ensure that children are kept safe from HMPV. Since the disease affects babies, it is important that they are safeguarded.

In conclusion, keeping children safe from HMPV includes taking some basic measures like good hygiene, sanitizing surfaces, using fresh tissues, ensuring that they are up to date with vaccines and making sure that they’re on a proper diet, will ensure that children are kept safe from HMPV. Since the disease affects babies, it is important that they are safeguarded.