After Tajanea Allen’s infant daughter Kamiyah quit breathing, officers Richard DuChaine and Charles Owen came to the salvage to perform CPR — and wound up saving the baby’s life.
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“The baby was so small, she seemed to be a doll,” Owen told TODAY. Video from the life-saving second, recorded on a body camera, shows what DuChaine called a scary second — when the two officers performed CPR on the newborn as she didn’t respond for 30 seconds.
The two sprinted into the home and immediately snagged the baby, who momentarily appeared dead as they attempted to get her breathing again. Kamiyah eventually regained consciousness.
“You hear about RSV, however when you actually see it in person, it’s exceptionally scary,” Owen said. Kamiyah stayed at a local hospital for seven days recovering from the respiratory infection, TODAY shares, which the Communities for Disease Control and Prevention reports as causing cold side effects.
However, RSV can be serious for infants, as the Department of Health and Human Administrations states that more than 20 states report 80% or a greater amount of their pediatric hospital beds taken up. And Kamiyah’s case hit up close and personal for DuChaine, as she was born 34 weeks premature, and he also had a daughter who was born premature.
“I’ve been from your point of view, I know exactly what it seems like,” DuChaine said, per Fox 4. “And that’s the biggest thing, is simply being so close and I could actually relate to this family that I serve.” Allen was thankful for the officers’ work, after they arrived to her home in about 30 seconds to assist with rescuing the baby.
“That’s my hero. He saved my daughter,” Allen said. “I will do anything for that man, he saved my daughter and I thank him for that.”
— Inside Edition (@InsideEdition) November 9, 2022
As certain states are seeing an unusual increase in RSV cases, the infection is said to cause bronchiolitis and pneumonia in kids under 1 years old.
The CDC advises small kids, adults over age 65 or those with chronic ailments to keep an eye open for the infection, which typically is spread by coughing and sneezing.
“The reason why it’s spreading currently is unclear, however possible relates to the reason we didn’t see a lot of RSV and influenza in the winter: masking, distancing and great handwashing,” Dr. Elizabeth Murray, a pediatrician specializing in Pediatric Crisis Medicine and Kid Health Advocacy and an individual from Individuals’ Health Squad, recently said.
“As those precautions start to disappear, we can anticipate that microbes should return.”
In small kids, it often starts with a runny nose and a potential fever, then deteriorates after a couple of days and causes bronchiolitis.
This can lead to wheezing and unfortunate breathing in kids, Murray shared. The best way to battle it is through rest and liquids, with parents asked to monitor their kid’s breathing.
“The concern comes when the kid’s oxygen level drops or they are breathing too hard to even consider eating or drink normally,” she said. “Yet, the uplifting news for parents is that the concerning side effects are not inconspicuous. In the event that your youngster cannot eat or drink normally or is having inconvenience breathing, they should be evaluated by a medical professional.”
Pfizer announced last week that a RSV vaccine can forestall serious disease in infants, and could be available as early as the following year upon FDA approval.
The vaccine, administered to pregnant ladies as a single portion in the late second or third trimester, is said to be 80% effective at preventing serious RSV in the initial three months of a baby’s life.
It is also about 70% effective at preventing it in the initial six months of a baby’s life.