"I was shocked and terrified."
Vanessa Lachey is opening up about a scary time in her life.
The 37-year-old old TV personality took to Instagram on Tuesday to discuss the risks of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which her youngest child, 1-year-old Phoenix, contracted after being born prematurely, resulting in a six-day hospital stay. According to Mayo Clinic, RSV causes infections of the lungs and respiratory tract.
Alongside a selfie of the mother-son pair, where Phoenix is napping on his mom's chest while wearing a tube in his nose, Vanessa urged parents to find out the ways they can prevent RSV.
"When I gave birth to my youngest, Phoenix, at 30 weeks, I knew he would need extra care," she wrote of welcoming her son more than two months early. "But I wasn’t aware that he was at an increased risk for a common respiratory virus called #RSV due to his under-developed lungs and immature immune system. So when he was hospitalized for six days for severe RSV disease, I was shocked and terrified."
"I wish I had known more about RSV before this traumatic experience," she continued, before encouraging parents to ask their doctors questions about the condition.
Vanessa shares Phoenix with her husband of seven years, Nick Lachey. The couple also have two other children, Brooklyn, 3, and Camden, 6. ET caught up with the parents back in July where they discussed how they keep their marriage strong with three little ones at home.
“Every night I cook and he cleans up -- that’s our deal!” Vanessa shared. “We talk about the day and funny things with the kids, pour a glass of wine, then sit down and watch something. We love Netflix! It still feels like I have my husband, instead of like we’re going through the day mechanically with breakfast, lunch, dinner. It can get that way with three kids. You wake up, get shot out of a cannon, then it’s go, go, go until they go to bed!”
“We’re surviving!” Nick, 44, added. “Camden is sweet and sensitive, Brooklyn’s Daddy’s little girl and Phoenix is the wild card. He’ll go up the stairs eight straight times and make you go get him. He’s going to be the rambunctious troublemaker, but that’s been coolest part of being a parent -- watching those personalities emerge as they get older.”
Watch the video below for more on the Lachey family:
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