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AIBU?

To take my baby to A&E?

19 replies

wallababy · 28/12/2010 02:16

I think my baby has croup. She us having trouble breathing, has an awful cough which is waking her and making her gag and vomit.
She is 5 months old.
I think I probably should but don't want to waste anyones time if I should just be staying up watching her while she sleeps and then go to docs in morning or if anything changes.
She doesn't have a temp but does have stridor.
Is there anything they can do???

OP posts:

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FaffTastic · 28/12/2010 02:20

Think if you can last the night, you might just want to go to your GP first thing tomorrow morning?

Aside from the cough are there any other symptoms?

Maybe give NHS Direct a call to see what they advise - 0845 4647. They are open 24/7.

Thruaglassdarkly · 28/12/2010 02:20

Do it! 5 months is very young and if you're worried about her breathing, A and E is the way to go. Our kids' A and E always operate a better safe than sorry policy. They may not do much, but give you back your peace of mind.

TechnoKitten · 28/12/2010 02:21

If it's true stridor (as in upper airway obstruction) then yes, they can give her nebulisers to relieve the inflammation and ease the obstruction. Is she up to date with vaccs? Stridor is more common with epiglottitis (thankfully now almost unheard of with HiB vaccine).

You are never being unreasonable taking a baby to A&E. Especially if she's having trouble breathing. Nobody should even question it - if you're worried, get her seen.

TechnoKitten · 28/12/2010 02:25

NHS direct will send you straight to straight to A&E anyway!

OnEdge · 28/12/2010 02:30

Take her! You are worried.

KatieMiddleton · 28/12/2010 02:35

Can you call your out of hours GP? Yes a cough is upsetting but if your baby was really having breathing difficulties you'd not be posting on MN you'd be straight to A&E.

I suspect your baby has a bug that's going round rather than croup which most babies are vaccinated against.

Hope she's better soon

TechnoKitten · 28/12/2010 02:43

There isn't a vaccine for croup.

KatieMiddleton · 28/12/2010 02:56

I thought croup was linked to diptheria which is almost completely unheard of due to immunisations but I could easily be wrong.

Either way out of hours GP is often better than A&E if condition isn't life threatening.

TechnoKitten · 28/12/2010 03:04

Diphtheria was one cause of croup which is now much rarer thanks to the vaccine. There are many other viral causes (influenza, RSV) which aren't routinely vaccinated against.

Any condition causing stridor (as per OP) has the potential to be life threatening and should be seen in A&E. Not that the OOH GP service doesn't do a great job but I'm not sure it would be appropriate for this case, unless the wait in A&E is horrendous and a GP can get direct admission / paediatric assessment. Haven't worked in the UK for over a year so not sure what conditions are like.

Thruaglassdarkly · 28/12/2010 03:08

For goodness sake, off you go to A and E if you're worried and don't even think about getting embroiled with the academic discussions on here. Go go go!!!

auntypurple · 28/12/2010 07:48

I would take her.My 10 week old baby was in hospital for 3 days just over a week ago. He had broncolitis, which was a very bad cough, rapid breathing, and he was throwing up all his milk. He needed a little bit of oxygen for 2 days, to give his lungs a bit of help.
I hope you dd is better soon.

FanjoForTheMincePies · 28/12/2010 07:52

I hope you took her, I would have taken my 4 year old if she was like that. Hope she is OK!

jester68 · 28/12/2010 08:01

I would have taken her if you were worried.

My baby had croup a few weeks ago. She is 7 months old.

It was horrible to see and hear.

They did not do much. Just recommended :
putting her in bathroom with shower on full so the steam could help clear her airways

Using nurofen and calpol- she also had a cold and had a temperature

Higher the top of her cot so she was not led flat

Encourage her to drink plenty of fluids

It was bad for a few days then eased off. Within a week she was pretty well back to normal.

But if you are ever concerned about your child then I would take them to get seen

Hope she gets better soon x

RememberToPlaywiththeKids · 28/12/2010 08:28

If her lips are blueish you must take her in or if she's making a huge effort to breathe or if her breathing is at 60 breaths per minute.

Otherwise, sit with her in a steamy bathroom and / or take her outside in the cold air (wrap her up properly first!) and both those things should help open up her airways.

Also - make sure she can feed ok - if she's struggling to breathe then they often don't have enough energy to feed.

BrokenBananaTantrum · 28/12/2010 08:36

I once phoned an ambulance for DD when I woke in the night and heard her breathing strangely she was about 7 months old at the time. They came and told me it was croup. I was at having called them but they were really nice about it and did not say we had wasted their time. I was really worried and they understood. They offered to take her to hospital for us but as it wasn't life threatening I took her in the car. She was on a nebuliser for a while and then we were able to bring her home a few hours later. If you are worried take her.

wallababy · 28/12/2010 12:02

Thanks everyone. I took her and by the time we got to hospital she had also developed a high temp, sibwas definitely the right course of action. (by the way, I didn't hang around for your replies, but thanks anyway)
they diagnosed tonsilitis, but I will take her to the docs too as this croupy style cough is still there (typically, she didn't cough whilst the A&E doc was examining her!!)
It was definitely the right thing to do, and in any case, I felt safer there than at home.
Thanks again for all your advice.

OP posts:

BrokenBananaTantrum · 28/12/2010 15:02

Glad you went. I hope she is soon feeling better.

FairyTaleOfNewYork · 28/12/2010 15:10

glad you went.

i have called an ambulance twice for dd4 when she had breathing problems. the 1st crew were great and took her straight there. the 2nd crew were reluctant to take her as she looked ok, but luckily they did as her SATs were actually very low, and by the time we got there she had gotton worse. she spent more time on the neb that time.

Caboodle · 28/12/2010 19:32

Wallababy, have been there a number of times with DS1 and know how scary this is; hope your DC is better soon. We have always called an ambulance btw (quite a number of times) when DS has had the cough, too many breaths per minute etc as they have the oxygen to hand, they have always said we did the right thing.

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