Recurrent symptoms in small baby - any ideas?

[iwasagirlinavillage]

This will most likely be long so I apologise.

DD2 is 7 months old, born at 33 weeks. No major health problems at birth and only needed minimal support in SCBU and just getting her feeding to come home. She is EBF and, although she could start weaning now she hasn't taken to it so we're trying intermittently. She's still small (13lb).

At 4 months old she was admitted over night with bronchiolitis and she had it again (without admission) at 5.5 months old. Since around that time, she has had a number of symptoms which come and go:

• swollen neck glands (currently swollen again)
• red throat with small white spots (current)
• daily vomiting (now resolved, lasted a week)
• oral thrush (current for 3rd time)
• runny nose (current)
• watery, gunky eyes (current)
• cough (current)
• diarreah (current, very pale yellow)
• excessive dribbling (not really a symptom, but it did stop for a week and then started again)
• "viral looking" rash (resolved)
• mottled skin (current)

Individually, or even in combination with each other they're fairly mild symptoms and indicative of a viral infection, which is what the doctor has said. My concern is that each of these things keep coming back, or maybe they're not really resolving. Each time the GP has looked at what's going on at the time and not as a while so I'm worried they're missing something and, at the time, I just focus on what's going on but afterwards think I should have asked about all of this.

I know I probably sound paranoid and I think I am a little - I find it hard to accept that everything is okay, DD1 was very ill when she was born and I think I'm constantly waiting for something to go wrong this time. But at the same time, I don't want to brush this off as that and miss something that could be going on.

Do these combination of symptoms point to anything? Or if it is just recurrent colds/viral infections, is it just bad luck and to be expected with an ex-premature baby?

Thanks for reading if you got to this point!

[gazingatthestars]

Hmmm I don't have answers for you but I can say that my dd has had many of the same - she had a major health issue at day 5 and collapsed. Recovered and then all this winter has had one virus after another plus recurrent thrush, ring worm, also lots of eye infections (which finally went with oral antibiotics - eye drops did nothing).
Given her collapse at day 5 was undiagnosed (they suspect sepsis or viral myocarditis) I've also wondered if there was something else going on but the drs have no answers (and like to portray me as an anxious Mum which I'm not).
Our general paed said most likely low immunity and bad luck but may run some immune tests - have you a general paed or a gp you could ask for tests?
Also my dd isn't putting on weight with all the illness - is yours? That worries me too. Mine was born at term I should add but just got sick after birth.

[gazingatthestars]

Ps I found mottled skin occurs when she is low on oxygen or low blood pressure. Has your lo ever had her bp checked (gps can't do so tends to be in a and e) or Sats checked during bronchiolitus?

[gazingatthestars]

Also have her tonsils/adneoids been checked? Have a sore throat and not wanting to feed would point to that for me for current conditions too...

[iwasagirlinavillage]

I'm sorry your daughter is experiencing the same. I know that babies do get ill more often but with DD1, despite being born very premature, she didn't get anything like this until she was nearly a year old and her first admission to hospital (after her initial couple of months in NICU) wasn't until she was over 2yo, so this is very different for me. How old is your daughter now? Mine is gaining weight but slowly. She has stopped centiles but her consultant isn't concerned because of all the illnesses she's had. In fact last time I saw her (earlier this month), I was so worried that she was going to say her weight gain wasn't good enough and say to put her on formula that I was so relieved when she didn't I forgot to ask all of these questions! I took her to the GP this morning about this latest bout and again he just said it's viral and then I came out annoyed at myself for not asking all of these questions. I don't know what's wrong with me, I think I'm worried they'll think I'm being paranoid. Maybe I should have a word with the health visitor and see what she thinks.

[gazingatthestars]

Also it's very frustrating when No one will see the bigger picture but you isn't it?! Drs can be very blinkered sometimes.

[iwasagirlinavillage]

Her saturation is always really good. She sits around 98/99 and it didn't drop even when she had bronchiolitis and when she was feeding. Her BP was checked routinely in SCBU and when she was admitted and there's never been a concern there.

I wondered about tonsils/adenoids. The GP said this morning that tonsillitis doesn't present with a cough because the throat being sore wouldn't affect the chest. How would they check adenoids? If I remember rightly you can't see them can you?

[gazingatthestars]

Yes I think they have to look with a probe.
Sorry I don't have answers for you. All I can say is you aren't paranoid - - although I am often made out to be such with the drs I am always (well almost) later proven right. Trust your gut and keep taking her back/pushing for answers if you are worried.

[anotherdayanothersquabble]

I would suguest that being born early and having early antibiotics can unbalance the gut bacteria and sone probiotic treatment might be useful. PM me if you would like some suggestions...

[iwasagirlinavillage]

Thank you gazing. It's good to know I'm not just being paranoid.

She's not had any antibiotics but I've actually been looking at probiotics for me anotherday, although I've cut out dairy as it seems to affect DD so I'd need a dairy free one.

Something else that I've just remembered her consultant said was that, although DD won't be old enough to have the flu vaccine nasal spray next winter, it might be advisable for her to have the injection as she seems prone to getting winter illnesses. Could be worth asking for your DD gazing?

[iwasagirlinavillage]

Actually, saying that anotherday. Although DD didn't have antibiotics I had two courses of antibiotics in pregnancy, one of which I was taking when she was born and they gave me IV antibiotics when I was in labour.

[anotherdayanothersquabble]

The iv antibiotics in labour are likely to have passed to her. Plus the state of your gut will have affected her. There is a lot of recent research on this. My DS has had gut bacteria analysed at 9 months amd treatment of what we found was very effective. It is impossible to completely fix but it is possible to improve.
Rob Knight gives a great talk on it here.

Prescript Assist, Udo's Choice, Bio-Kult are all good dairy free probiotic brands to look at.

[gazingatthestars]

Another day - that's interesting - how do you get gut bacteria analysed?

[gazingatthestars]

And thanks op - I'll ask about the injection. The back to back viruses are relentless!!

[anotherdayanothersquabble]

Pm me and I cam send you some info.

[iwasagirlinavillage]

It really is never ending! Plus DD2 seems to have given up sleeping which is the one thing she really needs to make her feel better. She seems to have passed whatever this virus is onto DD1 now so they're both coughing and spluttering.

[shewolfmum]

Have a look for a functional medicine doctor...they will be able to analyse stool. I second gut bacteria...eat fermented...make kefir...take probiotics. Read up on flu jab insert (pil) before consenting.