STEPDAUGHTER IS ALWAYS ILL...

[Sarajandb]

Hi, can anybody shed any light as to what may be wrong or any underlying medical conditional that this could be...
my step daughter is nearly 5 and she is always ill... as a baby she was in and out of hospital every few months with issues that never got a diagnosis but got better as she got older.. generally she would cough excessively until she was sick and usually needed to be put on a drip to stop dehydration.
Now she is constantly ill with infections etc tonsillitis, chest infection, throat infection, she coughs all the time especially at night and it a bark sometimes when she is ill with a chest infection she will cough and be sick from coughing.. she is stick thin and its difficult to get her to eat a full meal although I've found recently she's not as bad with food. last week we had her at the doctors and she had tonsillitis again this was monday - thursday she went back to her mums and finished her course of anti biopics came back to us tuesday and i thought she was becoming unwell again by wednesday she was back on anti biopics with tonsillitis again less than 1 week after the last infection.
Could this be a digestive / respiratory / immune system problem. As I'm not her mum i can't demand tests but if i have an idea of what to ask to be investigated my hubby can take her and make the demands. she lives with us 50/50. Her attendance at school is terrible as she is always off ill. I have 2 children of my own so i know kids pick up bugs and get sick but this is excessive and way too regular than it should be as a mother myself i know something isn't quite right and I'm worried the longer its left the worse the potential outcome. her mum is not a very reasonable person so not possible to have this conversation with her.

[Moanyoldcow]

Sorry, but can I ask her ethnic background? My cousin has sickle cell anaemia and she was similar as a young child but it generally only affects those of Afro-Caribbean or African descent.

Alternatively, if she has chronic tonsillitis she will never get well and could end up with recurrent chest infections.

Wishing you much luck - it must be very hard for you all, not least your step daughter.

[SomedayMyPrinceWillCome]

Could it be something like cystic fibrosis? I'm not an expert but I know CF affects both respiratory & digestive tracts.
If it's recurrent tonsillitis might referral to have her tonsils out help at all?

[twinklefoot]

My DS had enlarged tonsils which were causing similar problems. She would find it difficult to breathe at night and was constantly ill lime your DSD. She has had them removed and is a different child. It is difficult to get a referral though and they usually try to wait for them to grow into their tonsils. Have you checked them to see if they are enlarged?

[twinklefoot]

He had them removed at 4. It is at this age when they are big.

[Sarajandb]

She's white British 😀

He possibly has asthma she has an inhaler for the coughing however the infections aren't just tonsillitis .. She had coup a couple of months back and ended up in hospital, chest infections, throat infections, contact colds and bugs aswell as tonsillitis she had bronchitis not that long ago aswell .. There's no damp in our house it was only built less than 2 years ago and is very clean. Her mothers house however I've never been in its not filthy but I wouldn't say she's the cleanest she doesn't sleep in her own bed at her mums and she has a box kitchen with a cat and a cat litter tray in the kitchen which won't help. We do suspect there are some factors surrounding her environment at her mums which don't help but surly can't be the reason do so many problems.

[BakeOffBiscuits]

My dd was constantly getting infections and illnesses when she was this

[Sarajandb]

No her glands aren't enlarged

[BakeOffBiscuits]

Sorry posted too soon ...

age. The dr did some exploratory blood tests to rule things out, as she was there do often! Could her dad take her to the gp and say you're all concerned there is an underlying issue?

[Sarajandb]

Bakeoffbuiscuits.. "When she was this" sorry I don't follow

[Bobcat15]

My sister was like this as a child. She ended up with a very delayed diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis

[Sarajandb]

Sorry just seen second post .. Yes dad is going to take her but he has been a couple of times and it just seems like he's been fobbed off so I want some strong points or suggestions to take there and go with him as in way more forceful than he will be

[Sarajandb]

What was the outcome of your DS bloods did they find a course or reason ?

[Sarajandb]

My ex partner had and died of cystic fibrosis it's not that Hun

[wheresthel1ght]

the coughing at night and repeated respiratory infections would suggest some form of asthma (its how my attacks present too) however, it could also be a sign of more serious underlying conditions like COPD (although uncommon in someone so young), Pluracy, Bronchiolitis or worse. A GP needs to be sat on until she is referred to a specialist - I would be insisting on a respiratory specialist.

I would suggest that your DP & his ex get in touch with her school also. they will be able to provide you with data relating to attendance % which will help you push for a referral. It might also be better to get the school nurse on board - most schools no longer have a dedicated one but they do have community based school nurses who usually cover a number of schools - speak to the school or your GP and they will be able to advise you on how to contact them.

They are going to need to be persistent. Keep detailed records of when, how long, dr visits, treatments of EVERY occurance and most importantly they need to be on the same page. Do your DP and his ex have a good relationship?

[Hecticlifeanddrowning8]

My dd 3 is immuno compromised due to allergys . Basically she has very little immune system. And gets infection after infection and doesn't fight them easily. . There are many things that cause the immune system to fail and lots of these could be ruled out by a simple blood tests.
I would suggest her dad takes her to the gp armed with school attendance data and say he is concerned about her immune system and would like a referral to a paediatrician, (who can access al kinds of specialists)