My child has been ill for a year and no one will help

[SickySickSick]

Name change because I’ve talked this through with friends/family

I have a three year old. For the last year, she has been ill with multiple chest infections, conjunctivitis, tonsillitis, ear infections and now a skin infection. She’s had antibiotics 10 times over the last 12 months, sometimes several courses to clear the issue. In between the infections, she regularly gets viral tonsillitis and viruses meaning she coughs until she throws up every few weeks. We’ve not had more than two weeks without her being ill since last summer. I’ve started taking her to see a doctor even when it is viral (only difference I can tell is no temperature) because I want it logged by them that she’s ill. Again. The problem is that we see a different doctor every time, and even though I say she’s been ill a lot recently, they seem to just nod and ignore it.

So am I overreacting? Is this just normal three year old at nursery sickness, or should I start trying to push for more investigations into why she is getting so many infections so frequently?

YABU- it’s normal, calm down and leave the doctors alone
YANBU- listen to your instincts and push the doctor for more help

My ds was the same until he had his adenoids and tonsils removed. It's sounds exactly like what the problem is. See an ENT.

I felt like my son was ill all the time but actually, yours sounds far worse. I don't think what you are describing is normal, even for nursery children. I'd keep pushing. If it turns out okay, great, no loss to you. You'll regret NOT tackling this more that you would tackling it!

Push your GP for a referral to ENT. I'm going through the same with my 2.5yo. She's no longer able to get antibiotics because she's had too many within the year, yet still getting regular ear infections or tonsillitis along with an ongoing cough and runny nose we just can't get rid of. The most recent infection also caused her to start limping as the infection spread to her hip, it was awful.

I went to the GP with the full history and pushed for referral recently, and finally a female GP with young kids herself actually listened. She gave us an inhaler to try, referred to ENT urgently and I then called to be put on the list for cancellations. We were seen the same week and are now awaiting blood tests to check her immune system and also going to be put on the waiting list for getting her tonsils and adenoids out. Annoyingly she can't have the operation until she's 3, and the waiting list is long but we can't go onto it until she's already 3! Your little ones symptoms sound similar, check the NHS page for adenoidectomy and see if it fits.

I think it could be that it’s just that children were so protected from germs for a year with the lockdowns that they are now being exposed to everything and getting all the viruses; but if you are concerned then you should definitely push for further tests. We’ve had one thing after another in our house and I’ve just put it down to it being a rough autumn/ winter and pray that it won’t go too much into spring too!!

No asthma in our family either, my daughter was diagnosed at around 3 and grew out of it, my son diagnosed at 5 and still suffers at 16.
It would be good to rule it out so maybe ask to see your surgeries asthma nurse. My daughter was diagnosed from a constant dry nighttime cough, my son for coughing fits that caused him to vomit, neither had actual asthma attacks.
If I were you I would be asking for a referral to ENT, in my experience GP’s will happily dole out antibiotics every 6 weeks and not refer without prompting.

My ds was the same at that age, one antibiotic after another. Finally it ended when I started him on probiotics! I’d highly recommend giving that a try.

Which doctor would prescribe antibiotics 10 times in a year?!?! If she becomes immune she’ll be in real danger

We had from birth our son catching every cold and every time within 3 weeks he would have perferated ear drum thus was usually 8 times a year and each time GP would be no he is fine just a cold then give antibiotics when his ear drum perforated took 2.5 years to get ent to see us their option was antibiotics permanently for 6mths hit summer all clear signed him off winter hit happened again couldn't get in with ent GP ended up seeing nurse practitioner she asked what we had done told her inc raising one end of the cot, diffusers in the room vicks on chest and feet every night.
Automatically she said his bronchial airways aren't opening at night gave us an inhaler tried that saw some improvement within 3months she prescribed 2nd inhaler saw Hugh change no more colds or perforated ear drums he had them for 2 years weened off and now 11 rarely has a cold, covid didn't affect him at all plays tins of sport and never struggles.

Keep pushing and if ent won't see you or GP get in with senior nurse practitioner. My friend was having similar issues and told her our details she saw the same nurse practitioner same thing done and her son just like our ds now

Key issue on both our cases too though not sure if linked both pooed in the womb at birth

I would book a separate GP appointment to discuss this - not asking when you are there with an infection, when they will be focusing on assessing the illness she has that day.

I don't think you need to argue or sharpen your elbows, just say she has had 10 lots of antibiotics in one year, and also however many viral infections, and you are worried if there is an underlying cause.

Oh my that is a lot of antibiotics! I had three children only one of them ever had antibiotics for an ear infection when he was 1 Yr old, don't think the others have ever had them and they are all adults now🤷 yeo Valley used to do some nice children's live yoghurt that would give the good bacteria needed after antibiotics.👍

Does little one have big tonsils?

My 2.5 year old daughter is the exact same as yours. 3 lots of antibiotics so far this year, ALWAYS ill! She's got reflux, allergies and now finally seen ENT who immediately agreed to take her tonsils out and put grommets in as one of her ear drums have no space to vibrate at all. She's getting that done in 3 weeks, her paediatrician for her reflux said she was amazed how big her tonsils are and how she is actually managing to eat.

I'd push to see paediatrics at your local hospital we've had 4 trips to A&E/ out of hours already this year.

She catches everything, currently got her 4th ear infection and conjunctivitis again and super chesty

Not normal my son is three and has never needed antibiotics. Poor little mite must never feel well! Push to see a specialist! X

The GP is definitely prescribing too much antibiotics.

I really have to force my GP once the infection travels to the chest otherwise GP puts it down as viral tonsillitis it eventually passes.

It took 4 years to get DS on the waiting list to remove tonsils a 3 year list which is really a 5 year waiting list in Ireland.

Push for a referral now, if she grows out of it you can cancel the referral.

This was my son. When he was 3.5 we paid 175£ to go to the local private hospital for an outpatient ENT paediatric appointment to begin tonsils out. The consultant was brilliant and took 10 seconds to say he wished we’d been even sooner. My son was not growing properly or eating he was literally ill every few weeks just as you describe, the Consultant put us on his NHS list and we just had to drive 20 miles to his regular hospital. It was pretty rubbish to fight etc but within 3 months his life was changed. I often think that it was the best thing I ever fought for! Good luck.

My daughter (now 13) was like this.. She was however born with lots of health issues which impacted her immune system for the first couple of years. I put it down to that & being in nursery. She was literally ill non-stop from the age of 12 months to about 6 years... tonsillitis, ear infections, chest infections... it seemed endless. Started to tail off after that with the periods between illness getting longer & longer.

I am pretty anti-antibiotics so used to press the GP about whether they were really necessary.... some GPs do seem very happy to give them out just in case. She's not had antibiotics since she was 6... she's 13 now.

Like other's have said it may well be the impact of the pandemic.. children just didn't get the exposure they normally would have.

Does your DD snore?
If this is the case please ask for a swift referral to a paediatric ENT clinic.

I would bet on the tonsils being the issue - conjunctivitis and skin infection could be a natural spread via hands ect. My dd had unusually large tonsils and had many of these issues including ear infection. Push for investigation though.

does she get out in the sun enough - i'd suspect she has low vit d and therefore is getting ill a lot

Look into child friendly vit d sprays and feed her lots of oats - to get a good healthy gut immunity response..

My younger two (13,11) have never been prescribed AB’s.I think you need to speak to someone about this.

Isn’t it also thought that if you remove the tonsils, the issue can then move else where in the body?

I am a firm believer in a Mother's intuition and yours is telling you to push for some answers. I'm glad you've decided to speak to the GP again, hopefully they'll be able to put your mind at ease.

Sounds like she needs her tonsils removed. Or at least that ruled out. Can you pay for private ENT? This is not normal!

@Atomiccat most GP’s will, my son has no choice really, he has Down Syndrome and a crap immune system, amoxicillin doesn’t work for him anymore, he’s now prescribed erythromycin so we have the added bonus of diarrhoea as well as a ear/chest infection. I was also using paracetamol suppositories on him regularly to manage pain for nearly a year, calpol used to get vomited back up.
Some kids have a rough time of it, not as rough as it could be but still rough.

Nobody can diagnose her here, but if it was my child I would do my best to take her to a proper pediatrics and do full blood test with immune markers amongst other things

I think this sounds normal tbh, I also have a 3 year old who goes to nursery. Given covid and some time off nursery plus an older sibling who can catch things at school and pass on to them too, I can see how they'd be ill a lot. The number of antibiotics sounds a lot too high but lots of doctors err on the side of caution in prescribing ABs for poorly young children particularly if parents are pushing for them. It seems likely that she wouldn't have needed a lot of those courses but understandbley if you've been worried and pushed for them doctors will often prescribe them out of caution. Having said all that, doctors should listen to your concerns with a sympathetic ear and so i would still recommend you make an appointment to discuss your worries. Hopefully they can reassure you, and they will do investigations if they deem it necessary. If your child is growing well that should be some reassurance for you in itself too.

Yes, definitely pressure your gp.

The range of infections you mention suggests that there could be an underlying immune issue. It could be about tonsils etc, but also something like CVID (not covid!), and you really need to get it looked at now.

And pp who said in the USA they refer after 3 episodes of war infection, that's not just USA. It's considered best practice.

If a child has 4 or more infections in 6 months or 6 or more in 12 months, they need a referral.

But there's nothing to stop the gp getting a few blood tests done first.