To take our 12mo DS to A&E?

[Parkingmoan1]

We've already decided he's going so DH is getting ready to take him now but I would appreciate some feedback / WWYD? Also - does this sound familiar to any of you with your DC?

DS is 12mo and has had diarrhoea for the past 4 days. He isn't sleeping properly dispite being absolutely exhausted, I suspect something is hurting him which is stopping him from getting off to / staying asleep.

His temperature was last recorded as 37.7.

He isn't eating or drinking as well as he normally does which is a concern for dehydration. He's such a food baby usually and loves his milk. It appears (atleast to me) that swallowing liquid / food might be causing him some pain so I've asked DH to raise the possibility of tonsillitis. He is salivating much more than usual. I've had to put him back in bibs which we haven't used for months.

I might be way off but it's worth being queried right?

He's crying. Alot. He's usually such a happy boy but he's unrecognisable at the minute. Inconsolable.

So do you think we're doing the right thing taking him to A&E or do I sound like an anxious mum and it doesn't sound that serious to you? I couldn't get him in the doctors today hence the jump to A&E.

I'm going to feel like a massive idiot after all of this worry they come back and say something trivial like teething...

Has he just had his jabs?

And I’d also say both of mine had terrible nappies when teething and a v low temp (never more than 38). My first has really toxic poos that burnt her skin. It is one of those things that so many parents experience I’m still quite shocked the NHS says there is no evidence.

Sounds like text book teething and I personally wouldn't go to A&E.

If it was a more serious infection or virus like tonsillitis I reckon temperature would be higher. Not a doctor though so do what feels right.

I know...why do the NHS maintain that diarrhoea isn't a symptom of teething. Both of my babies had diarrhoea and mild temperature with teething and were more mucusy

I don't know where you are based, Chicken Pox is rife where I am and my wee niece was exactly like that for a few days before the spots appeared.

Rule number 1. Never ever ask on mumsent if you should take your child to hospital. You will either get lots of people telling you you're over reacting or people saying yes why you even on here, hospital, NOW.

Trust your own gut instinct as a mum uts usually right. I can assure you hospital will never ever feel you have wasted their time if you take an ill baby. Theyd rather they were checked. Especially when they have been having diarrhea that long and not eating or drinking fluids. Hope he is okay.

I hope he is ok.

I'd have taken him, personally. One time I thought I was being dramatic when calling 111 because DS had breathlessness along with an ear infection. They sent us to children's A&E where it took 3 days to stabilise his breathing and he is still on a steroid preventer 18 months later.

Just came to say I hope your little boy is OK.

This is why we signed up for private health insurance, being able to call a nurse 24/7 without delay makes me feel a bit more reassured.

When they’re little, tonsillitis can be a case for A&E. I called the doc in a similar position and she told me to take him straight there. My friend who is a paediatric nurse went along too within a few days and her child had the same thing. The only thing is if he hasn’t got high fever it may not be/warrant antibiotics. But if his water intake is 25% they will want to see him surely.

I’m sure the docs will be very kind and understanding. You don’t mess about or take risks with a <1yo’s health. 111 are usually shite anyway.

Oh 😔 it’s the worst when they’re ill isn’t it. Hope it isn’t too long until he’s seen - keep us updated x

How is your little one? Did you make it to A&E?

Ear infection. Very painful to swallow so they seem to produce copious amounts of saliva ( they are just not swallowing it) they will refuse food. Slightly raised temp as it’s often inflammation rather than true infection. Face/cheek often red on the side affected. Prone to sudden outbursts of crying as pain is sharp and intermittent.
Teething is often blamed because it’s is going on at the same time. From 6mnths to 3 yrs old most children will have at least one tooth erupting in their mouth.
Everything goes in their mouths during teething and the immune system is in overdrive with all the new microbes they are exposed to. Their first line of defence is the tonsil and adenoids lymph tissue. When the adenoids swell up in response to microbes they block the drainage from the middle ear resulting in inflammation and infection.
Hope you had a successful visit to A&E. For future reference always tell them you suspect an ear infection, then at least they will check them.

Personally, I wouldn't even have taken a child to the GP with those symptoms, but also I would never tell a concerned parent they shouldn't take their baby to A&E. I'm not medically qualified to diagnose over the internet.

Omg!! My Dd has this right now!! I know she's teething but the poo burns have thrown me, it's like shiny red and blistered!! Pharmacist prescribed some cream but no answers! Maybe this is why!

I don't have an LO but I think people always say to go if you're concerned.

when it's a baby that's concerning you, I mean.

Christ, there's always one. This is a totally valid emergency.

For what it's worth, a lot of A&E sections these days have a separate paediatrics department so the babies aren't preventing any adult with an emergency from being seen. Plus they always prioritise so again emergencies will be dealt with first anyway.

I'm usually the first one to say don't go to A&E unless absolutely vital but you can't take any chances with a baby.

Hope he's ok, OP, you did the right thing.

Slight temperature. Not really a reason to go to A&E but up to you...

The pragmatic thing to do is to call 111 and go immediately to A&E and book in. Therefore if 111 say that's what you should do, which they invariably do, you are already booked into A&E and ahead of the game. I might have done that this morning.

For the future, suppositories are invaluable when dc won't take calpol/ibuprofen.

My money's on ears or tonsillitis or both.

Good luck op

People diagnosing over a forum is dangerous. There have been multiple times in the last decade on here that there have been multiple people telling the op that they were being dramatic and it ended up being something awful

So what is the point of this thread then? What do you expect people to reply with?

I hope your little one is ok OP x

Hope he gets seen soon and home with some treatment. I’ve taken my dc’s to A/E and appts at 111 when they were younger. I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong, you’re just worried about him. In my area though if you’re seen by 111 and they think a child needs assessed further they will send them to the children’s short stay ward rather than A/E which is good as they get assessed by a paediatrician.

To answer the question OP asked. Whether it was right to go to A&E.

She was asking whether she was right to try get a diagnosis by going to A&E. She did not ask for people to give their own diagnosis.

This is a baby with 4 day history of severe diarrhoea. Not drinking. Inconsolable crying.
These are red flag symptoms irrespective of the underlying cause.
OP has done the right thing.
Arguably, she could have called 111 but it is likely that they would have sent her to A&E anyway as the baby needs urgent face to face assessment to see if/how much he is dehydrated.
Dehydration FROM ANY CAUSE kills babies.