Just need talking down, temp, lethargy and vomiting

[strawberrycake]

First I'll say I have rung NHS direct, I'm just still worrying and need experiences!

8m/o has been refusing solids for 4 days, vomiting 2. Very little water -4oz of water today- and temp varying from 37.7 to 38.9 for few days. Upset and lethargic, mainly sleeping past few days. On antibiotics for chest infection and has inhaler. Not sure he's kept down medicine.

He's stripped off in a cool room and capol seems to keep temp in the mid 37s.

Has he had any wet nappies? I wouldn't be overly worried about the temp but I would be concerned about dehydration. Are you waiting on a call back?

Just make sure he's hydrated. It sounds like a very normal process of an illness and that, like many mums, you just need to get him checked out.

Try not to worry too much. I'm sorry to be patronising but is this your first baby? It's so much more worrying when it is, and you haven't already seen other babies go through bugs and come out the other side.

Always trust your instinct, though, and if you're worried, you're doing the right thing getting help.

He seems to be doing fairly well the the moment and hopefully over the worst. My main concern would be his fluid intake. Food is not so important, but I would try syringing 5 mls of water down him every 15 minutes or so to get his fluid intake up and having proper wet nappies. Carry on with milk feeds. The drowsiness will aggravate the dehydration and he will perk up much faster if he drinks.

Spoke to nurse, had a sort of wet nappy. Not much.

Give him lots of sips of water, and try not to stress too much about the temperature. Over 39 is a concern and that's the point at which we (me and DH) give meds...but temperatures are there for a reason, and help fight bugs. Very high temperatures are dangerous, but low grade ones are useful.

And lethargy is very normal in an ill baby.

What did the nurse say?

Nurse pretty much said warning signs etc.

I know he's not at death's door, just horrible to feel like I'm doing so little. He just had his blue inhaler which helps.

I know, but you aren't doing so little - you're nursing him. This is a feeling I struggle with when mine are ill, and I often try to get an image in my head of parents many, many years ago nursing their seriously ill children and taking that role very seriously. Because we have such easy access to medicine now, it's easy to feel that administering meds = doing something. But sometimes all that's needed is lots of love, and care, and cuddles.

Sounds like you are doing everything right. The vomitting is normal when they have chest problems. Whenever DS had bronchiolitis he would vomit if he had to much to drink as it made it harder to breathe, offer little and often makes it easier for them.

Hope he improves soon

Thanks, Daddy has had him all day and it shocked me a bit when I walked in. Mummy time has worked wonders {wink}. He's been watered, has been tricked into eating a little rice and toast and had a soothing bath and cuddle. He's much less agitated and sleeping peacefully. All calmer, well aside from inhaler time which is never calm! Has stared at me a lot and allowed a bit of cuddling.

Neither dh, myself or the other two dc have ever had a chest infection btw. In fact I don't even remember having even being inclined to check the others temps as like dh they never get hot. I don't think I ever have a temp either, even for flu I had every other symptom except fever.

His temp got stuck at over 39 despite calpol, plus he refused all liquid and struggled to syringe any in. Went to out of hours, then on to A&E. Luckily I managed there to syringe diarolyte in and avoided a drip and admission. Went after 8 hours when they finally got temp back to 37.9.

They weighed him too and it's such a shame he's lost all the weight he gained on Necoate, over 1.5lb, 3 months of weight gain. He's now 8 months and 14lb 15 :(

Ds2 had that at 9 months. Was rota virus confirmed after 5 days in hosp. on a drip. Don't be alarmed by the hosp. bit - his just came on so quick and not much d&v so they were stumped till test results back.
Ds3 is 10m and has it just now - no hosp and seen by dr. Yesterday. Everything I have given him coming out. I gave just been giving him water out a bottle with dioralite in it to keep his fluids up. It's crap but just keep getting the fluids in- a little but at a time. All he is doing is crying.