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Should I take DD to doctors now or not? (No imminent concerns, long term issue!)

9 replies

lemniscate · 31/03/2012 22:48

DD is 18mo and we generally think of her as very healthy. She rarely has stomach upsets, nor does she suffer majorly from viruses, and generally is quite a hardy baby, as her brother was too. When my friends talk about missing work with an ill baby again, or their babies having illnesses pretty much every other week, I just can't really comprehend what it's like as my DCs are not really ill that often. Most of the things she gets result in a runny nose and maybe the occasional day of needing some calpol, and she has only missed 2 days with illness at nursery since she started going 6 months ago. She has never needed any prescription drugs from the doctors for illnesses. As I say, she's pretty hardy and we feel very fortunate about this.

However, since we can remember - so definitely over the winter and maybe before then even (we're not really sure) - she has often had quite a bad night cough, and she is often fairly chesty, quite rattly breathing. She has had this permanently for at least the last month and talking about it we do think she has had it most of the winter if not before as well. This appears to cause her no problems at all - she is fine, goes to nursery, doesn't suffer too badly with illnesses, can run around and do all the things a boisterous 18 month old does, plus she seems to sleep through the night cough pretty much every night - we may be up with her once a month or something. But it just feels wrong. I'm a bit worried she may have a tendency towards asthma.

So my question is: should we be worried about this and go to the doctors now? should we wait and see if spring clears it up and then rethink? should we not bother at all and assume she just has some sort of low-level virus that will just sort itself out?

If she was in any way ill with this, I wouldn't hesitate to take her to the doctors, but she really seems unbothered by it.

What do you think?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Casmama · 31/03/2012 22:56

I was going to say it sounds a bit like asthma before I got to that bit in your post. How long would you like her to have this cough for before you take her to the doctor? I don't mean that unkindly but think you are maybe worrying too much about wasting the doctors time. I don't feel they will think it is a waste of time and am not sure what is to be gained by waiting even longer to take her. Make an appointment.

NatashaBee · 31/03/2012 22:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lemniscate · 31/03/2012 22:59

Yes, you're probably right. Doctors never mind you bringing a baby in, do they? I guess it's just because it's only dawned on us this week that it has been going on for a while and she is actually so healthy otherwise.

It helps that you were thinking asthma too before you read I'd said that - makes me realise I'm not actually running away with myself on that one.

Will ring on Monday.

Thanks, sometimes you just need an outside perspective to make you realise what to do :)

OP posts:
WizzyBizzy · 31/03/2012 23:02

My understanding is that she is far far too young for a diagnosis of asthma to be even considered. She also sounds a lot like both my two. I remember realising in March last year that my DS (then 16 months) had had a cold and a bit of a cough since November - and I suddenly worried that I'd been horribly neglectful in not taking him to the docs. We then had a scare when we ended up in hospital with bronchiolitis and low oxygen. But that was sorted in 24 hours and we've had nothing since - and there's nothing to say that the long-term cough/snot had anything to do with that specific incidence. DS has bad eczema and every doctor I meet is swift to jump in and say that he'll probably be diagnosed with asthma in the long-term, although to be honest I really don't see that happening. This winter we have had nothing like the amount of snot and coughing as we did last year. But we will see...

Anyway, if you in anyway concerned, as a PP has said, don't worry about 'wasting the doctor's time'. Take him in to the GPs for a check and a chat. That is what they are there for and no one will ever begrudge you taking in one so young with the symptoms you describe. But also, I would say, don't be overly concerned.

WizzyBizzy · 31/03/2012 23:03

Take her in for a check and a chat. Blush

Sirzy · 01/04/2012 04:38

Natasha - 18 months olds can't do peak flow!

Like pp said it would be unusual to get a diagnosis of asthma, but the gp may well give some ventolin to try to see if it makes a difference to the coughing, I would certainly go and get her checked at some point soon.

lemniscate · 01/04/2012 07:27

Thanks all. I used to work in pharmaceuticals, specialising in asthma (though from a business side) so I know they won't be able to diagnose at this stage, especially just on the symptoms she has and I know the process/treatments so I'll be fairly clued up if they do decide it is asthma-related. I will take her in though to get the doctor to check her out and also to get it recorded on her notes so we can follow up if things get worse and they know it is a pattern rather than a one-off.

As you'd expect given I was worrying about it, there wasn't a single cough last night :)

OP posts:
Sirzy · 01/04/2012 07:43

Have you tried little things like making sure her room is as dust free as possible? Ds is 2.5 and has asthma and if his room gets just the littlest bit dusty he spends the night coughing.

curiousparent · 02/04/2012 07:18

Have you tried a humidifier in her room? I have one in my DS's bedroom and it really helps with nighttime coughing!

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