Poorly 4mo DD - help needed please!

[MrsMo21]

My 4mo DD has bad diarrhoea (4/5 loose mucus stools a day), is refusing food - she’s clearly hungry but as soon as she starts feeding she screams and back arches - barely drinking anything, we have to offer her a bottle every 30 mins to get her to take anything, rashy cheeks and chin, she’s suddenly drooling loads and is no longer sleeping. She’s grizzly but no temperature and I don’t think she’s swallowed anything she shouldn’t have done (I can’t be 100% sure but I don’t think so).
GP has given her thrush treatment, we’ve tried probiotics, neurofen, Gaviscon incase it’s her reflux playing up - nothing is helping. I don’t know what to do.

Have any of you experienced this with your children? Do you have any ideas of what I should do? FTM here and don’t want to overreact.

Thank you!

Sounds like my DD 5 months. I think hers is teething. She’s having loose nappies although these are on and off. Doesn’t want to feed just pulls off shouting, I have to feed her when she’s half asleep to get her to take anything really. Waking up every hour. I’m pretty sure it’s teeth, she’s very chewy and dribbly. If she’s got no temperature, no rash (other than dribble rash around chin) and is otherwise well and happy and active and alert then I would assume it’s teeth.

Could also possibly be symptoms of CMPA but you would expect to have seen these much earlier.

@Newnews she has CMPA but didn’t add it into the main post as didn’t think it was necessary - sorry for drip feeding.

I’m glad it’s not just my DD!

Seconding teething as a possibility. How long has it been going on for? DD did a week of barely drinking any milk and doing horrid poos six times a day. Very rashy cheeks and unsettled. I got really worried - lasted for a week - and then out popped her first two teeth and she was back to normal.

I’m pleased to say she’s 14 months now with 8 of them and none of the others have given us so much drama

Could it be hand foot and mouth? Lots of it around at the moment I believe.

Trust your gut feeling. If you think it would be good to get her checked over then don't question it again, just do it. I'm sure they'll see her as she's so little. Hope she's better soon. ♥️

I would say CMPA too. My DD had some symptoms for a while but developed rashes quickly at 3.5 months. If you are on formula ask for a hydrolysed formula - if EBF, cut out any dairy now.

How suddenly and how bad is the drooling? Can she swallow her own saliva? She sounds very unwell but do you mean this has been going on a week or so and she has seen a doctor or new symptoms tonight.

Also how can you not know if an immobile 4 month old has swallowed something the shouldn’t?

@CardiganBlobby she is CMPA and is on Neocate - has been for ages.

@CardiganBlobby it’s been going on since last Thursday and yes she can. She doesn’t always and will drool but will also swallow some. We’ve seen the GP on Monday who prescribed thrush medicine.
She has been around a 17 month old recently, supervised by me and their parents when I needed the loo etc and my mother in law took care of her on a day last week so something could have happened that I’m unaware of. I don’t really appreciate your tone there tbh.

Try some teething powder on her gums or freeze a damp clean flannel and let her chew on that. See if that eases her a little, if so then teething is the issue.

Drooling lots is a very common symptom of teething, the drool settling on her skin gives the rash and the drool she's swallowing gives the mucus diarrhoea.

You can use a barrier cream or Vaseline on her cheeks and chin after giving her face a clean and patting it dry. That should help to soothe the rash and stop it getting worse. You'll need to keep it clean and dry and top up the barrier cream regularly throughout the day.

@MrsMo21 I’m not too concerned if you appreciate my tone or not as it’s exactly what you would be asked in a&e if you where unable to confirm if a 4 year old had ingested something they shouldn’t. They literally can’t put anything in their mouth without help so it just seemed a strange statement to make. If you are concerned she has ingested something then go straight to a&e.

Worth getting her tonsils looked, hope she feels better soon.

4 month old, obviously 4 year olds put all sorts into their mouths!