5 year old - Anaemia or what else?

[Madmussells]

My DS is almost 5. He's growing well (4-5 clothes are getting too small now) and he's quite challenging and boistorous at times. But I'm still often worried about his health.

I know this anxiety stems from him having temp, lumbar puncture, IV antibiotics at 5 weeks old. Plus 2 blue light ambulance rides for suspected anaphylaxis at 2 and RSV at 3. I'm usually quite calm about illnesses and Mumsnet has helped me solve and get treatment for a few strange ones for myself that the GPs had no ideas about - Thank you Mumsnet! Please can you give me some advice here?

He was a grumpy baby with lots of spit up(no treatment- Drs said normal for a big baby: 10lbs). He's now often grumpy, always pale, big black circles under his eyes, often tired - weekly he'll have a fit of crying midafternoon and then sleep. He doesn't run far without stopping/saying he's tired. Has a cold/cough/temperature approx every 3 weeks. He snores and wakes most nights saying he's scared.

All in all, he's coping and not failing to thrive. He's enjoying school. But still I'm worried that things are a bit rubbish for him health wise. He's often grumpy and I just worry it's because he feels unwell and can't tell me.

We have bloodtests next week. I'm not sure what for exactly and don't know what to ask for/follow up on etc.

Please can anyone give me some advice/ideas of what could be wrong, or maybe have you had a similar experience with your children and its all better now?

Nursery teacher said her daughter was the same and grew out of it around age 11.

Thank you for any advice you can give.

Anyone? I guess my main question should be: does or did your kid have anaemia? How did you find out and was it straightforward to treat?

But also, is there anyway a boy who's growing well could even have anaemia? Why are they sending us for bloods?

Coeliac? Can cause poor absorption of nutrients leading to anaemia and failure to thrive

I would see what comes back from the blood tests for iron level, vitamin b etc if they're doing all of them.

If he's snoring and not sleeping well at night is probably contributing to the tiredness. My son had similar but constant ear infections, snoring tired etc and he just had his adenoids taken out and grommets put in his ears. He's sleeping better no snoring, so much more energy, dark circles under his eyes gone he's like a different child.
Not saying that it's that but could you ask about it?

Thanks for your post. My son has suspected ear infections quite often. I'll keep an eye on it.

I would love for him to have more energy and really glad your son's has been sorted!

My DS is fine, having fun and causing trouble half the day but tires in the afternoon. And even after a night not waking up, he's still head down at the dinner table and asking to go up to bed before 7pm. He's in bed before 8pm and usually wakes around 7am (sometimes but not always with a couple of wake-ups in between).

A friend of mine had similar issues with her daughter. She turned out to have severe dairy and wheat allergies. Try cutting out cow's milk and wheat. Get him tested for coeliac and dairy allergies.

Thank you. Maybe thats it. He does have quite a few allergies but they haven't tested him for dairy and wheat. Unfortunately it's going to be over a year until his next allergy appointment but depending on the blood test results, maybe I'll ask for the appointment to be brought forward if they can.

The thing that stands out to me is the poor sleep related to snoring, have his tonsils and adenoids been checked because the snoring and waking sound like apnoea.

I've mentioned this to the Dr. Especially seeing as a few times I've heard him do that weird gasping/gulping thing (never managed to record it) But I don't think that it's every night because some nights he manages to sleep through (he's very reward orientated though and if we say he can do sleepover at Granny's he manages to stay in bed!)

If its not every night, they don't seem that bothered 😐

Is he very restless at night moving around? Could you put a monitor and watch over several nights? My DS3 used to move round and round his bed and not sleep effectively if that makes sense even though he said he slept through.
I would ask for an ENT referral as many places the lists are very long. The gulping and gasping sounds very much like apnea that my DS had as a baby.

When my son last saw the dietician a couple months ago she immediately said to me my son "still has his milk allergy" non ige CMPA. I said I thought he was fine as he has no symptoms anymore and she said he has CMPA eyes. I asked what that was and she said its the dark circles/blueish colour under their eyes and asked if he was tired and I said yes he doesn't sleep well either.

I would push for a sooner allergy appointment and also ask the GP if they can do blood tests for coeliac disease.

I hope you get some answers bless him.

Sounds like he needs a referral to ENT for a sleep study as possible obstructive sleep apnoea.

Yes, he's very restless! Turns round and round the bed in the night. Bottom in the air, half in, half out the bed etc.

The allergy clinic always focuses on his anaphylaxis/Epipens (he's only had it the once when he was 2 because we now steer clear of nuts)

They don't seen interested in his other allergies. I think because he's nowhere near as bad as other little children I've seen. He has eczema but only really on backs of knees unless really unwell. He has Molloscum all over backs of legs now for 18 months. It's spreading to arms, torso, face but not covering them like his legs.

I keep on wondering whether it's all linked somehow. I don't know how he manages at school when he's so tired. He's really quite horrible when he gets home to partner and I when something doesn't go his way - hitting and shouting at us - but often after this he cries and falls asleep 😔

I've just read the blood test form. Its next Monday for a 'tiredness screen in child'
He's due to have:
Creatine and Electrolytes profile
Blood
Full blood count
Ferritin
Liver profile
Thyroid
Plasma glucose
Does this look right? How long will we need to wait for results?

I would ask about testing for coeliac and dairy allergy too. I may have misremembered but I think one issue with dairy allergy and/or coeliac is malabsorption of iron, Vits B and D so he could find it really hard to get the nutrition her needs for energy and healthy skin. You could try avoiding wheat/gluten and cow's milk for a while, and giving him vitamin gummy bears or abidec drops in diluted juice. See if any of this helps.

Thank you TotalOverhaul. Do you know if I can just ask for those tests to be added on or will we have to go back another time?

I'd ask gp if they can add them to the request. May as well just have bloods done once.

Take him to an allergist.
Don't wait to be referred. Pay out of your own pocket.

Blood test results are back. Full blood count apparently fine but some kind of issue with glucose. Dr wants to see us for appt before he sends the results. No appointments available for 2 weeks and no push from Dr so I'm guessing it can't be too bad! Will call back again tomorrow to see if more appts available.

They eventually allowed me to have the blood test reults printout. I'm really confused though. I can't find any mention of ferritin levels on my son's bloodtests. I don't know if they did all the tests they said they would?

I'm not medically trained but the glucose looks very low. Also I can't see them testing for iron levels or coeliac screening. Can you call tomorrow for an urgent apt? 2 weeks seem too long to wait.

That’s just the full blood count - everything else will be on a different page.

I've googled and can't find much on the low glucose. I do seem to remember him not eating much breakfast that day. I didn't notice him being any more low energy than normal - in fact he came out and was playing loads with the toys in the waiting room! He was super good and didn't cry at all for the blood test.

I've just noticed there are exclamation marks next to mean platelet count and mean corpuscular volume. What does that mean???

I asked whether all tests were there and the receptionist said she thought so (they all just have different names) but she would ask the Dr and call back tomorrow.

Look up ketotic Hypoglycaemia and hyperinsulinism & see if symptoms fit your child.

If you know someone who has a blood glucose machine or can buy a blood glucose machine (about £25) then take a few readings to share with the Gp - first thing in the morning before any food or drink a good one, just before a meal & 2hrs after a meal - if your little one tolerates.

My son first ever reading was 2.6 after years of me saying he could not wait for food like other kids, emotional in the afternoons etc - I then went on a quick learning curb of normal levels 4-7 etc -

Ask for a referral to a endocrinologist paediatric specialist - especially if more lows are captured.