29 month old recurrent chest infections

[Mumofboys3007]

Hi everyone
I’m just posting really to hear some positive outcomes.
in may 2023 my DS2 was hospitalised with severe pneumonia with iv antibiotics, fluids, oxygen. Prior to this he’d never really had a cough.
since then every single cold or bug he picks up goes straight to his chest and another infection. We had to insist on another chest x ray and there has been not a lot of change since the one prior to his discharge from hospital but the consultant doesn’t know why and has to speak to a specialist.
I have health anxiety as it is and I am so worried for him. He’s on antibiotics every 3-4 weeks since, has inhalers Montelukast every vitamin under the sun and I’m at my wits end.

has anyone else experienced similar as I’m driving myself crazy jumping to the worst possible outcomes!

thank you all x

I would be asking for him to tested for CF.

CF is tested for in the baby heel prick.

Thank you for your replies but yes he was tested for that at birth. And we only seem to have had the issues since he was hospitalised with pneumonia last year.

The heel prick test picks up the most common mutations. You can have rare mutations which wouldn't be detected, as in the case of my son.

My son was very well during first year of his life but from when he was 16 months the chest infections became very frequent and with several hospital admissions.

How is his weight gain?

Ah sorry to hear that!
his weight gain and everything else is fine and he is well in between the chest infections so hence the consultant not being too concerned or rushing the specialist through.

Does he have a cough in-between the chest infections? Do the inhaler and montelukast help at all?

Just asking as DS was diagnosed with asthma at 2 1/2. Well they can't actually diagnose it but it's a process of elimination. He doesn't seem to get chest infections, but my sister will get one with almost every cold and my good friend does to who are both asthmatic. So it could be as simple as that, but it does take a while for them to tell, hopefully it's nothing more serious.

My 3.5 hear old has had a fair few chest infections (nothing as serious as pneumonia though) and a persistent, awful chesty cough since he was about 1. Lots of antibiotics too. He is on montelukast, and 2 puffs of brown inhaler morning and night. Chest xray clear but consultant put him on antihistamine daily and, amazingly, this seems to have helped reduce frequency and length of episodes. Worth asking?

He was still coughing in between until they gave him erithromycin for a chest infection so he has that every time now. The Montelukast seemed to help more than the inhalers to be honest. I can get him seen privately as I have private healthcare through work and I’m getting fed up now and was hoping we could get some answers for him without having to go down that route!
we did try the antihistamine daily for a while and it did help to an extent but he still got the infections. The consultant has prescribed him a steroid nasal spray but still waiting for gp to issue it.
he had bad reflux as a baby and laryngomalacia so I think it could be aspiration but I’m just scaring myself I think!