Tracheal tugging.

[Littlegemx]

Hi guys, sorry for the long post I’m just a nervous wreck.

My twins are currently 10weeks old today (2days corrected) and have had a rough journey so far.
Twin 1 was discharged from nicu on the 8th of march and just over a week after being discharged she caught a lower respiratory tract infection (bronchiolitis) from one of my older daughters.
Twin 2 has been home 2 weeks exactly today and yesterday he was diagnosed with an upper respiratory tract infection. Whilst in nicu he had a lot of lung problems and was on oxygen more than he was off the whole duration of his nicu journey. Anyways, He has a lot of similar symptoms to his sister however unlike her, he's had no temperature and no wheeze. He’s had some strange episodes of tracheal tugging and also chest retractions and like his sister he will also get this strange blue tinge around his eyes, nose and mouth go very pale and mottled alongside fast resp rate. However his oxygen sats and heart rate are normal? He’s sleeping more and coughing more than he’s doing anything else. He's also started silently coughing and too me it looks painful.

I can’t help but think that something else is going on here? His sister had a few apneas on the day she was admitted to the paediatric ward, and went grey/blue in my arms and completely lifeless her sats dropped to just under 60 and it took us a couple of minutes for us to get her to respond and start breathing again. I’m so petrified of the same thing happening to him and now believe I have some type of worsened PTSD, which started during their nicu stay.

Doctors didn’t really comment on the blue tinge that he gets but his sister would do the same thing before she’d have an apnea, don’t know if I need a second opinion or not. He has 72 hours of open access after yesterday so will take him straight back if anything changes.

Sorry for such a long post probably rambled abit here, but if you got this far thankyou for reading🤍

[bus74]

tracheal tug is something that needs seeing in hospital. both twins sound vulnerable to respiratory problems after the start they have had. i'm surprised the blue tinge (cyanosis!) wasn't a worry to the doctors.
if these were my babies i'd be heading up to hospital with them. i wouldn't care if people thought i was being over anxious but i actually don't think you are.

[Littlegemx]

@bus74 so twin 1 is all fully recovered from bronchiolitis thankfully. twin 2 has been seen in hospital yesterday first of all we went to a&e and the were worried so sent him to paediatric assessment unit who told us it was and upper respiratory tract and was sent home with nasal drops, and omeprazole because when he coughs he’s can occasionally projectile vomit. Also he has severe reflux too,
I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t overreacting about the lack of care my son got from them as they really weren’t bothered at all by it, yet the doctor in a&e were and gave him a nebuliser and were doing his observations every hour until we were moved!

[caitlinn]

I have an ex 29 weeker who came home on oxygen (he's 2 now and off oxygen) but the first year was hard, if in doubt take them in, the doctors would much rather see you and send you home if necessary, it never does any harm getting them checked. Sometimes you really need to advocate, if you don't feel 100% about an opinion or result, ask for a second opinion. Hope all goes well for you all!

[caitlinn]

Also I got told that any tracheal tugging, rib sucking or head bobbing is a sign of respiratory distress, if you've got open access definitely use it!x

[Littlegemx]

@caitlinn oh I’m so glad he’s doing well and off oxygen!
twin 1 is all recovered and back to her normal self! twin 2 was seen in the hospital yesterday, and after reading his discharge paperwork from yesterday says that he’s doing it down to reflux? Anyway I’m going to take him back up their today as they sai if it keep happening then to take him back but other than that they had no concerns about it yet multiple doctors witnessed it. The A&e doctors were brilliant and tried their best as to how to help him gave a nebuliser and monitored closely while we was there! Just doctors on the assessment unit had very little care, I was always told this too so always looked out for it with my older babies too x