" Fat toddler wheezey broncholitis " - Yes thats a real diagnosis!

[Lolasmummie]

I took my 14m/o DD to the doctor today as she has had a slight cough for about 3 weeks accompanied by a runny nose which i though was just a typical cold so didnt really think that much of it. But the last few days the cough has started to sound quite chesty and she sometimes sounds wheezey , particularly at night which means very little sleep for either of us. I tried giving her an infant cough syrup for 3 days but that didnt seem to do alot so decided to take her off to the doctor today.
His diagnosis- Fat toddler wheezy broncholitis ! I couldn't help but laugh out loud thinking that was a joke but with the look he gave me it quite obviously wasn't! He explained that he has seen lots of little ones with the exact same symptons whilst he was a paediatrician but there is never much they can do to help (not exactly what you want to hear). He said it could be A. Just a cough and that whenever she gets a cough until she is 2 or 3 she is likely to show with wheeziness
B. The start of asthma (but he says there is no way of confirming this and the treatment for her age group isnt very effective) But he is quite sure it is simply that well known illness 'Fat Toddler Wheezey Broncholitis' ! This apparently translates as viral (so antibiotics are no use) broncholities which causes the wheezy and is apparently more common in 'chubbier' babies. I wouldn't have even classed my DD as being a 'Fat Toddler' - she isn't the slimmest of LO's but she certainly isn't that big.

Annoyingly he has said that there is nothing we can give my DD to help her sleep with this cough, his only suggestion was paracetamol and raise her cot at one end (which means she'll wriggle into a heap at the lower end). Anyone know any good remedies? I'm quite reluctant to give her calpol etc etc unless in an emergency but i'd consider anything to give her a good nights sleep.

Has anyone else had a similair diagnosis from their doctor?
I really think his diagnosis sounds like he made it up for a joke but he has assured me its really very common. So, any other 'fat' wheezy toddlers around ?!?

Sorry, I couldn't help laughing too when I read that. DS had bronchiolitis when he was about 9 months old, and no-one ever used the term 'Fat Toddler'! He also wasn't at all chubby. What a bizarre dr you saw!

Anyway, back to the point.... DS was referred to hospital but that was mainly as he was so young. Yes, bronchiolitis is a virus so there's nothing they can do for it. It is quite common in babies/young toddlers, especially at this time of year. Once a child is a bit older the virus won't have the same drastic-seeming symptoms but would just be like a cold (probably why you thought DD just had a cold/cough for a while).

If very young babies get it, it can really impede their breathing (their whole chest goes in and out when breathing, and breathing is very laboured) which was why DS was referred. They gave him a nebulizer which did nothing at all. The symptoms of bronchiolitis mimic those of asthma (which obviously is helped by a nebulizer) but the cause is different so it doesn't make any difference.

Steam might help though. You could try taking DD into a very steamy bathroom for 10 mins or so. We ran the shower very hot while DS was in the bath (obviously the shower is separate from the bath!). Bowl of boiling water to steam up her room at night too.

Hope she feels better soon.

Hi there, sorry to hear about your lo. DS (now 20 months) was the same last winter. Our doctor never mentioned the chubby baby bit but a family member said that a GP had told her this before! so there are obviously some doctors who believe in this. DS (who is built like one of those guys who play rugby with the cauli ears!) was certainly on the well roundede side, at one stage ended up in hospital with pneumonia in one lung (this was after been told that it was viral & nothing could be done about it) and responded immediately to a course of antibiotics. The consultant who discharged him said that if he was coughing a lot at night the inhaler he was prescribed (Atrivent I think)was the best idea as it would open up the airways and help him cough "it" up. This has certainly proved to be the case for him and whenever he has had a night cough we have given him a few puffs and it has stopped it. The last time we got a new prescription for it the GP who gave it said "these things don't work"! but we are quite sure that they do for our DS. Likewise I always found that DD (now 4) has always responded well to the various Tixylixs, the trick is choosing the right one. i have known her coughing her little heart out at night ans settling within 5 minutes of a spoon of Tixylix which again the doctors say (including the aforementioned consultant) don't work. DS is a lot better this year although he hs had a permenent cold since August and has already has 2 courses of antibiotics but the severity of things has definitely eased and the wheeziness has really decreased. Hope things get better soon for your lo

Sadly yes, my Ds2 who's now 2 was very wheezy at times he is more broad shouldered than anything else but was told children of his build often wheezed it was because they were fat.

I personally think it's another fobe off in the @it's a virus' sense

Don't take it personally the health professionals who tell youy this have obviously never been parents themselves.

Oh and olbas baby balm is pretty good for decongesting them, or medised/dozol etc

Your GP used to be a paediatrician?

He's a rude fuck, that's for sure. Most toddlers are a bit chubby, bronchiolitis or no. ime there is no correlation between fatness of toddler and likelihood of chest infections.

He actually said that to you?????

What an arse of a doctor.
It does sound like bronchiolitis which, if it is recurrent, can indicate a susceptibility to asthma in the future, btu certainly doesn't mean they will be asthmatic. Having it once or twice means nothing other than that they are NORMAL.It has flip all to do with weight either.
Agree about the steam - it works wonders.

That well known illness "Fat toddler wheezy bronchiolitis"??? Eh?? Where exactly did he get his medical degree .

Ds (very skinny) has had bronchiolitis. I wasn't aware it was an illness that had a predeliction for chubbiness.......

My dd had bronchiolitis and croup months ago. Two separate doctors commented that her chubbiness made it worse. Didn't think to be offended, they were probably right. The extra roll of fat round her neck made breathing more laboured. Fat's probably not a good term though. Bonny's better I think.

DD ended up in hospital needing steroids eventually as she couldn't get rid of it.

Steam helped a bit.

the bed doesnt have to be raised a lot just put a towel under the mattress. It helps no end as it helps open the airways. DS had bronchiolitis when he was 9 weeks old and i have to do this with him quite often due to chest infections. As others have said steam is helps brilliantly.

never heard it called that before! me thinks he was trying to be reassuring and lighthearted but failed miserably.

We tend to call it 'viral wheeze' and kids that get wheezy with every cold but aren't too bothered by it 'happy wheezers' but the facts are true and chubby toddlers (as they are meant to be) do suffer poor things.

Problem is that kids that are going to be asthmatic are often viral wheezers to varying degrees but not all viral wheezers become asthmatic.

Wheezing can often be helped by inhalers to pen up the airways the same as in asthma if it is really bad or the breathing is affected and some kids with viruses get classic bronchiolitis and a few of those who do get really sick and need to be in hospital until it passes. Antibiotics don't kill viruses. Steam is good, Karvol or olbas oil is good, raising the end of the cot does result in a crumpled baby at the end but it is a crumpled asleep baby with its head slightly higher than its lungs.

Tixylix works - but only aswell as anything sweet, thick and soothing to the tickle in the throat. Honey is good for the older child.

ps (a doctor and a parent )

LOL (no disrespect)

You could write a comic with that.

Billy and the 'viral wheezers' go on an adventure.

I have a big baby who gets wheezy and chesty whenever he has a cold and the GP told me he was what they call a 'happy wheezer', i.e sounds bad but nothing serious and nothing they can do about it.
Dh's aunt is a practice nurse and when we spoke to her she immediately said he was ok, just a 'fat, happy wheezer', which is apparently what babies like mine were called until they decided the fat bit was unnecessary. Sounds a bit harsh but it kind of makes sense (not very PC tho)

dd2 was diagnosed with wheezy bronhiolitis at first because they do not want to rush in with an asthma diagnosis (which is far enough).

The fat toddler bit is odd

DD2 had bronchiolitis when she was 10 months old and was admitted to hospital for oxygen.

They were useless though and kept making me give her inhalers every couple of hours which made her manic.

I managed to get us out the following day as I felt I could look after her better at home. Bar the oxygen I could give her some sleep and decent food neither of which she got in hospital (a children's hospital with no baby food!?!).

The GP later told me the inhaler had adrenalin in it - great in the early hours for a sick baby - hence her crawling around her cot like a child possessed!

He did say it used to be a called the 'fat happy baby' illness as it was thought that it only affected fat babies.

He gave us 2 lots of antibiotics and it did clear in the end. Medised worked to give her the sleep and recovery and sitting playing with her in a hot steamy bathroom was good too.

He did say she could suffer with wheezes and chesty colds for the next few years but fortunately she hasn't gone back to sounding like a train.

Hi, my DD is 14 months and has been wheezy since she was 9 weeks old many hospital trips and admissons. She is under a lovely Dr, he does say that it tends to be recurrent in 'bonny' babies as they have small tubes in relation to body mass. It can be very stressful and tiring if they don't sleep. But they do get better! My DD is now a Very Happy Wheezer on no medication as it doesn't work!
Hope yor LO gets well! x

Thank you so much everyone for your replies ! It has really put my mind at rest to hear im not the only one with a 'fat happy wheezer' ! lol
DD is now much better - sleeping fine at night with only the occasional cough during the day. We've started putting her head up on a pillow at night which really helps (altho she doesnt always stay on it!)

I got told this morning my 11 mth old girl is a fat happy wheezer! by a peadatrician, he said nothing they can do and in time it will stop or develop into asthma... i laughed also & have heard it b4 but wasnt sure if my leg was being pulled then... hope ur wee 1 ok soon

Try honey. Manuka is particularly good.

Moisten the air with a humidifier. It should help with the wheezyness.

I've got a skinny happy wheezer!!!
My little one has constantly got bronc and on inhalers, but i'm pretty sure thats down to the fact she was premature(hence the skinny!)and has a week immune system etc.

I must admit though, I wish they would say Bonny instead of 'fat' grrr