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This might sound daft... Mum's (or Dad's) of asthmatics, talk to me about meconium!

14 replies

TinkerBellesMum · 18/11/2008 12:29

My daughter's paediatrician (asthma appointment, she is chronic asthmatic) asked if she suffers from constipation yesterday, which she does quite severely and then she asked about her meconium, don't know anything about it as she was premature and I didn't even see her naked for most of a week. Apparently there is some sort of link between the meconium and constipation, and also asthma. Sounds daft but she asked without being told so there must be something in it.

So tell me about your asthmatic LO's meconium and if they suffer from constipation.

OP posts:
cmotdibbler · 18/11/2008 12:35

No meconium in my water (which might be what she was saying about), but there was plenty of it in his nappy (first time I was allowed to touch DS properly I was trying to change his sticky nappy through the incubabator port). Never gets constipated.

suiledonn · 18/11/2008 12:37

DD1 is asthmatic. No meconium in the waters and she pooed loads of it after her birth. She does suffer from constipation though and the paediatrician said often children with her combo of asthma, eczema and allergy (egg) do seem to suffer from constipation.

TinkerBellesMum · 18/11/2008 13:10

She said that problems passing the first one, rather than passing it too early, can lead to further problems with constipation. I have no idea when Tink had her first as I had little to do with her care for the first few days, I just got to watch.

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maretta · 18/11/2008 13:14

My ds is 3 and is very mildly asthmatic.

He suffered from constipation from birth up until about 3 or 4 months ago.

I'm not sure about his first poo. It's not an event I remember. I just know he didn't poo much as a newborn

maretta · 18/11/2008 13:14

My ds is 3 and is very mildly asthmatic.

He suffered from constipation from birth up until about 3 or 4 months ago.

I'm not sure about his first poo. It's not an event I remember. I just know he didn't poo much as a newborn

abraid · 18/11/2008 13:17

Both mine have asthma but meconium and pooing were fine as infants.

Jojay · 18/11/2008 13:19

DS1 is asthmatic but nothing unusual with meconium and has never been constipated

lubblyjubblies · 18/11/2008 14:00

No meconium here in waters etc here either. I know there is a link between constipation/passing meconium and cystic fibrosis, but not heard of link with mild asthma.

TinkerBellesMum · 18/11/2008 14:10

I'm surprised about an asthma link, the meconium thing surprised me but I could see it.

Tink's not mild asthma, doctor said yesterday she's on the the highest dose of most of her drugs and close to highest on the rest. We've been told not to take her to the GP for a cold anymore, she has to go straight to A&E because she reacts so badly that we can't waste time. Last time I didn't take her to the GP for her asthma, she was running around in the waiting room, went in to see GP she was breathing over 60. Within half an hour she was exhausted on my shoulder and we were on our way to A&E

OP posts:
abraid · 18/11/2008 15:44

Poor you. Poor her. That's a worry.

Have you ever tried Omega 3? I've been dosing my son with it and though he still needs his steroid inhaler and occasionally a puff of ventolin, it just seems to keep his lungs in better condition.

curlywurlycremeegg · 18/11/2008 15:48

There is also a link between formula milk and consipation and increased risk of asthma. neber heard constipation and asthma linked though, will go and do some searching now as thi has made me curious

piratecat · 18/11/2008 15:54

omega 3, thats prob greatly lacking in dd's diet.

she has mild asthma, and is poorly with the night cough cough cough atm!

op, dd hasn't ever suffered from constipation, and i only remember her having normal meconium, for the first few nappirs.

(starts getting teary at thought of teeny tiny baby piratekit)!

TinkerBellesMum · 18/11/2008 16:44

We haven't tried Omega 3, she will eat fish although I'm jumpy about it as she has other allergies of mine, she's on Abidec at the moment (she was taking Dalivit for the first few months because of being early).

curlywurlycremeegg that's why I started this thread just to see if anyone else had an asthmatic who fits - especially as I missed out on the meconium. It's a funny connection, I wouldn't have believed it if she'd been told Tink gets constipated but she just asked.

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mumto3boys · 26/11/2008 13:30

My 4 year old twins have asthma. We have yet to be told the severity - one doc mentioned moderate - severe but this was an a and e doc, not the consultant.

They have just switched to 2 puffs seretide twice a day (previuosly on flixotide), we also have ventolin and atrovent.

prenisolone genereally from a and e / childrens ward etc.

Anyhow, my boys were prem (32 weeks). before I could express enough milk for their first tube feeds, they were tried on formula, which they could not digest. Every time they tried with formula in hospital, they had trouble getting it down them.

One twin was always severely constipated. After the other twin had a major attack last year resulting in cardiac and respiratory arrest we pushed for more allergy tests. They came back as positive for milk, wheat, soya (we already knew about egg and peanut).

So the point of my post is the twin who was always severely constipated changed dramatically after a change in diet. It turned out the wheat allergy was causing it. After a few months we re introduced wheat and the constipation has gone, which apparently can happen with some allergies.

Thinking back, I seem to remember the constipated twin did takea little while to have his first poo and there was a small amount of concern at the time, but then he did it and everyone was happy.

On another point, the twin who had the major attack was running around the surgery, was given a neb and it was at that point he had a cardiac arrest. We now know he do copes so well with his symptoms, it is very difficult to tell when he is in trouble. This year he had an attack and by coincidence was treated by the same doctor who saved his life last year. He refused to treat him in a cubicle and insisted on treatin him in majors as he knows how deceiving he can be. sounds a lot the same as your daughter.

Have you thought about allergy testing?

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