DD has chest infection now newborn has a cough..

[forevermore]

what should i do? i mean i am really concerned because how could a newbon handle a chest infection (if she has it too). she is 13 weeks and just had her 2nd set of jabs when DD1 aged 4 became ill (DD1 is now on antibiotics). DD2 has had a low grade fever since jabs but was otherwise well until today the cough started.

i am really worried and feel in limbo. do i just wait and see. I don't remember dealing with coughs / cold this young with first born so advice would be appreciated.

its a waiting game with this 1 i'm afraid, you'l know if its a chest infection if your little 1's breathing becomes laboured or is breathing from her stomach. have you tried putting the shower on, let the steam build up and then sit in there with her for 30 mins?

hi forevermore,

we have a dd 3yr and a ds 1yr, the ds has been in hospital a few times with bronchiolitis. i don't think there is much you can do to prevent a cold / cough / infection, and when ds has had bronchiolitis and / or chest infection of upper or lower airways, we have had to ride it out as antibiotics are no use. inghalors were provided by hospital, but if they have cold, even if the inhalors open up the small frilly bits of the lungs, then the mucus is still there clogging tyhings up a bit. on one occasion the dr recommended we take ds to hospital to have a steroid nebuliser due to his wheezing, which helped immensly.

as mummyisgoingmad says, check where your dc is breathing from, if the sides of the tummy, sort of below the ribcage are being pulled in and out, that is when i would go to dr's or, if breathing seems a bit laboured, go up to a&e. we've done this a few times and they have always been really good at checking ds out, even if it has just been a rattly cold in his throat. we were told by registrar on last visit that a damp / wet towel over radiator is a good way to keep the air moist, esp if waking them up to use shower isn't feasable (ie they've just droppped asleep!) or, like our hot water, it never gets hot enough to create steam!

hth's

and, if you are worried, ring nhs direct, they were good with us and asked to listen to ds breathing down the phone and told us to go to a&e, so they can help a bit if you are unsure.

Sounds like not worth going to GP at this stage. Breathing normal just low grade fever, dry cough and blocked nose. Please let this be all. I haven't slept properly since she was born 13 weeks ago and have so little left in the tank. Thanks for advice i will keep an eye on breathing.

just called GP to get an appt for DD2 aged 13 weeks!! and they said no not until i can be sure its not swine flu WTF

sod that! wait till the place closes phone again and go to an out of hours service..fooking hate docs!!

just stamped my feet and got a 5.30 appt. swine flu questionaire always says see GP if they are under 1 anyway so not sure what their problem is.

does anyone know if its okay to keep giving ibuprofen; last dose 4.30am (2.5ml) she has had about 4 doses of calpol or nurofen in last 3 days

Aye you can give her another wee dose it wont do her any harm, you may have to contend with diahorrea though

how did you get on at the docs?

He said she had no sign of chest ear or throat infection then gave me antibiotics and said give them if she isn't getting less feverish by Sunday. I am praying I don't have to. Three times a day! She won't even swallow infacol. Her temp went up again last night to 38.7 having had ibuprofen 7 hours earlier.
I gave ibuprofen AGAIN and it has been down since that dose at 4 am.

Should I just give antibiotics now? I am BF and only just stopped battling oral thrush. These antibiotics would start that all off again wouldn't it? Also it is such a shame that she starts having these things so early!(13 weeks)

WWYD ? Are antibiotics really the only way forward or isnut dangerous to keep medicating.