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Please help... bouts of serious illness in baby

3 replies

zonedout · 20/01/2010 22:20

This is likely to be long so please bare with me... shall try to keep things as short as possible...

ds2 (15 months) was born at 35 weeks. Absolutely no problems at birth beyond extremely prolonged jaundice and i tested pos for Group B strep but had recieved sufficient iv antibiotics after my waters ruptured.

He had quite a few courses of antibiotics in the early months for chest infections, was diagnosed with laryngomalacia (which he appeared to grow out of fairly quickly) and had a couple of stopping breathing episodes whereby he turned blue.

Last July he had supected swine flu, was extremely ill and ended up in a&e with fever of 40+ and respiratory distress.

Last August he had another respiratory infection and ended up being ambulanced to hospital due to respiratory distress. Nebulised, discharged with salbutamol and a spacer and put down to a virus.

Saw a pulmonologist in September who was not too concerned as he was growing and thriving despite the breathing and infection episodes.

Just after his first birthday he was ambulanced yet again to hosipital with extremely high fever and respiratory distress. Admitted for the night, frequent nebulisation and discharged the following day. Again we were told it was just one of those things.

October to December he had infection after infection, non stop streaming nose and cough.Several more courses of antibiotics but no hospital. (By the way, he is not in day care but his older brother does attend pre-school a few mornings a week)

Having just got over a 2 week long virus/infection we flew to the States to visit family in early December. Within a day he was back at a doctor and on antibiotics for ear and chest infection. He recovered from this.

Christmas eve, we rushed him into a hospital in the states where he was close to being put on life support. Diagnosed with rsv, pneumonia and bronchiolitis. Spent a week desperately ill in hospital. On iv antibiotics, fluids, oxygen tube in nose (levels regualrly dropping to low 80's) and frequent chest suctioning. That week will haunt me forever.

We are finally back in the UK, having been unable to fly home for several weeks after discharge from hospital and are going back to the pulmonologist next week but i am frightened we will being shrugged off again with all children get ill a lot. I mean, this isn't normal is it? I know it isn't normal, i have an almost 4 year old who has had his fair share of illnesses but this has been ridiculous. Our other problem is that each hospital admission has been to a different hospital in different parts of the country (and abroad) and his notes haven't always been sent to the gp despite chasingso

anyone with similar experience/able to shed some light? A friend mentioned today CF, my (doctor) brother thinks they should check his immunoglobulin. i am just so exhausted (he is an appalling sleeper at the best of time) and so frightened.

Any help greatly appreciated

OP posts:
fandango75 · 20/01/2010 22:52

oh my - i'm sorry not a doctor try not to be frightened, can you go to a private consultant and keep continuity with one specialist?

gremlins · 20/01/2010 23:30

Without meaning to scare you it sounds a bit CF like. Get your GP to do a sweat test (painless) or a blood test to at least rule this out.

Another thing worth mentioning is Chronic Lung Disease which is common in prem babies. It occurs when the lungs are unable to form properly and this causes similar problems chest wise that you have been experiencing (and is very similar to cf). Get an opinion from a CF paediatric consultant or similar at your local hospital (your GP will have to refer you anyway for the sweat test). You'll then be guided into the best course of treatment for your child.

Immunoglobin levels will be affected due to the illnesses your child has had so they will be low anyway, and this won't provide you with any definitive answers. It may be worth running the test just to rule any other infections out.

Good luck and I hope your little one picks up soon

zonedout · 21/01/2010 15:00

Thanks all for taking the time to respond.

gremlins do you have any personal experience of cf? It is something that has been on my mind as a rather frightening possibility and i shall definitely mention it to the paed pulmologist next week. He did have the heel prick test at birth but i do remember they messed it up and it had to be repeated... As for the lung disease, he was only 5 weeks early and had no breathing probs at all. I suppose my questions will be answered next week, its just a week feels like an awfully long time to wait as i get myself more and more worked up and worried.

Thanks again

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