11 month old - cold/vomiting/reflux - desperate for help!

[bunyanvillas]

Apologies - I know someone posted a similar message on this subject only recently. It's just that I am at my wits' end! My baby has a cold and a nasty, chesty cough so is suffering from horrid phlegm in her throat. She has not eaten anything other than rusk in water since Saturday morning. The Doctor told me last night to keep giving her milk. I did so and ds nearly choked on her vomit, it was extremely distressing. I rang the doctor immediately and he said "oh yes, perhaps it is her reflux condition returning". Despite the fact that I had mentioned this possibility to him the day before and he had dismissed it!! I gave her a bottle of milk tonight with her infant gaviscon in it - but she brought it up again. I now fear that I am prolonging her agony with all this and perhaps I should just revert back to water for the next 24 hours - what do people think? All this has been going on since Friday night and we have had no help from A&E (been there twice) - nor does the doctor really seem to be able to help. How long would you let a baby starve for?? I do understand that fluid is the most important thing and I am making sure that she drinks water / dioralyte to make up for the lost fluid. But - what about the food. And what about her distress? Are there any health professionals out there who might be able to help me?

How distressing for you. From past experience of being ultra paranoid and needlessly visiting A&E a number of times, don't worry too much. As long as she is taking water little and often see how she goes in the night.

(Obv I'm no professional) Easy to say I know, perhaps call NHS Direct?

Sorry that wasn't helpful atall. How old is she?

sorry to hear your dd is unwell. my dd (15 months) has just got over a sickness bug and she didn't eat for 5 days and only drunk a very small amount. my advice would be as long as she seems comfortable and not in pain and is drinking fluids is just to give her lots of cuddles and try ( i know its hard)not to worry to much. i took dd to doctors 3 times and they sent me away telling me not to worry. but you can't help it. i would stay off milk for 12 hours and then maybe introduce watered down milk 3/4 water 1/4 milk and gradually increase it. hope that helps xx

About to to go to bed so I'll be quick. Your dd is probably vomiting up phlegm - this is common. She will not starve - keep her on half strength milk for 24/48 hrs or so with water/v diluted juice in between if she's thirsty. Forget the gaviscon.

Babies/children/adults often don't want to eat if they feel ill - I know i don't! 11 months old is ok to do this.

PS I am not a health professional, just a mum

someone fab told me what to do on here (grumpyzebra wherever you are i think?)...nothing but sips of water until you've have 3 hours without vomiting. then increase sips of water and give perhaps little bit of mashed pear or something equally inoffensive....keep building up bit by bit but back to square one the moment they vomit. this worked v v well for us with ds who had two bouts of gastroenteritis at about this age or maybe slightly older....no milk or dairy at all until you've had a clear night of it.

if you're worried about dehydration (the only big concern, rather than starvation) then substitute infant rehydrating salts like diorilyte (sp?) for water.

Don't worry, (yeah, right, I know ) I have just had the very same - DS got a virus affecting his respiratory tract - it was just the phlegm making him sick after feeds - they can't cough it up like we can so it hangs around and makes them sick.

Sorry for the detail, but is it slimy sick? If so, I think that is good news as it is coming up and off the chest. And have you had her checked out to see if its a chest infection? Perhaps she needs antibiotics to help.

Unless she's a tiny baby, I would support Mercy's post (my DS is a big boy and I was told to give him juice/water as he didn't need the calories!).

Hope she gets well soon - keep us posted

Wouldn't think it would be the reflux returning. Aren't they meant to grow out of that by 8 - 10 months?

dd had reflux as a baby (well until over a year) but still throws up easily with a cough/cold - she's now 4 ! Think they are just more susceptible to it.

My dd 11 months started with reflux when she started crawling - she went from a possetting baby to a little puker - and on Sunday night vomited (small amounts) 17 times! I had seen a paed who wasn't at all concerned by the vomiting -exacerbated by her cold - but I had had enough. I called a doctor out as she was still going at 11 in the evening and her voice was hoarse from all the acid and she would not settle. He prescribed domperidone 20 mins before each meal and Gaviscon afterwards. It has worked like a treat and she hasn't (touch wood) been sick since! She still has a cold. I also keep her in her high chair for at least 10 mins after she has eaten or in her pushchair as crawling around obviously doesn't help.

Hth.