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Original poster

1/2 Hourwait for NHS direct - mumsnet advice needed

25 replies

RedTartanLass · 27/02/2006 19:41

DD 17 weeks has 2 teeth through and her top 2 just breaking through. She never crys except when hungry or tired.

She has been miserable today, guessing 'cos of the teeth, but she has not had any milk for 10 hours now and her nappies are dry now.

She has no temp and no other symptoms, should I go to A&E?

OP posts:
momentrylapseofreason · 27/02/2006 19:45

Yes - i think you should get her checked out - does your gp have an out of hours service? if not then I would go to A&E.

Original poster
RedTartanLass · 27/02/2006 19:47

phoned gp it's one of those county wide things, suggested i get advice from nhs direct first

OP posts:
zephyrcat · 27/02/2006 19:48

Hiya RTL - I would be tempted to take her. What did they say to you when you rang NHS direct - did they give you any advice or an estimated ringback time?

Can you remember when her last wet nappy was? Do her eyes look shiny and alert and is her soft spot looking ok? (If it is sunken it's a sign of dehydration)

Trust your instincs as well - if you feel she is ok in herself enough to wait for the call then wait but it won't hurt to make the trip for your own peace of mind

hunkermunker · 27/02/2006 19:49

If you pinch (gently!) the skin on the back of her hand, does it bounce back or "stay"?

Dry nappies are a worry though - I'd be tempted to take her in.

vickiyumyum · 27/02/2006 19:50

i would ring emergency doc again, if still no help then go to a&e. have you tried calpol for pain reflief for the teething? it may hurt her too much to suck, so have you tried cup feeding or giving her a bottle with a faster flow teet?

cori · 27/02/2006 19:51

I would take her to hospital. Where babies and young children are concerned it is better to err on the side of caution. Babies can dehydrate very quickly.

Original poster
RedTartanLass · 27/02/2006 19:52

I think she is ok, just feeling crappy 'cos of her teeth. Her fontanella feels ok, her last wet nappy was a couple of hours.

But if she continues not to drink I realise, she will get dehydrated. It might distress her dragging her to hospital in the cold....oh I don't know....

OP posts:
Flossam · 27/02/2006 19:53

Yes if nappies are dry I think you should go. it will be the best place for her atm. If necessary they can give her fliuds. I hope she is ok. xxx

LIZS · 27/02/2006 19:53

I'd be tempted not to wait. How is her crying -normal sounding or not- and is she alert ?

Original poster
RedTartanLass · 27/02/2006 19:53

hunker, her skin bounces back.

OP posts:
Original poster
RedTartanLass · 27/02/2006 19:54

I've given her Calpol, her crying is just a tired cry, not a sob. She's asleep at the moment, but if I try to put her down, she wakes again.

OP posts:
Original poster
RedTartanLass · 27/02/2006 19:56

Stuff it, will phone hospital direct!

OP posts:
HappyMumof2 · 27/02/2006 19:57

is the responsive? Will she be put down or does she want to be held?

HappyMumof2 · 27/02/2006 19:57

yes, I would go in

Original poster
RedTartanLass · 27/02/2006 20:05

local doctor is going to phone me back, I'm getting upset now.

OP posts:
drosophila · 27/02/2006 20:11

Try using a syringe to get water or milk into her. You know the type of syringe you get with calpol. I have done this before when DS was poorly.

hub2dee · 27/02/2006 20:12

She might take water as ice cubes, or crushed ice IYSWIM. You can also do fruit-juice flavours (presuming the teething pain is making drinking unpleasant). You can put an icecube into one of those munchkin holders and the baby just sucks / rubs gums without risking swallowing...

hub2dee · 27/02/2006 20:13

Sorry 17 weeks - just water or milk I guess, but cold can still help with the pain.

zephyrcat · 27/02/2006 20:13

Don't panic RTL she'll be ok - she's got a super Mum doing all the right things for her!

Hopefully the local doc will be quicker to ring you back than NHS direct. Did you ring the hospital to get the doc to ring you? I think if they would have told you to bring her straight in if they tohught she was in urgent need.

Have you got a car or anyone to take you in if you still want to go?

zephyrcat · 27/02/2006 20:48

How are you both? Have you heard from anyone? Hope all's ok xx

Original poster
RedTartanLass · 05/03/2006 20:54

Thanks everyone for answering, ended up ringing hospital A&E they said to phone my doc’s out of hours number. I rang them, they took my number and got my local GP to phone me back!!!

He advised me to take DD to A&E, I took her there and was seen right away, the doc there, sent us the 20 miles or so to another hospital with a Children’s Ward.

When I arrived DD had developed an awful non-blanching rash, however all her stats were ok, she didn’t even have a temperature, but they were concerned she was refusing feeds.

To cut a long story short, she decided to start feeding about 2am so the doc cancelled all blood tests etc, and decided rash was a virus.

The hospital were absolutely brill, but the consultant in the morning, Ahhhhhh.

He came to check dd to make sure she could be discharged. He looked at her rash, and grunted “Well, if you’d waited to see your GP this morning, he would have told you it’s just a virus”. I said “Well actually, it was the GP who told me to come to Casualty, and it wasn’t the rash I was worried about, it was dehydration !!”

I was livid, the doctor who was with him, came back in and apologised, the sister suggested I complained and went off to get the forms for me to complete Grin. Anyway, I didn’t complain and am just glad it’s all over. Seeing my poor wee baby in that big white cot, with wee bandages all up her arm in prep for the blood tests, oh it just broke my heart.

OMG how do parents with ill kids manage to cope!!!

I think if that happened again I would try drosophila’s suggestion of the syringe. Thanks again everyone who answered!

OP posts:
Twiglett · 05/03/2006 21:19

how frightening .. glad its all over

can I ask you to please complain .. because what happens to the next parent he does that to? Sad .. please complain

Original poster
RedTartanLass · 05/03/2006 22:16

yes I kinda know you're right Twiglett, if I was a wee nervous first time mum, I might be too scared to go the hospital next time the baby was ill.

I just feel though, that to write my complaint down on a form would be an OTT reaction, he was just very rude. However the Sister was most insistant I did complain Shock

OP posts:
MerlinsBeard · 05/03/2006 22:31

glad everything is ok RTL, but i would echo twiglett,what if hes so nonchalent with another non blanching rash and it turns out more serious? :(

chapsmum · 05/03/2006 22:42

Hello t!wiglett,
red tarten lass, how awful for you, I work in hospital and agree with twiglett there is no excuse for rudness and that kind of attitude can put people off taking there children to hospital when they really should be there!
Childrens hospitals, although for children treat and consider the worries of the parent as well, dr need a lesson inbedside mannors!

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