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Original poster

URGENT Help needed! Baby is geting dehidrated

23 replies

Chandra · 16/03/2004 20:24

Well in short, he started vomiting on Sunday's afternoon and kept bringing back every single thing that he dared to swallow. I took him to the GP on Monday morning as he had not had any food staying in in nearly 24 hrs, he asked me to wait and bring it back in 24 hrs if he didn't improve. He has not improve at all but he started vomiting every 1.5-2 hrs and started bringing back even water. I took him back to the GP this afternoon and he said that the baby definitively was getting worse but he was not so bad yet as to go into hospital, and ask him to get him to the practice again tomorrow morning if he gets bad enough as to be treated in hospital.

He has had a fever for most of the day and now that I managed to make him drink some water he has a very liquid diarrea (I have changed his nappy 3 times in two hours). I don't want to wait for him to be dehidrated to start acting on it, does naybody now of something I can do or give him to stop the diarrea? he is only 1 yr old.

Thanks in advance

OP posts:

Original poster

Chandra · 16/03/2004 20:25

By the way, he has been sleeping most of the day, quite unusual for him...

OP posts:

lucysmum · 16/03/2004 20:30

If you are worried I would go to A&E. They can detoriate very rapidly at this age. My dd2 got dehydrated when she was 6 months old and ended up on drip. With hindsight I didn't let the GPs know how worried I was and she should have gone to hospital sooner. When I saw the third GP she said she trusted the mother's instinct and if I was worried she would refer me to hospital. DD2 is now fine but it is better to get these things sorted out as soon as possible.

Momp · 16/03/2004 20:39

Call NHS Direct.

Sorry but can't think of number off the top of my head. They will advise on the best course of action.

Best of luck. It's so worrying with tiny ones xx

CountessDracula · 16/03/2004 20:42

You need to try and get some Diarolyte or something similar into him to stop the dehydration. How old is he? I would go to hospital if he is under 1.

marlou · 16/03/2004 20:43

Are you giving him anything for his temperature and if so is he keeping it down? If he is not that may be another concern as you don't want him to have febrile convulsions (a type of fit that young children can have if they are too hot) try nursing him in a cool but not cold room with just light clothing on(a cotton vest and nappy with a sheet over him if he needs to feel cosy). I think though you would be better off taking him to A&E where he can be seen by a childrens doctor. Children of this age do tend to become dehydrated very quickly and if he now has very loose stools he will be losing water that way as well. Sorry don't mean to scare you but I have nursed alot of young children in this situation. Hope he gets better soon.

shrub · 16/03/2004 20:49

if it were my ds's, i would definately take him to the hospital now. forget the gp and go for your own peace of mind. best of luck xx

twiglett · 16/03/2004 20:53

message withdrawn

smellymelly · 16/03/2004 20:57

Go to the hospital now......

I listened to a GP who said my son had an ear infection at the age of 2, a couple of hours later NHS Direct told me to go to hospital, he was admitted for 5 days with viral, bacterial and urinary tract infection !
No ear infection at all.

NHS direct is 0845 4647

smellymelly · 16/03/2004 21:00

3 days is a very long time for a 1 year old to be that sick for, really I think you should go to hospital for your own peace of mind, they take little kids quite seriously so do not worry about wasting anyone's time, they are there to help....

Jimjams · 16/03/2004 21:04

Ring your emergency doctor. Also try using a syringe to squirt water (or even better water plus sugar) into him- he may keep it down in little sips like that and it will help to starve off dehydration. I agree he may need to be admitted though.

Evita · 16/03/2004 21:26

If you think he's definitely dehydrated - no wet nappies / dry lips and mouth / no tears / severe lethargy, then I'd take him straight to A&E. They can put him on a drip and it really will help. I had to do it with dd when she was 13 months old and I'm really glad I did. If he's not scarily dehydrated, then just give him tiny sips of water every 5-10 minutes so his tummy doesn't get full which will make him vomit. They can usually keep little sips down and it's amazing how little can keep them from becoming seriously dehydrated.

twiglett · 17/03/2004 07:53

message withdrawn

Momp · 17/03/2004 09:14

Thinking of you too, Chandra.

When you get chance please let us know how he is.

Take care xxx

Original poster

Chandra · 17/03/2004 11:02

Thank you so much for caring, here's the update:

Following your advice, I took him to see yet another doctor last night and he said he was not severely dehidrated nor did he need a drip yet and make an appointment to see the doctor again this morning.
I spend the night gving him sips of water every half an hour, in total he took around 4oz in all the night. Didn't want more pedialyte (Diarolyte in UK?) but he had already being having sips of it since Monday morning.

He seems much better this morning, apparently the infection is clearing -the fever is gone-, the doctor told me to wait other 12 hours to see how he evolves, but just after coming back home he had some baby rice and more water, he's sleeping now and thankfully he has not bring the food back (knock on wood...)

The only thing I don't finish to understand is why to wait so long before using medicines that could help the baby feel better. Coming from a country were many children still die of dehidration every year we don't take the risk of waiting to see if he finally gets dehidrated or not, something is given sooner than that. However I understand that there is a higher incidence of this sort of diseases over there and doctors are more familiar with the simptoms and act sooner. I wouldn't imagine a doctor there telling me what the doctor told me this morning: that babies can go for a week without eating and as long as they are getting sips of water everything is fine...

Not wanting to criticise the NHS as they have been great in many aspects but why they do this I would never understand. If the medicines exist why they don't use them?

OP posts:

Evita · 17/03/2004 11:12

Glad he seems to be better today, Chandra.

Yes, that's what I was always told when dd was ill that they can survive on really v. little water if need be. I don't know why GPs don't give out medications, I guess they think that if the body can fight something on its own it's better than having drugs? I'm guessing though.

Momp · 17/03/2004 14:52

Thx for the update Chandra, so plsd to hear he is on the mend.

With regards to your concerns, I agree with Evita. From personal experience, my DD has survived on fluids for about 4 days on one occasion.

It's so worrying at the time but kids are very strong. Don't forget, they are only little versions of us!!!

Take care xxx

Original poster

Chandra · 17/03/2004 15:19

Have a question for you, after your babies were ill and stoped eating for such a long time, how long did it take to get back to normal? how soon could you start with normal food? I have given him a small quantity of rice this morning and sips of water, he has vomited again by midday and has a bit of fever, one wet nappy tough which is good news.

OP posts:

lou33 · 17/03/2004 15:22

I'd say leave the food for 24 hours, but keep pushing the fluids.

smellymelly · 17/03/2004 15:23

very glad to hear he is getting better now, it is so scary when they are poorly.

As parents we have to follow our instincts, and if we feel something is not right then to keep asking questions.

Momp · 17/03/2004 19:16

Usually takes my DD about a day or two to get back into eating again, but provided your little one is drinking, don't worry for a couple of days.

I tend to give dry toast to start with and then an egg (something to do with it "binding" the contents of the tum I think!).

magnum · 17/03/2004 19:22

Go with your instincts. My dd had a terrible rash a few weeks ago on a Sunday morning. I took her to the emrgency walk in centre and they told me to take a seat she would be seen in about an hour!! She is 9 mths old. I went straight to A&E with her. It turned out to be some sort of allergy that they couldn't explain but obviously a baby with a rash shouldn't have to wait to be seen. If I was you I would take him straight to A&E. You will get seen immediately. Good luckx

Evita · 17/03/2004 20:31

Chandra, I would skip giving food for a good 24 hours after a bad bug, it'll only irritate his tummy and start the vomiting off again. When you do start giving food make it v. plain, no dairy, fruit etc. Plain dry toast, dry biscuits, bread sticks, that kind of thing are meant to be the easiest to digest.

throckenholt · 18/03/2004 08:00

my 13 month old had something similar a couple of weeks ago. Over 3 days, he threw up as soon as he drank anything more than a couple of ounces, wasn't eating anything, was very sleepy and lethargic, had a cough, and was running a temperature. By the time he saw the doctor on day three he was just past the worst (said it was a virus). By the end of day 4 he was much better, now a week later you wouldn't think he had been ill. The only thing we could do was give him diarolite in small amounts regularly (he guzzled it down - he was obviously thirsty), and calpol (which tended to come up again about 10 minutes later.

He was eating normally again after a couple of days of stopping vomiting.

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