"A baby who still smiles and laughs can't be seriously ill"

[emkana]

I read this in a book, also had a doctor telling me this, and sort of believe it myself.
But was wondering if anybody had any evidence to the contrary?

Well they're not in any pain or uncomfortable.

ds smiling and laughing today with horrid diarrhoea

I once heard/read someone saying that a child isn't really too badly ill if they have to tell you they're ill (ie if you can't see by looking at them or observing their behaviour). I kind of bear that in mind when mine are complaining of tummy ache on a swimming day.

My DD1 at 8mths old waved and smiled at the receptionist at the hospital (11.30pm) at 2.30am we were being told she might not pull through.
She had bacterial meningitis with septecima.
DS2 is under kings liver unit he is growing happily and making the right milestones but I am never sure.

sorry I should have posted she did pull through she just has slight hearing problems very bright girly she needed to prove them all wrong

I think they do - there are all sorts of cases where babies have been injured but no-one has realised as they kind of carry on as normal! I think it is because they are so young they don't realise that pain should be reacted in a certain way IYSWIM!

DS2 beamed at the ambulance crew as he was carted off with what turned out to be viral meningitis.

Its why meningitis has such a high mortality rate

I was told my baby was fine as he was still eating and playing. The Doc wouldn't listen when I said nothing puts my child off food. % days later he is on antibiotics for a serious chest infection.

Message withdrawn

emkana- I'm guessing this isn't whaht you want to hear. If Sebasian is consistently smiley and alert he's not in any pain.

xxxx

(ds1 btw is often happy- in his baby years was described as the :most laif back: in his antenatal group and "the smiliest" in the GP's surgery. Despite his moments he's still, in genral, a relaxed ahppy little boy. There's obviously a lot "wrong" with him, but he's not seriuosly ill, and I'd rather he was happy than not iyswim.

When's your next UK appointment btw? It's awful living for appointments but might be worth asking when they expect to be able to tell you something "definite".

I'm sorry if i've said anything you didn't want to hear, are you worried about 1 of your DC's rather than a virus etc type of way?

It's okay, I was genuinely interested in the answers, didn't want to hear anything in particular!

Next appointment is on the 8th of September. Maybe I'll have an answer then from the radiologist they sent the x-rays to - he's an expert in these conditions apparently. This is radiologist number 4 now!

when ds2 was in hospital with gastroenteritis the thing that struck me about him was how still and quiet he was.he didn't want to be held, he just wanted lie still in his cot and would just lie there staring at the ceiling.
when he came off the drip and was feeling better the difference was amazing.the nurse who had been looking after him was like " he's smiling! this is the first time i've seen his smile!"
so it can be true sometimes.

Emkana I haven't followed your story is there something the matter with your new baby?

Oh Xena this is one of the MN sagas!
Basically since pregnancy we have been told that ds might have a serious genetic condition, but a definite diagnosis has not been made yet, and may still take time! That's it in a nutshell!

My ds as a baby was so happy and smily all the way through his glue ear problems and grommet operations.

Sorry that you're still faced with all this uncertainty Em. Have you managed to get referred to a skeletal specialist?

Everything is still ongoing, radiologist no. 4 is currently looking at the x-rays and I'm considering getting an opinion from some American specialists. (see other thread)

Have update myself now I was absent to mumsnet for a while (prob when you got your news). Its crap about the waiting
DS2 grizzled allday today, so there was me with no medical training inspecting the urine in his nappy (for signs of strong or maybe brownness) and feeling his tummy for any abnormal swellings. The thing is with DS is that everytime we go to the hospital appointments they say oh thats ok now but now were worried about this.

hi emkana, I saw your message on my thread, I feel special bond with you too! Unfortunately we are still living in special care for now (although they are making noises about us going home sometime soon) so I don't really have much computer time. Why don't you CAT me and then we can communicate by text message.

All 3 times ds has had antibiotics for his chest, and various inhalers (he's nearly 12 months) he smiled and gurgled at the doctors. If they went by facial expressions think ds would be seriously ill by now if not worse.

Agree that young children don't know how to express pain, and don't connect pain with facial expressions to people they love iuswim.

emkana, havent seen your other thread you refer to but have you contacted the American Health institute? (Our family have a rare genetic disorder that cannot be treated here in UK as they just dont know enough about, and so go to the US.

Arabica, lovely to hear from you, I started a thread about you tonight as well to see if there were any news! Could you e/mail me emkana at gmx dot net because I haven't paid for CAT .