Asthma in a small baby - common, unheard of or somewhere inbetween?

[emkana]

Just very interested to find out if it happens or not, as ds has asthma-like symptoms.

apparently it's called something else, infantile respiratory something or other?! I'm sure someone will know.

This is what I mean about bronchiolitis being a complete pain afterwards though on the other thread - apparently it can give you asthma-like problems/symptoms for up to two years afterwards. (and it certainly did with dd2)

DS was sent to hopital in his first month because the GP suspected asthma, but we were told at the hospital babies can't have asthma. So... don't know, although I can say the continuous noisy breathing DS had from the time he became mobile disapeared as soon as he was prescribed his first asthma inhaler being 18m old.

geekgrrl - how bad was it?
(want to face up to the truth!)

P.S
I think the reason is not diagnosed as asthma is because they can not perform the definitive asthma test until they are older than 3.

Athsma is not diagnosed in infants until 2-3 years. Dd4 always showed signs of athsma but because she was a preemie they would never actually say Atshma, she is now 3 and since last year has been under the Athsma clinic. Luckily it is not severe unless she has a very bad cold which goes to her chest.
There are so many other respiratory explanations and many children who have signs are fine by toddlerhood

Ffs, I cant spell Asthma

It happens.
DH and his brother had it. His brother's was quite bad and he was driven to A&E a couple of times for treatment. DH is totally asthma-free and only had it as a bay. BIL still has asthma now, it is well controlled by inhalers.
I had asthma as a baby/toddler and still do, but I wasn't diagnosed until i was inpriamry school - just had almost constant cough and was dosed up on 'banana medicine' (antibiotics)

it was pretty sh*t to be honest. I'm not sure how much was down to the RSV and how much down to dd's poor immune system, bus she was a noisy/rattly breather until a couple of months ago. She's now 5 and had RSV/bronchiolitis when she was 18 months old (it was v. nasty - they were talking about putting her on a ventilator in the ICU but thankfully it didn't come that) and has had absolutely countless bad chest infections since. She was on full-dose antibiotics permanently for over a year, and has had them almost monthly when not on them permanently.
Having said all this - I really can't say how much of it was due to the RSV, dd2 also got a really dreadful dose of chickenpox which showed how rubbish her immune system is in general.
Also, I did get good at spotting chest infections early on and nipping them in the bud, and the antibiotics always worked very well for her, without any nasty side effects (and to think I was a firm believer in hoemeopathy once upon a time...- incidentally, hoemeopathy didn't help with her chest at all).

Have you got an inhaler for ds? I'm sorry things are hard.
There is an RSV vaccine which they don't like to give in the UK due to cost issues, but you should be able to get it considering your ds's possible syndrome and history - I think it involves monthly injections over the winter though.

geekgrrl

Have added RSV vaccine to list of things to ask consultant at next appointment!

Think about the prevenar one too emkana and flu jab. Sorry that sounds like loads doesn't it on top of the usual childhood stuff ?

Dd had bronchiolitis twice in her first year plus chickenpox like geekgirl's dd. Her chest was crap for a good while but she was also in congestive heart failure which obviosly didn't help. They ummed and ahd about asthma and she had meds for a while but I knew it wasn't it was just the heart stuff laying her low. A really bad dose of RSV can take ages to fully recover from.

What's the prevenar one?

DD[8mths] has what is suspected to be asthma [had breathing probs from 3wks old]. Hospital consultants have said its asthma but they dont officially call it asthma until she is nearer to 2 so is diagnosed as a weak chest. Been hospitalised a couple of times with it usually told it is bronchilitis at the time then they change minds. also another couple of times been in for use of nebuliser. They conceded to give her a reliever inhaler but as yet will not give a preventer instead saying I must take her to a+e.

Protects against Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, which cause pnuemonia, but also protects against some meningitis too.

Hiya
DF was born with it- 'died' several times before age of 3. This was of course before modern inhalers- he had to learn how to suck on a straw at about 3.5 months.
DS has it also- no huge shock to us. It isnt too bad, but it does restrict him a little. Main problem was with weaning as he puked endlessly on every single lump until we ot the asthma properly under control