viral infection/fever really dragging on in 11m old -advice urgently needed

[CrushWithEyeliner]

DD has been unwell since Thursday night with fever 39, ear ache, sore throat, diareah and an awful cough. Doctor has been monitoring her and says it is a nasty virus and will work itself through etc but it is really dragging now.
I am feeding half milk/water and sips of cammomile tea and tiny amounts of food whern she can but fever still present.
Can anyone tell me if it is cause for concern that the fever hasn't broken as yet?
thanks so much

I don't know about the fever, but would call NHS direct if you're worried today, Crush. My dd is also 11 months, and has had (and has again ) some horrid viruses this season - NHS direct have been great about just offering advice on end of phone.

I don't know about fevers and how long they 'should' take to break - my dd seems to get sick with low fevers only - but am bumping for you. Its so upsetting for them, and us, when they're this unwell, is'nt it?

Hope she's better soon, xxx

ps If she does end up needing antibiotics, do give her childrens probiotics (acidophilus) at the same time - we didn't, and dd ended up with dreadful diarrhoea for a week afterwards

sorry, repeating myself - got interrupted half way through post!

Hi,

my DS, also 11 months, has had a nasty cough and temperature for a couple of weeks. He has seen 3 or 4 differnt GPs and they have all told me different things. He was prescribed a/b at one point, but they didn't clear things up, but then if it was "just" a virus they wouldn't anyway (he did have white spots on his tonsils which is why the dr gave him the a/b).

They told me to give him lots of fluids and to give Calpol too.

All the best,

thanks so much Eli I think I used to talk to you on the dec 06 threads under my old name x- It is so worrying I am shattered but not as much as poor DD. She is so low with this thing. Waiting for nhs to call me back.
How did you deal with the dioreah/loss of fluid - we have been given milk/water mix otherwise she is getting no nutrients whatsoever and are there any sighns to look ot for if dehydration?

ok, now I'm trying to guess/remember names

It is worrying, of course it is, poor you and poor dd. Lack of sleep doesn't help with worrying, either.

We gave her full formula feeds (stopped bfing a few months ago) as per current guidelines, plus water, and after a few days of runs gave diarolyte in water, as much as she wanted, offered every hour. We also offered solids, but she wasn't interested for a few days. dd was vomiting occasionally as well (big vomits) but as she has reflux, she's sensitive when unwell so wasn't sure if that was part of bug or not.

Do give her acidophilus, though - if her guts are upset due to bug OR antibiotics, they can only help re-establish things asap.

If she's dehydrating, you will be able to tell by sunken fontanelle (if not closed yet) and/or if you gently pinch a bit of skin on back of hand, it should drop straight back down. If it stays up in a ridge, she's too dry. If she's really dehydrated, she'll be lethargic/irritable too - but as she's got a fever, its so hard to tell with that particular sign.

If you do think she's dehydrating, I'd go to A&E or call out of hours doc....not worth messing around with, IMO. Neither is your peace of mind!

And I'd alternate Calpol and Baby Nurofen for the fever, if its that high. GOod luck, let us know how she is, xxx

Thnaks so much for your advice. Fever has finally dropped and the congestion is coming out so loads of green mucus tmi. She is still quite illl with the diaorreah but i can deal with it now she is cooler I feel so much beter.
That was the worst week of my life - time really stands still when they are ill doesen't it?

Oh where can I buy acidopholous?

x

I'm so glad she's on the mend.

Yes, time does stand still, its the pits. Sooo nice when recovery starts though

I got Solgar children's acidophilus at my local chemist, but they do do a good range of supplements etc.

My DD is 11 months and has been exactly the same CEL. All she has eaten for about 2 weeks now is weetabix and milk - she just wont eat anything else and is constantly grissly.
Took her to GP's Friday who said Viral Infection it'll sort itself out.
She's still no better - cough has got worse, it's quite hacking and chesty now

Just wanted to add to this - ep for FGLH.
Her fever raged up again yesterday and I didn't know what the hello to do so I rang the docs again (I couldn't even consider bringing her outside she was so ill) and she said to go straight to A&E. Great.
So I took her in and they gave her a nebuliser for her wheezy chest which incidentlly was one of the worst experiences of my whole life - try holding a mask over a baby with a completely blocked nose 6 times. They then looked in her ears and the pead said her ears were RAW. Prescribed AB and today her fever is gone and she slept the night though after one dose. I am rather fuming that the doc allowed the viral infection to drag on for 5 days, ears like that DO NOT heal themselves, the pead at A&E said that to me.
I am not one for handing out meds to babies willy nilly but when the child is in pain it sems ridicuolus not to - FGLH do take her to A&E is my advice.xx

Foghorn, if it is a chesty cough with wheezing then it may be bronchiolitis -- my DS (8.5mo) has just spent 3 days in hospital with this, and they said it is very very common at this time of year.

We were blue-lighted to A&E on Saturday because out-of-hours GP spotted it and said they can go downhill very quickly with it, so if your DD seems to be having difficulty breathing (chest sucking in so you can see ribs when she breathes, more than 40 breaths per minute) I would take her to A&E tbh.

Foghorn, how is she now?

Crush

And I'm so glad the ABs did it. I think its very common for secondary infections to kick in at the end of a viral infection/cold - my GP says to watch out for temps going up again, very unwell child, pain/wheezing. Its happened to dd1 several times recently - cold getting better, then wham a chest infection. She's on brown inhaler now so hopefully thats it.

As for bronchiolitis, ugh - so sorry to hear of LOs down with it, my dd had it very badly at 4 weeks old and it can be terrifying. Look out for wheeze, 'frothy' saliva in teeny babies, fast breathing, sicking up feeds.

thanks eli - it's the absolute shits isn't it? You seem to work so hard on getting them well and then wham - I feel like I haven't taken a breath in a month with all this illness...Your poor DD - how does she take the inhaler?

xx

I was told that if a fever persists for more than 3 days in an under 5 year old you should seek medical advice, but you have been, maybe you could get a second opinion?

Crush, she has a spacer which makes it easier - just breathe normally, really, with mouthpiece in mouth. She's quite proud of it now, though was a bit wary first time. Thankfully, she's only mildly asthmatic - enough to do her chest in with colds though, it seems

This winter is the second time ever she's had antibiotics (she's nearly 4) and she's had three courses since September. Wish they'd told me about the inhaler earlier.

You must be feeling as dazed and disorientated as me, after a month - hope you get a clear stretch now!

oh bless her eli...

I do hope we get a break too - I am about to drop dead and I really really feel for DD being so ill lately

xx