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Original poster

Poorly 13 month old - please help!! Is this normal?!?

30 replies

juliajules · 16/01/2008 18:39

Hi girls,

Hoping you can reassure me that this is normal.. My lil boy, Teddy, started vomiting on Saturday at around 2am. He continued to be sick all Saturday and is still being sick now - usually 2 or 3 times a day. He has been docile and lethargic, so I took him to the Dr yesterday. He looked in his ears, said they were red and has prescribed Amoxicillin - Ted has currently had 2 days worth shovelled down him. However, he is still unable to keep anything down really. He did eat his lunch today - half an hour later, puked it all up. He even brings up water or weak juice. I've stopped his milk for now. As this has been going on for 5 days now, he is weak and just so not himself. I've been giving him calpol too, as he keeps getting hot. So... is this normal ? Are babies sick with an ear infection ? If it's a bug as well.. would it last this long ? I am now getting worried. Have made another appt for Friday - but really would have expected to see him turning the corner by now. Thanks in advance. Jules

OP posts:
snuffle · 16/01/2008 18:43

Oh dear, he sounds quite poorly.

Hope he gets better soon, my 13mth old has yet to get an ear infection so sorry I can't help, but if in doubt phone NHS Direct for some advice or take him back to the docs. If necessary seek another doctors advice.

;d have thought after a few days there should have been some improvement but then I'm no doctor.

Hope he gets better soon.

Original poster
juliajules · 16/01/2008 18:46

Thanks for that. I was quite surprised when that is what the Dr announced that it was - as he had not been pulling at his ears - but hey, I'm no Dr either! Just starting to feel a bit worried now - and I'm not given to anxiety normally!! - but he is just so not himself and I can't take much more of this puking! Poor lil man

OP posts:
andiemustlosehalfastonemore · 16/01/2008 18:47

julia I would take him back to the docs but i would also give him his milk the advice now is to keep feeding normally even if it comes back up as the milk has a higher nutritional content so he will get more from milk being down half an hour than water iyswim
babies can get ill with ear infections have you tried giving nurofen instead of calpol it reduces the temp more quickly and keeps it down for longer
hope he is better soon

Chardonnay1966 · 16/01/2008 18:48

My little girl (9mnths) was v.poorly before xmas and didn't eat a thing for what seemed like a week and a half. Doc said not to worry too much about eating, but fluids are the dangerous thing. Make sure he is getting some fluid, anything, even if he throws some up after he will keep a bit down and it will help. I would get an emergency appointment in the am if I were u. they are usually really good at seeing babies asap and no-one will mind. Hope he gets better soon!

SlightlyMadShrek · 16/01/2008 18:49

I would treat the 2 seperate sets of symptoms and acknowledge the could be but are not necessarily related.

Problem 1: Inflamed ears, may be related to a temperature. Treatment is exactly right. ABs, calpol and Ibuprofen for a temperature. Carry on as you are.

Problem 2: Sickness. Could be related to ear infection in small children. Could be a tummy bug - there is a lot about (norovirus in particular). Can also be accompanied by a temp. There is no real treatment other than the calpol/ibuprofen for fever. The most important thing though is to prevent dehydration. It sounds as though you are not even getting (m)any fluids in either? This would be worrying going on for a few days. Try little bits of fliud as often as you can. If you can't get him to take fluid/keep it down then yes you need to go back to GP.

SlightlyMadShrek · 16/01/2008 18:51

Oh, what are his nappies like?

  1. ARe they wet? If not this is a major symptom of dehydration.
  1. What are his stools like? Any sign of diahreoa? This could indicate an upset tummy.
bubblagirl · 16/01/2008 18:54

when my ds was like this i went to boots and got some stuff you put in water to rehydrate and syringed small amounts also when giving calpol give small amount then if kept down give more so you know how much his getting

also found ice pops worked great poor thing hope he feels better soon

bubblagirl · 16/01/2008 18:57

forgot to say i was advised to give calpol then bit of ice pop as in severe sickness too much fluid is heavy on belly which in turn makes it throw it up

as ice pop dissolves slow it seems to not upset belly so much it did work very nice gp told me this

definatly get some rehydrating salts though as this will help replace salts lost and in return should start to perk up

and dont worry about food too much as could just be too heavy just give dry toast or biscuit my ds didnt eat for 3 days and appetite didnt return until maybe wek later asnt really eating

could jsut be bad virus my ds had sickness for 4 days and diarrhea turned out to be gastric flu but ear infection can also cause little ones to be quite ill as could be accompinied by a virus

Original poster
juliajules · 16/01/2008 19:00

Thanks. So glad I posted - never thought of switching to Nurofen but will do that now.

He is usually a milk and water/ juice junkie - 20 oz milk a day and 8oz of weak juice. Now? I am lucky to get 6/ 7 oz of fluid in him a day - and sometimes he falls on the bottle - but throws it all back up half way through - so it's really not counted has it ? I have him on the Dioralyte sachets as from this afternoon too. The Dr yesterday said he felt a little ' dry ' after feeling his tummy - but not too bad.

I get confused re this milk thing. My instinct is to shovel it down him as normal. HV and Dr said no, it just feeds the bug. He did eat his potato, vegetable and cheese bake that I made him at lunch - but it only stayed down for half an hour or so.

Just can't help worrying can you ? I'm used to a bug lasting a few days

OP posts:
SlightlyMadShrek · 16/01/2008 19:07

No I would stop the milk or give it half strength (is it formula), as I was advoised by GP when DD3 had tummy bug for nearly 3weeks at 7m. As bubbla says it is heavy on the tum and can make him sick. Clear fluids are best.

Don't offer him too much in one go.

Food is not essential either.

7oz - that is 200mls ish? There is a formula they aim for - I thikn it is a minimum of 75ml fluid for each kg he weighs for the whole day.

Having said that, when DD3 was very poorly with a painful mouth infection she got nowhere close to this but was OK, so some babies/toddlers are more resilient than others.

Keep and eye on the dehydration (dry nappies key indicator) and I am afraid you just have to ride the vomiting part out. Take him to GP to check how well hydrated (only a Dr can truely tell) he is if necessary, thats what I did with DD3 when she was dehydrated.

SlightlyMadShrek · 16/01/2008 19:08

Oh and only give nurofen if calpol isn't controlling his temp.

Giving ibuprofen on an empty tummy is OK occasionally, not nto frequently.

andiemustlosehalfastonemore · 16/01/2008 19:28

shrek your gp is out of date the royal college of paediatrics and child health guidance clearly states that there is no need to dilute or regrade milk feeds in diarrhoea or vomiting in children
adult guidance has also cahnged to say you should try to eat and drink normally
jules you should try to give the milk as normal

Original poster
juliajules · 16/01/2008 19:29

His nappies are still wet - but obviously nothing like they usually are. Only having to change him once a day right now, unless he is dirty. No diorrhea as such - well, loose but only once a day or so - so nothing out of control.

Someone said that calpol and Nurofen can be given together ? Is this so ? Trying to think why you would do this ...??

OP posts:
Original poster
juliajules · 16/01/2008 19:32

I really do want to give him his bottle as normal - just have a feeling he'll throw the whole lot back up again! May scoop him out of bed and put some down him later on ..

OP posts:
andiemustlosehalfastonemore · 16/01/2008 19:33

jules you can alternate calpol and nurofen by giving one then if the temp rises and you cannot give calpol as the next dose isn't due you can give nurofen
however the latest guidance that has come out suggests that this is not as safe as thought so you should use one or the other rather than both
the evidence is that nurofen works more quickly and lasts longer so i would always choose that
sorry to be pedantic about it all
I am a lecturer in child health

andiemustlosehalfastonemore · 16/01/2008 19:34

sorry the hv and dr are talking crap about the milk

andiemustlosehalfastonemore · 16/01/2008 19:39

jules why don't you try alternating diarolyte and milk
you should try to give him something to drink every half an hour if he is awake and defintely give him something if he wakes
sorry he is ill it is really yuk when they are poorly

Original poster
juliajules · 16/01/2008 19:42

I know , it's crap isn't it ? Since he started at nursery it's been one thing after another. I may as well just hand my notice in at work.. I'm sure they are all sick of me taking time off.. but what on earth can you do with a puking bebe ?!?!?! Leave him!?!?

I will arm myself with a couple of towels later and feed him some milk. I'm grateful for your advice - makes a change from ivillage where people just send you * hugs * !!!!

OP posts:
CrushWithEyeliner · 16/01/2008 19:44

Jules it sounds like the AB may be affecting his tummy and it is being stripped by the combo of this and the vomiting. You need to get a probiotic in a powder or drop form and keep going with it eve after he get's better, this helped me immensely when DD was on AB for an ear infection.
The temp is indicative that an infection is still present, until this goes the tummy problem may continue so you need to keep going with the calpol/nurofen (calpol good for fever nuro for pain)until tomorrow then take him back to the docs (be a pushy mum - do this first thing). It is odd that he is not ear pulling with an ear infection but you need to tell this to the docs. Keeping him hydrated will bring the fever down too - don't worry about food for now, certainly not anything cheesy, try some cooled cammomile tea with a tiny bit of brown sugar at intervals and the only food I would give if he really seems hungry is very weak and watery chicken soup. Ear infections make them feel unbelieveably rough - but do take him to be seen go to A&E tonight if he gets worse 5 days is a v long time to be poorly for a LO.

ceebee74 · 16/01/2008 19:46

Sorry your DS is poorly - it really is crap isn't it?

My DS spent his first 6 months at nursery with one bug or another but it does get better (I have not been called to collect him since August and he has been there a year now!)

Re the puking - just a little bit of advice from a mum to an (extremely) seasoned puker, never mind the towels, arm yourself with a plastic jug/bowl to catch the sick in - much less mess and washing

Hope things turn a corner for you soon!

andiemustlosehalfastonemore · 16/01/2008 19:47

oh jules the first year is the worst I think my ds1 had loads of infections at first and then he got better
really though if he is no better in the night or tomorrow then get him seen again
they can rehydrate him with some fluid and he will feel better

Original poster
juliajules · 16/01/2008 19:50

I will try the probiotic thing-y. Will purchase in the chemist first thing. I'll also fish out a good strong bowl for later! Never had any of this with my 9 year old daughter!!! In fact, she has only been to the Dr's once in her life. Teddy is making up for that !!

Thank you so much everyone.

Jules

OP posts:
andiemustlosehalfastonemore · 16/01/2008 19:50

hope the night isn't too bad

Original poster
juliajules · 16/01/2008 19:51

You and me both! I work shifts in the Police and it's playing havoc with that! Moral of the story? NO MORE KIDS.

OP posts:
andiemustlosehalfastonemore · 16/01/2008 19:52

jules I used to work shifts when I was a paed icu nurse the thought of it now makes me want to shudder