I don't think this is normal?

[daphnedoo12]

Hi,

I have a 6 month old DS

At 3 weeks old he caught bronchillitis, the hospital said this could be managed at home as he was feeding enough to match the minimum requirement. They said he would likely recover within a week but a cough would remain for a while.

He's been sick EVER since. Monthly antibiotics for chest infections, weepy green eyes. He produces so much mucus he chokes and pukes. He can't sleep, he coughs and gets sick with mucus.

This has been relentless, there's not been a single day where he has actually been "well".

We've used an aspirator to remove the mucus, it comes back worse. We've used various vapour rubs/calpol vapour plug, we've tried no central heating, we've literally tried everything.

He struggles so much. He attends nursery and every day they let me know that he's under the weather.

When I phone my doctor, I get put through to the nurse who says it's either viral or "a little infection" and nothing helps.

Is it normal for a baby to be this mucusy? He had an absolutely awful chest rattle constantly, he coughs constantly and always has green mucus and so much of it.

I don't think it's normal, my two year old gets snot, he's had a few chest infections especially since nursery but nowhere near this bad.

He feeds, he sometimes brings the feed back up (same with weaning) but not always, his weight is fine. Which is why i don't think the nurse is concerned.

Have you seen a GP and not just the nurse? I wouldn’t be happy with that although it might ease as the weather warms.

Firstly, is he rubbing snot into his eyes to cause the repeated infections ? You might need to regularly clean his eyes with cool boiled water.
Secondly, is there any history of asthma in your or dad’s family ?

I would push the health visitor for a referral to the feeding team (mine comes under speech and language but might differ in other areas). I would want him checked out for an unsafe swallow. It might not be that but my DS had the same problems until he got diagnosed with that.

I know how awful it is with recurrent chest infections and coughs/colds I hope you can get some answers soon.

My DD had something similar and it was a sinus infection that hadn’t been treated properly complicated by slightly enlarged adenoids. Also worth having ears checked, Dd ended up having water behind eardrums as well.

And try feeding little and often, rather than having a full tummy. Raise the head of the cot slightly if going down after a feed.

We aren’t in the UK and was only diagnosed by the second consultant we saw who managed to get her fixed up. Took ages, she basically looked/sounded ill for months. I thought she had just picked up concurrent flus/colds.

History of asthma in my side (my sister and mum)

I do wipe his eyes with boiled water and cotton wool every day, throughout the day. His eyes are practically glued together when he wakes up.

I've never been given the chance to speak to a doctor, all appointments have been with the nurse. I've asked for the doctor and been rang by the nurse.

Our gp surgery is doing minimal face to face and he was only seen in person due to his vaccinations.

I took him to the walk in centre due to him being extremely unwell and unable to even cry as he was struggling so much, he was hospitalised and let go after one night and told he had a chest infection. I explained he has repeated infections and they wrote to the GP.

The GP phoned and said it's normal, "he will be catching bugs from nursery and his brothers

He's been sick EVERYDAY. Me and his dad have to take turns to have some sleep because he's so unsettled, the poor boy hasn't had a decent sleep in months. I don't think it's normal

You poor things. It sounds very tough for you.

How was his birth/delivery? Sometimes things like ventouse/back to back/forceps can cause issues with the plates in the skull which disrupt Eustachian tubes down the line. Cranial release work by a specialist chiropractor can help a lot. (Many people don’t realise that chiropractors report to a governing body, like nurses and doctors, and have to do an accredited degree of at least four years for initial qualification.)

This sounds very tough and surely warrants further investigation now it’s been going on so long and so relentlessly. It could be worth sending off a sample of his mucus for cultures and seeing what is growing on it – perhaps he needs targeted antibiotics. I am not sure if this is something a GP could do but would you be able to ask them to refer you to paeds? Firmly if necessary. I have friends with babies who have been referred for less and paediatricians were always happy to see them (but unfortunately there’s a long wait.)

Finally just to check, I assume he had the newborn heel prick screening test?

All the best OP; I hope things improve for you and your little one.

Also just to add, it is entirely worth changing GP practice over this if you just aren’t being given a chance to talk to a doctor. And your little boy should be being seen in person.

Then you go with your gut instinct and ask for an appointment with the doctor. If they offer the nurse say no, you’ve seen the nurse, and that now you want to see the GP. Say nursery have expressed their concern.
If you don’t get to see the GP you contact the HV and explain your concerns.
Make sure you tell them about the asthma in the family, and say that you are not happy.

Hi, you need to get a bit more assertive I think.

It could be nothing but you are concerned and you want it checked.

You keep saying 'the GP' but practices have multiple GPs. Are you always speaking to the same one?

I would ring and say 'I need a face to face GP appointment as my baby is showing very worrying symptoms that are not resolved and I want them checked'. I would make it clear I would be putting in a complaint via the practice manager if I could not get an appointment. Agree you can also try the HV route.

I ask for the best GPs by name in my practice and wait to see them, this might be useful. If I am happy to see anyone I say 'I need an appointment anytime with anyone except X' so if you want to avoid anyone who has fobbed you off in the past you can do that. The receptionist doesn't need to be told why.

Take your DP to the appointment and start it with 'we are very concerned that something is not right and want you to have a proper look'.

His delivery was elective csection a week before his due date, he was 8lb 10oz so really healthy

They're brushing each time you phone as a new thing, which doesn't cut it. Do you have pets ? To me it sounds like allergy/ asthma or sinus congestion that needs some further help. It's been going on way too long for a recovery. Good luck!

I agree you need to get more assertive. It's a good idea from a pp to relay to practice that nursery are also concerned (and if they're telling you every single day that your child is unwell, then they are concerned).

I had similar experience with my son (also elective, also a v healthy weight) but he was 3 before his first episode of bronchilitis. He was subsequently hospitatalised many times over the next 4 years and diagnoses moved to viral wheeze. I felt completely passed from pillar to post as the hospital a&e and childrens ward treated the crisis we were there for at the time (usually asthma attack) while the GP never followed up between crises and blamed a virus.

I eventually asked to be referred to a paed consultant (this was on the hospital consultants advice - he's actually got an Instagram page now, he's kind of a childrens allergy specialist and I'll pm you his name). Once we started seeing him, we discovered my sons asthma (because it was asthma causing the wheeze attacks and general illness during the in between times) was due to a dust mite allergy. I had to make some changes at home, we had to get his asthma controlled with medication, but he's now off most of the medication, not had an attack for 4 years, even had covid a few weeks ago with no complications (when I'd spent 2 years thinking covid could kill him, or at least hospitalise him).

I think from your posts you're desperate to stop treating the symptoms and get to the root cause. A referral to a specialist consultant will help with that.

Push to have him tested to rule out common allergies.

I don't know how to pm from my phone. His insta name is @childrensallergy. Public account so don't suppose it's a problem to share it? He's really good, really accessible. Does q&a sessions, could probably advise a path forward for you.

We have no pets, strong history of asthma in my side of the family. His cough is always chesty, it's the amount of mucus that concerns me and I'm worried about damage to his lungs or something.

I've had so many problems with this surgery, I've applied for another one but haven't heard back. The only time he's seen a doctor was for his check up and initial bronchillitis, in which we were sent straight to hospital

Has cystic fibrosis been ruled out?

This sounds so hard OP. Just to add, I would keep a diary of everything with dates, symptoms etc to show the doctor. It will be harder for them to brush off and you're less likely to forget to mention something.

I used to get lots of chest infections as a kid and my mum was told to cut out dairy and it worked. No idea obviously if that might be an issue here but I definitely thing as PPs have said you should insist on seeing a GP and stress that this has been a constant thing for X amount of time.

@PunsDontKillPeople do they rule that out during routine checks? Its never been mentioned

@PunsDontKillPeople his heel prick test came back fine

Wrt Cystic Fibrosis there are over two thousand mutations that can cause it. I believe the heel prick test only tests for most common ones so if he has a rarer mutation it would not be picked up.

A sweat test is needed to be able to rule it out.

I have two DSs with CF and the mucus is generally very thick and sits in the chest as it is difficult for them to clear it, hence the need for physio.

Also there is usually associated failure to thrive. My bouncing 9lb3 DS was pretty much skeletal by the time he was diagnosed at 6 weeks old.

I agree you need to see a Dr though.

Hope you manage to get some help for him soon.

I’d be loosing my shit at my doctors over this. You need to move. Some are just bad. Others are excellent. I’m incredibly lucky mine falls into the latter. No concern with my child is too small, it’s a face to face everytime.

Can you ask for an opinion on a good GP in your area on a local Facebook group? Find a popular one & sign up. GPS don’t operate waiting lists, if you are in their catchment, they have to sign you up there & then and you can see a GP that day if urgent..

Op this sounds so tough.
My DD is 16months, and we’ve had infection after infection too. I was told it was common in young children, especially after lockdowns and with children attending nursery. My DD has lots of mucus, constant cough especially at night. She is CMPA and has a swallowing deficiency, which contributes. The cough is wet. We are under PEDS, and they did a blood test which showed an issue with her white blood cells / antibodies. We are trialling a small, constant dose of antibiotics, which seems to have helped. Seeing them again next month to review and awaiting ENT referral to look at her tonsils and adenoids.
I would push for a GP appointment and try see if they can do a referral. Also keep a diary of symptoms etc.
To add my DD is healthy weight, born 39weeks ELCS too.