Baby breathing, subcostal retractions :(

[dontcomeatme]

Need some advice I'm really unsure what to do at this point.
For context, I've had asthma since I was 7weeks old, I'm 32 now and still have it quite severely.
My DS2 was born via section 12 weeks ago. He was big born and I had gestational diabetes. They informed me the risk of the baby having asthma increased if I was diagnosed, plus having a section made it more likely.
When he was born the hole in his heart didn't close for 5 weeks, he was closely monitored and any signs of breathing difficulty were put down to this. The hole is 100% gone now though.
He had a "chest infection" at 6 weeks and was given antibiotics. I doubt it was a chest infection, I think the doctors just seen the retractions and gave me antibiotics to make me go away.
Basically he has been having subcostal retractions since he was born, on and off, almost like flare ups or episodes, along with wheezing, and fatigue. It is always worse when he's been excited or babbling or feeding. For example he loves the bath and kicks his little legs off, but then he struggles and is wheezy, fast breathing and the retractions worsen, then he sleeps for hours.
I have spoke to 2 different GPs and had him at A&E and no one is doing anything. Telling me that "because I had asthma it probably just made him a wheezy kid". The first time I noticed them I rushed him to A&E because that's the advice, I sat for 9 hours in a separate room because he hadn't had vaccinations, just for them to tell me to keep an eye on him and watch for his lips turning blue, then sent me home!!!!
You can't upload a video unfortunately so I've tried to take screenshots of his chest.
What do you all think it could be? Does this seem like asthma ? Anyone else experienced this?
I have a lovely GP I'm going to book him to see, but she's been off work with her sick DC that's why we saw all the others instead.
He is on the 99centile, ebf, happy little thing. We struggled with colic but seem to be coming to the end of that now. I just dont know what to do for him.
Ironically I asked a random doctor tonight what to do if a baby is in respiratory distress with retractions and he said to go straight to A&E 😑

Forget to add, last night I could see the retractions through his sleepsuit while he was fast asleep, completely at rest 😢

Call 111 now. A babies breathing should not look this way a I’d be going straight to A&E. When babies are poorly they drop very fast. Please get medical support now x

A&E

Definitely A&E My son had this with his breathing when he was three weeks old and had aspiration pneumonia. He is a very healthy 25 yr old now .X

Immediately

Another vote for A and E.
DD had breathing issues and stridor. It was taken very seriously by doctors.

I've done A&E twice I'm no further forward. Been to A&E twice, UTC once, GP 2 or 3 times.

Could he be poorly if it's gone on this long ? Or is it more likely a chronic issue?

Doctors are making me feel crazy. They are so dismissive of all of his symptoms, but I know its serious!

Yes he could be poorly, despite it going on so long. This breathing is highly abnormal. I’d want a more detailed heart scan but I’d also take him to A&E tonight. (Dr) do you have a children’s hospital nr by you? Could you go there rather than an adult A&E with a paeds dr

@Flanimalsit was a children's hospital I took him to the second time. His breathing isn't being taken seriously no matter where I go.
The last time I went a NHS staff member implied I just enjoyed taking my tiny baby to hospital "he'd been that many times" and rolled her eyes. The doctor just asked if he was feeding okay and plenty of wet and dirty nappies and then sent us home. While he was ACTIVELY breathing like that.

He needs to be seen by ENT and have his airway checked.

@dontcomeatme i’m really sorry that the staff haven’t sat you down and gone through exactly what signs you should be looking for and when to be concerned and when not.I know you both have gone through various problems since birth that understandably will be causing you a lot of worry .I will try and attach a YouTube video explaining a few things . Internet is not always good for health advice but it is good for finding videos of babies breathing! Sometimes subcostal retractions can come and go but for a&e to be worried it can be about whether other signs are occurring at the same time…..babies have to go through a lot of maturing of both their respiratory and digestive systems and sometimes it takes a while to establish good efficient breathing pattterns . I would def continue taking videos of him and make a diary of exactly what and when triggers these episodes. If you have asthma yourself then you will understand a lot about the condition , you know that asthma has to be taken seriously and that there are likely to be various triggers that you need to look at ….dairy/ pet fur/ dust to start off with!! Is his nose sounding congested at all when he is sleeping peacefully? How does he cope with tummy time in the day …tummy time is great for lungs and physical development but not always liked by colicky babies!! Please keep talking things through with your helpful GP and your health visitor…it may well just improve with time or you may start to find there are things in particular triggering his wheeze. As ever, don’t be put off seeking help for your baby .

I'm so sorry you're having such a stressful time and it resonates with my experience with my son. He wheezed from 4 weeks old, and often had recessions from about the same age. We eventually found out he had tracheomalacia, but it took so much fighting to get him seen by ENT. I'd go daily to the see GP until they agree to refer him to ENT. From my experience, A&E won't do anything as long as his observations and oxygen levels are OK. Keep fighting and hopefully you will find someone who will help!

@RealMintBird@ThisRareOtterThank you both so much! I have managed to get him a GP appointment this morning we are on our way now. He was playing on his play gym this morning and started grunting, wheezing and retractions were super visible. I'm not happy and want some answers/referrals today. Fingers crossed for him 😥

A&E now. My daughter had suspected asthma and had that a lot and we always took her to A&E. The next symptom was blue lips and for that we dialled 999. He needs his oxygen sats checked.

@MarioLinksorry to hear about your daughter. I have a feeling GP is just going to send him straight to A&E, I'm waiting to see her now. Thankfully my doctors is attached to the hospital so I'm here already x

The doctor can do checks but may still want monitoring and/or more investigations at A&E. It was a stressful few years for DD as a baby and toddler especially winters but she grew out of it by age 5 and is not now asthmatic.

@MarioLinkit was a nightmare when I was younger too, but I never grew out of it and still really struggle as an adult. Just hoping they take it a little more seriously today, sick of being fobbed off x

One thing that's possible is that there WAS an infection and it's gone but the inflammation remains, for want of a better word. After RSV, my (then 7 months) baby would develop retractions more easily at every cold, though fortunately no wheezing. With RSV, baby also had acceptable O2 sats while awake, it wasn't until baby fell asleep with the monitor on that we saw the sudden drop off in O2.

@OtterMummy2024that's a possibility most definitely. He was really poorly at 6 weeks but the hospital were leaning more towards bronchiolitis than RSV.

Well GP said his breathing at the appointment was presenting okay (he was sound asleep). But she has referred him to paediatrics due to the videos. She said because its happening so often only go to A&E if its significantly worse than the videos I have.

@dontcomeatme thats really great news that she has referred him to paeds, I think you will hopefully get some more concrete answers about the situation. When you video him make sure you have his head and neck in the videos too.

@RealMintBirdyeah she has asked me to try and get his neck in a video next time he breathes like that. So happy he will be seen x

Just wondering if you've managed to get the paediatric appointment? How has the breathing been?

He was referred to paeds and we got a letter the other day saying he's been put on a waiting list. His GP is helping me monitor him in the meantime. He still wheezes when he exerts himself and has recessions nearly on a daily. It's definitely not normal. He was playing in the bath the other day and I took him out because my anxiety was through the roof, his breathing round his ribs was horrendous. I'm not very happy he's on a waiting list to be honest. GP said to visit A&E if it gets worse than what we've already witnessed. Just want him seen soon. Thank you for checking in x

are you monitoring his oxygen levels at home? If they are normal when you take him to gp or A&E that will be why they aren’t doing anything urgently as they won’t see it as an acute illness. Oxygen levels less than 92 should be looked into, less than 90 would be hospital stay. If his oxygen levels are always normal than I would take comfort in that he isn’t in any immediate danger but the wheezing you explain could be asthma but hard to get a diagnosis when they are so young. Have you been given inhalers anyway whilst you wait?