My son who is 6 months has had a cough since the begginning of dec. It all started when the whole family got sick with something. All of us except poor Noah have gotten better. I have been to the dr numerous times with him and i keep getting told its bronchitis. Then last month he wad dx with pneumonia and was in the hopspital for 5 days. He is STILL sick. We live in abbotsford, bc and there is really nothing going around and hes not in daycare. This morning it dawned on me that dec is when i changed him from soy formula to regular cows formula. I dont know if this has anything to do with it. Yesterday he spiked a fever of 103.5 and I was able to get it down quite quickly. I just have mama bells going off right now and im not sure what to do.
ETA he was dx with pneumonia 2 weeks ago and tested rsv positive
Yikes I would try a different doctor. Maybe even an allergist if you think it could be asthma. Mention the formula change to the doctor as well though I don't think food allergies causes coughing/asthma... Good luck. It sucks when such a helpless baby is sick and for so long! Definitely 2nd opinion is the way to go.
I'd take him to the doctor again and perhaps get another opinion from a different physician in the practice to see if there's something they're just not catching.
At 6 months, they have weak immune systems compared to those of us that have been exposed to things for years and built up the antibodies.
That being said, I've been so much sicker than normal this year, and my Oncologist's office said that it's just been a rough year. Perhaps that has something to do with it.
Also, you mentioned that the whole family has been sick. If you have older children, it's possible they're bringing home germs that they're able to fight off but he isn't. When I went through chemo, I had no immune system, had 2 kids in day care and worked in and out of doctor's offices all day. When I asked my Oncologist if I should stop working, she said to be diligent in washing my hands and using sanitizers. Perhaps being more conscious of that throughout the whole family may help from exposing him.
But, it sounds like he's getting exposed to some serious things. 103.5 is dangerously high for spiking a febrile seizure. I hope you're able to find the root cause soon and get a healthy happy baby.
has he been tested for pertussis? it's making a comeback unfortunately, me and my son tested positive and have been coughing since january. i also watch a little on that is getting over rsv and she spiked a fever every couple of weeks and is on a nebulizer and steriods to help her breathe.
Could be the formula, a milk allergy of sorts - ask your doctor about it. But have you considered mould? We had mould growing in our apartment in Spain and I was sick with a cough and runny nose for about three months. It was horrible. Can't think of anything else, sorry. I hope you figure it out soon. Poor little guy...
Get a second opinion to me it sounds like asthma. Asthma is commonly misdiagnosed for bronchitis. I am asthmatic and hear its bronchitis alot go to a diffrent hospital and get the meds I need. Some doctors just can't tell the diffrence. One time I went to the hosp and told them it was my asthma and they gave me an antibiotic 2 days later went back and told them it was my asthma and 2 days later I finally asked the same doc the one I had all 3 times if she was ready to treat my asthma.she finally did.
Your mom alarm should be going off. And it's really time to switch that pediatrician to someone who would be more concerned with a 6 month old who's had a respiratory infection for most of his life. I would go see a naturopathic pediatrician.
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RSV is serious and needs to be watched closely. My son needed an inhaler to help his breathing for a year after his hospitalization with RSV, and my Nephew was so bad he spent 2 weeks in the ICU, and still has sever asthma to this day (he is now 6). If your doctor is not taking a positive RSV test as very serious, get a different doctor right away or it could have long reaching effects to your sons breathing.
We had a similar problem with my 5 yr old. He had a cough a couple of years ago that lasted for MONTHS! Every time I took him in (at least 4 visits) the dr just said it was a lingering cough. We moved that year and when he started coughing again the next year, I took him back (obviously to a different dr) and they immediately did a chest x-ray and diagnosed him with asthma. He was put on an inhaler and stopped coughing almost immediately. I wish I'd taken him somewhere else the first year! If nothing else, I'd take him get another opinion! Something's wrong!
Good luck! Hope it gets taken care of soon!
RSV is very serious in infants. My youngest had it when he wa 5 months old.It marked the beginning of a very difficult year of multiple hospitalizations for recult p neumon ia and bronchitus. I'm so sorry that your little one has been so sick. Stay viligent. It will take time for his lungs to heal.
I'd get a second opinion... that is way to long to be that sick!
My heart goes out to you and your little one. Being sick (especially constantly) is never fun. I would trust your mother's intuition. Get a second opinion and switch him back to soy formula for a month or two to see if it helps. You can always switch him back to cow's milk formula if it seems to not make a difference. I was lactose intolerant when I was an infant and it gave me fevers and loose stools/vomiting. Later on I was able to handle dairy somewhat but now I am lactose intolerant again (probably never stopped fully). I get bloated, gassy, stomach discomfort, etc. My 2yr old son seems to handle yogurt ok but when he is sick I don't give him any dairy since it can thicken mucous. You might want to think about that if your son has a chunky cough, cow's milk could be aggravating it. There are different schools of thought about this between doctors but I know from my own experience and my son's that cow's milk does thicken mucous, and it is harder to digest. You could try goat's milk formula. The protein molecules are smaller in size and closer to human milk in comparison, therefore easier to digest. Either way, you've got nothing to lose by getting a second opinion and by taking him off of cow's milk formula for a while. Take care and my prayers are with you.
No dairy is a good idea when he is this sick anyway, but do keep him hydrated. Humidfiers to moisten the air, some eucalyptus oil will help too probably. I don't know anything about soy allergies so not sure if it could be part of the problem but if you changed it while he was sick it might not have helped? I don't know. I would go to the doctor and insist that they find out what's wrong for sure and stop putting you through this! My son was sick for months and months too, and almost died because the doctors just kept telling us it "was a very severe infection". They gave him more antibiotics than most bodies deal with most of their lives at five, and turns out he was diabetic not sick with an ear infection. Insist on a diagnosis and a regimen that will treat your son and start complaining loudly if they won't do anything else. Yes your son will have to go through some things, but I am tired of the "worried parents are a bother" approach by some doctors. Our dog ended up being the catalyst for us. He went out of his mind, over the boy one day and finally we just took him to the emergency room. He was diagnosed that day. He's one lucky kid. Don't let them tell you that he "will get over it" make them tell you "what it is", and "what they are doing about it" to make him better, not just mask the symptoms high fevers are a symptom of pretty heavy immune response. If he's had it this long I would first suggest and then demand more be done to find out what's wrong. Good luck!
