My 7 Month Old Has the Flu... I Think

Ooops, my computer cut me off. It's probably ROTAVIRUS which is going around like crazy for the li'l ones. Don't wait more than 2 days to take a feverish baby to the doctor. They may want to put in an IV to rehydrate. Is he having plenty of wet diapers? Does he get tears when he cries? Look for signs of dehydration but never wait more than 2 days to take a child with persistent fever to doc....a good doc.

Please take him to the dr.--or ER--asap, if he is still vomiting and still has diarrhea. Small ones get dehydrated very quickly, so he needs immediate treatment. Meanwhile, keep giving him plenty of liquids...

Make sure to keep YOURSELF hydrated! Drinks lots and lots and nurse him as much as possible. You can even take herbal teas to pass along the benefits to him. Breastmilk is the absolute best thing for him. I would call your doc if you don't see improvement soon or if he becomes lethargic.

Call your doctor. It's really the best thing to do. Your Dr. may tell you to also give Pedialyte and rice milk. Pedialyte for the electrolytes lost due to the diarrhea, also to hydrate, and rice milk to help bind. But I wouldn't do it without him saying OK to the rice milk, although it's gentle. Def. call.

Also, after a week of diarrhea that wasn't letting up, our ped. had me use Immodium. DO NOT DO THIS ON YOUR OWN. I can't remember exactly why, just that I couldn't until he said it would be OK...I think it had to do with it causing its own backup. Plus, of course, you want to get the proper dosage from the ped. It probably is a virus that has to pass, but you can't be too sure, and you want to rule out anything more serious. I'd take him in. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out. Actifed or YoBaby yogurt may help a little, too, with putting some healthy bacteria back in his tummy and intestines.

B., this sounds like the virus that has been going around. My pediatrician recommended not giving Tylenol unless the fever reached 102, because fevers are what helps fight the virus. Staying hydrated is most important. It will pass. My son just got over this, and he just slept a lot for a few days and we gave him Pedialyte (he is 1 1/2 years old – I don't know the recommendations for a 7-month-old regarding fluid intake; breast milk is certainly the best, but maybe make sure he doesn't take a lot at once, so that he is less likely to vomit). I know it's so difficult not to worry!

If he's had a fever for more than three days (even if it's off and on) you need to take him into your pediatrician immediately. If you call and explain the situation, they should be able to get you in the same day. But call first thing in the morning if possible.

One of the many things they might want to check for is Strep Throat...it's been going around like CRAZY lately. If he's got it, he'll need to get on antibiotics immediately.

They will also check him for signs of dehydration and any other serious problems he may have.

In the meantime, I would recommend the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast) to help with the diarrhea...assuming he eats any solids yet.

But PLEASE call your Pediatrician right away and get him checked out. It will be the best co-pay you've ever spent.

Take him to the doctor first - if doc says he will be alright, just give him water between feedings when he will take it - I would stay away from the pharmaceuticals - they are toxic to the liver and potentially deadly if you use too much - there is an herbal formula made from a rainforest tree sap called Sangre de Drago - it has been known over centuries by the indigenous people of South America to stop bleeding and digestive disorders. I think that a drop or two of this in water would help a lot to ease the discomfort he is having as well as heal whatever damage in his intestines that is causing diarrhea. You can get more info on this at my website: shootingstarherbs.amazonherb.net

I hope you have seen the Doctor about all this and if you have I would go back a fever (in a baby can be devistating) is noting to blow off. It could be a sign of menigitis or other serious infections if he can not keep the milk down you are not hydrating him and should put him on pedilight I belive it is called which is like a water with electrolites. But you need to take him to the doctors and have him seen again he should have been attmitted to a hospital most likely if not you could cause problems in his developing mind with uncontroled high fevers, I have seen the results of some of this neglect on parent and or Doctors part and it is not pretty.

I would definitely have your little one seen by your pediatrician. When my son was almost one he came down with similar symptons and he ended up having Rotavirus. Since he's had a fever, vomiting and diarrhea for that long you have to be so careful that he doesn't get dehydrated. It happens so fast in little ones. For peace of mind i would have him checked out.

B.,

It's a virus and it has to run its course. There is no medicine for it, except to make sure he stays hydrated. Try giving him pedialyte on top of breast milk. Every little sip counts. Keep giving him Tylenol and MOtrin and just remember fluids, fluids, fluids. If he starts having dry diapers and cry's without tears than you can worry. Hope this helps.

T..

take him to the doctor.

My one year old (today!) had that two weeks ago. She was vomiting, had diarhea and a fever. We took her to the doctor and they said to stop feeding her (she's on solid foods) and to just give her Pedialyte for a couple days. She spent one whole day laying on the living room floor and didn't move from one spot all day! I nursed her a little when she really seemed to want it but other than that I only gave her Pedialyte for a day and a half. She finally seemed better so we slowly started to give her solids again. We went to the doctor twice and they never did anything for her - we basically had to wait it out. Sorry! If it's already been four days now, hopefully he'll be over it soon! Good luck,
M.

Babies can lose their electrolytes quickly with diarrhea and vomiting and that can be life threatening. He needs to get them balanced and many doctors recommend Pedialyte, which is just a drink with the nutrients in that need to sustain him. I would ask the doctor to be sure...

try some pedialite you can get it at the pharmacy. If it continues you should call your baby doctor.

hi! i am an ER nurse with 11 years of experience, and i have three children of my own ages 5 and under. we have been where you are and it is miserable watching them suffer. everything for vomiting and diarrhea has been 'black boxed', meaning that the potential risks far outweigh the potential benefits of the anti-nausea/vomiting/diarrhea medications...do do not give your child anything that has not been recommended by your doctor. PLEASE be very cautious in using herbals with your child. they have unforeseen side effects, too, despite being "natural." DEFINITELY call your pediatrician immediately for the symptoms you are describing. watch for sunken eyes, no tears when he cries and dry mouth/tongue.. these are all signs of dehydration that need IMMEDIATE attention. also, if he doesn't have a wet diaper in 6 hours time frame (i know it is hard to tell if he is having a lot of diarrhea). breastmilk is definitely the absolute best source of fluids you can give him. avoid water as it has absolutely no nutritional value and you need to make every drop count. also, avoid juices because their sugar content can make the diarrhea worse (on that note, avoid adult electrolyte drinks for the same reason).

good luck...you sound like you are doing everything right. your next step is the doctor...and make sure you are getting enough rest and fluids to help yourself stay healthy in this!

blessings!

G.

i agree that its probally whats been going around but you dont want to wait to get him to the dr, my son was just hospitalized for 3 days due to this flu.....also if its ok'ed by the dr give him pedialyte, and ask about water because the drs at the hospital said it can cause vommiting in already sick children...hope your little guy gets better

One sympton is not that big of a deal, you have three! The fever is the kicker, and if it's the flu they will test for it. If it's just the stomach flu there is nothing you can do for it, just hydrating. Even with the viral flu, they can't give you medicine, but you have to know because basically you're in lockdown (I was a few months ago!).

hi B.,
please do get your little guy to the doctor...you are taking good care of him at home, but he needs to be checked out by a professional. 4 days is a long time for these continued symptoms without your practitioner seeing him, too.

Chamomile tea or spearmint tea might help. I would also offer yogurt, plain, unsweetened with active cultures, just even small sips of it or get probiotics into him somehow. YOu should be taking some, too, which will get into your milk for him.

Hi B.,
There is a lot of good advice here. You definitely check with your Dr. Both of my kids had this around Thanksgiving and they were 2yrs old and 5months old and my Dr recommended keeping them hydrated and not to force them to eat. My 5month old was breastfeeding exclusively and I was doing Emergen-C several times a day, myself, so that I would continue to get the electrolytes and pass that on to my baby. I also tried to feed my 5 month old just a little at a time, it was hard because he was hungry, but he didn't vomit as much when his stomach wasn't as full. I was also giving them Probiotics every hour or every time they had loose stool or vomitted. They make infant probiotics, you might have to ask at your local healthfood store. That helped their systems get back the balance of good bacteria. It is very frustrating waiting it out and you go through a ton of laundry but good luck.
C.

Hi B.,

If he has a high fever, he may have a bacterial infection. In which case, you should take him in to the doctor (or even ER) right away.

The vomiting may be caused by the medication you're giving him. I recommend NOT giving him any drugs and closely monitor his temperature. Without meds, you can monitor is true symptoms.

A fever is the body's way of fighting off the illness. I am an advocate of letting the body do what it's supposed to do and not interfere by taking drugs that suppress the symptom (in this case fever). It is difficult to monitor your child's true symptoms when he's been given medication that alters them.

Along with side-effects of taking meds, another problem with giving acetaminophen or ibuprofen to children (or anyone for that matter) is that the lowered fever creates a false sense of reality. The sick person now feels "better" and does more than he/she normally would. This only prolongs the illness and sets the person up for even more complication. Obviously that is NOT the case with your son -- but the meds could indeed be making him worse.

Best to leave nature be and let his body heal itself. You can naturally help this along by what YOU eat (since you’re breast feeding). Stay away from processed foods and stick w/ lots of whole grains and vegetables. Fruits may exasperate the diarrhea; so don’t eat to much fruit until the diarrhea subsides. You should drink plenty of water and maybe even take an electrolyte replacement (like “Emergen-C”).

Best wishes to you and baby. :)

Warm Regards,
G. Van Luven

Hi B.,

Congrats on the baby! I would be contacting the pediatrician ASAP. It sounds like that he has some of the junk that's been going around. I would also try something along the line of Pedialite, but check with the pediatrician first.

Hope this helps!

I.

Call your Dr because there is things like RSV and Roto Virus going around, they are both really bad and he may need extra stuff to help him get over it.