Ok, so I don't think my 6 month old son is feeling well. We have just moved to a new home 2 weeks ago and he seemed to adjust well to the move. However the past couple days he's been getting grumpier and grumpier. My parent's (I still live at with the) both have had strep. He's acted fine but has an occasional cough and up till a few days ago. Other than the grumpiness and small cough he's been fine, but I'm wondering if I should take him to the doctor since he's been around my parents with their strep. I have tried to keep him away from them as much as possible, but of course their has been close contact. All in all it hasn't been a fun month with his environment changing and he has been a very different baby since I first started packing. I'm not entirely sure what to do.
So I ended up calling the doctors office and spoke with a nurse she said to watch him for the next 24 hours and then if he isn't getting better or just getting worse to bring him in. Yes it isn't common for a baby to get strep, but it is possible. And sadly I'm not able to beastfeed so the chance is slightly higher than before. BUT he seems to be doing better. Hasn't screamed randomly or coughed so far yet (knock on wood).
For what it's worth, I was worried about my son getting sick when I had a bad case of strep, told by my pediatrician that babies under 18 mo do not get strep. And he didn't, even after several days of hanging out with a very sick mom.
If he were my son, I'd call the doctor. Unless there is a financial roadblock (like no insurance or charges for telephone advice), it's always a good plan to call the doctor. You're not wasting his/her time; a baby's doctor is there for the mama as much as for the baby, and since your boy has been exposed to strep, you need to take care of that quickly if he has it. If the doctor says he's all right physically, you can check that off your worry possibilities. A move is stressful, physically and emotionally, for everyone involved, but that will ease up in time.
Babies usually don't develop strep. My dr. told me that you usually don't get strep until well after 1. However, one of my babies did get the strep virus on their bottom.
If he's nursing exclusively (or nearly so) the chance of him catching strep drops significantly. The grumpiness (and cough even) can be a reaction to the move. For little kids, often there is a delayed reaction - once the novelty wears off and they realize it isn't changing back, they start reacting more, adjusting to the change.
If he acts lethargice, develops a fever, or has vomiting (surprisingly, a symptom of strep in kids!) or a rash, take him in right away. Strep itself isn't too dangerous, but can have some nasty complications (including rheumatic fever, not a good thing) And, for peace of mind, it never hurts to call the doctor and get her opinion of whether he needs to be seen. But ultimately, follow your instincts. My ped has always said she listens to a mother's instincts because somehow we seem to know, so if your gut is really telling you to get him checked, don't ignore it!!
Hi - if he isnt feeling well, appears to be getting worse and isnt feeling better after a dose of Tylenol, then by all means take him to the doctor. Also - it's not common at all that little ones contract strep throat.
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Honestly, I'd call the pediatrician and ask if you should bring him in based upon the exposure.
If he's not acting sick, I'd guess they'd say he's probably fine. But, I've been surprised at times when we've called the pediatrician's office and they ask to see our kids because of something going around.
Our daughter has her 5th ear infection this season, her 10th in 2 years (she had tubes last February that have fallen out). Her only symptom is drainage from her nose. It took us almost 2 years to figure out that is what was going on - no grumpiness, no aggitation.
Good luck. Hoping he's OK.
Absolutely take him to his pediatrician. Rule out strep - you'll feel better knowing the answer and he will, too. If it isn't strep, it may be something else that your ped can help you fix.
If he is not running a fever, wait a little longer. Just remember that this is a new place for him, so he has to get used to it. If there were pets there prior to you moving, that might be something to consider as well. Don't stress, because if you do, the baby can tell and he will stress too. If you have been grumpy with the move and all the changes, he will be too. Just take it easy and wait to see if he runs a fever.
Blessings
It is my understanding the before age 5 the chances of a child getting strep is pretty much not going to happen, however, I would never hesitate to take him in. The doc is there to make sure your baby is ok. I wouldn't worry about going in all the time.
I actually think two things are happening here with your little guy. First, at 6 months, babies start to really wake up and notice what is around them. They don't sleep as well, they are constantly wanting to see what is going on. It happened with all three of mine. Second, you have changed his environment on top of it, it takes a couple of weeks or even a month to get used to the new world.
Good luck!
