My 8 month old has been diagonised with step throat. He was very dull and cranky last 2 days.Also kept waking up during the night. Doctor did the strep test because his throat was a little red and I told her that his nanny had strep 3 weeks ago.She quit but she had it around the time she quit,Would he have gotten it from her and symptoms showing up after all these days? He had 2 nannies come in after that and both seemed fine.Also, we are careful taking him to crowded places - he is always with us , so I wondering where else he could have got it.
He was a premature baby and I was being extra cautious for him not to fall sick, now I am not sure where he could have caught it.I am so worried for him.
Internet sources say, typical incubation period is 2 to 5 days. However "If you have been infected with the bacteria and are not on antibiotics, you will be contagious for up to 3 weeks, even if you don't have symptoms".
Crazy question, but do you have a dog? I have heard that dogs can carry strep though they don't get sick from it (?).
We went through a terrible run of strep with my younger son for months (years ago when he was much younger). It is nasty.
The biggest thing that has helped us is to boost his overall immune system.
Good luck and hope this gets better quickly.
It's entirely possible that the strep germs lingered on something and he got it from the ex-nanny. We've had a horrible time with strep this past month. Somehow I got out of childhood and have never EVER had it, but I got it in early December and my oldest son got it too. We took the regular antibiotics, it went away -and then it came back (and I have cleaned and washed everything over and over)! We're currently finishing the second round of much stronger antibiotics. For some very fortunate reason my 2 year old hasn't had it at all! Like the other person said, it is evidently very rare for children 2 and under to get it for some reason (although I'm surprised but happy at age 2 my youngest hasn't). That doesn't mean it's impossible, and strep has really been rampant in our area this year -almost everyone seems to have had it. It's just one of those things like a stomach virus or common cold that's contagious and pretty easy to get.
I don't mean to doubt your doctor, but my ped told M. that children under 2 rarely get strep throat. It manifests as cold symptoms instead. (I had it and was nursing, so I was terrified to pass it on.) When the strep cold bacteria doesn't heal on its own, it can turn to scarlet fever (which you'll know by a fever and rash). But 99% of the time strep will heal on its own (we just turn to antibiotics to prevent being contagious - it doesn't speed healing).
Did the strep test come back for-sure positive? Sometimes they pick up "something" and doctors just call it strep, even when it really isn't (just to give it a name and put the parents at ease). Throats can be "a little red" from post-nasal drip or colds, too. Strep usually causes bumps and nodules in the back of the throat, making it scratchy and hard to swallow. Is he acting in pain when he drinks and eats?
Sorry to sound so "down" on your doctor. That's not my intention; I just hate to think of your little one getting pumped wth antibiotics if he doesn't really need it. We tend to use more natural healing methods and avoid popping medicine for a quick fix.
