3 Month Old with Rsv- Bronchilitis

M.-
I dont know why they let you leave after what 2 days???

My daughter had a sever upper respitory infection (close to RSV) and was at Chidrens Hosptal here in Pittsburgh for 4 days.She was a 23 weeker so it was expected her to have these issues and was exlained to us that she be kept away from people due to her high risk of getting it.

The previous posters are all right,However I dont understand why the social worker at the hosptial didnt set up for you to have a nebulizer and a PULSOX machine to test the oxygen and to give the required medications for this DANGEROUS virus. The Pukmacort is given to strengthen the lungs and the Albuterol breaks up the mucus and they will cough alot when given but it must be given every 4-6 hours
or as needed. I also recieved an at home nurse come to the house once a week to check her oxygen and breathing afterwards. YOU MUST BE MORE VIGILANT to recieve the proper care it can only get worse or continue. The Pulmonary Specialist at the Hostpial also will evaluate and see whether your son needs to go to a clinic to evaulate afterwards.
I stress these things because its very important to be a strong advocate for your child,I have been down this road after 2 hospital visits with this problem one after the other and it was very scarey and this need proper attention.

Please contact you pulmonary specialist for the nebulizer and the PULSOX(TO TEST HIS OXYGEN) your insurance will cover and to see if you can have an at home nurse come to the house for a short time because it will give you peace of mind!

I hope all goes well-keep us posted on what happened.
S.

Hi M.,

Well.... it's been 15 yrs, but my son went through bronchilitus/ RSV at 3 months of age, right when I went back to work...

Were you provided with a nebulizer and medication?

My son had to use that for several weeks.

Good luck!

A. D

I can't say much that hasn't been said but I understand a bit. Both of my children have respiratory problems. You may be faced with some difficult times ahead, it depends on how things go.

A nebulizer is a great thing. Pulmacort is the daily medication for little ones and albuteral is safe as an emergency inhaler. The way it works is you can't skip a treatment. They are time consuming but the lining of the lungs is swollen and thick so air has a difficult time passing through. The medications help the lungs expand again. Sometimes with bronchitus and RSV there is a continued cough for even several months.

However, if breathing is still difficult that is a whole different matter and go see your doctor today. Perhaps a steroid in combination with your nebulizer will need to be utilized for however many days the doctor determines.

This is very serious and while children do get better when treated correctly and quickly those who don't...

Try to avoid other people who are sick. I know the holidays are coming up and that could be difficult. Another thing to discuss with your doctor when you go.

Also, I'm not sure where you're from but if you continue to have problems with respiratory issues down the road I credit Dr. V at Hershey Medical asthma and allergy for saving my son's life. Sometimes you need to go to a new doctor to get appropriate care. Don't be afraid to second guess your doctor if they don't seem to be helping or really listening to you. You are your son's only voice. He can't get help. He can't tell someone something's wrong.

I stayed with the same crummy doctor who told me nothing was wrong with my daughter until she was very sick. And then I was the one who made him get me referals for specialists. He didn't offer them. And as soon as she went to the specialist he was able to identify the problems and we got them under control. She suffered for over 2 years without proper treatment. So now I tell everyone advocate for your children. You're the one who loves them.

Good luck! It does get better. You just have to do your best now.

Dear M.,

Make an appointment today with your Peditrician and tell them your son had been in the Hospital for RSV!

My son was also in AI dupont for RSV when he was 11 weeks old. When he was admitted he had no fever but had stopped nursing and could hardly breath. Our pediatrician nebulized him to no help and thought he had pnemonia and said we had to admit him.

He and I stayed in the hospital for 3 long days. AI dupont was terrific and their staff wonderful but I kept pushing for us to be released so we could be home with my 30 month old and my husband.

Now to the best of my recollection, when we came home my son was on the mends and just very pale and tired but no coughing, and his breathing was much better with only a little weeze. The doctors had taught me how to pat/ whack my sons back to bring up the mucus. I also had to clear his nose often with the nose bulb. They also had us prop him up for sleeping and i kept him with me most of the time; he in fact slept next to my side of the bed in his bouncy seat. We also were to push fluids through nursing or water. We also were on standing orders to see his pediatrician within 2 days of his arrival home from the hospital.

I strongly recommend you take him back to your peditrician today. If your gut is telling you he is "a mess" have him recheched. The ambulance driver told me that the breathing was not such a concern for my son (but it can be for others) but that dehydration was a huge concern as it can effect a newborn very quickly and start to shut down their body's systems. Also, RSV in an infant does not mean they will have more colds or breathing issues or asthma later in life; my son has had none of these and is a healthy active rambunctious almost 4 year old.

I am sorry that I can not be reassuring for you but this illness in an infant is not something to be passive. Please take your son in to the peditrician today. It can never hurt, it can only help. If only to give you peace of mind and tell you how to make your child more comfortable. He will recover and get stronger but you must follow your gut when it is telling you he is not better yet.

All my best!
A.

Hi I went thru that last year with my 4 mo. old daughter. I honestly didnt notice anything till it got bad. thankfully we had just come out of the doctors and she was sneding us to childrens in pittsburgh. We stayed 4 days. Basically nothing you can do. i am suprised they didn't keep him. All I can say is use the saline and aspirator all the time. At least before every meal. They did it at the hospital and I got good watching them. they aren't as fragile as we think. If he is belly breathing , breathing fast or you can see the spaces between his ribs take him to the hospital immediately! I seriously feel for you. I have never been the same since. If you have any other questions just ask. Oh also warming liquids to feed him is best. It helps open and soothe his airways. I also would water down his formula it was too thick and she couldn't swallow it as well. cuttin git in half or whatever you need to do with water. It did the trick for her. See if he'll even drink tea, watered down , no honey of course. cool mist humidifier. incline the mattress some, jsut put a small pillow under so they aren't perfectly flat.
It seemed like an eternity for her to get better. she has a sister that is 5 in preschool too. She jsut had Pnemonia in October. Poor kids
Let me know how he is. You all will be in my prayers

I haven't experienced it with any of my children, but I have heard it can have serious complications and breathing problems associated with it. It is not uncommon in pre-term babies. If you are concerned that he is doing poorly or has gotten worse, I would consult your pediatrician about follow-up care or returning to the hospital. My understanding is that RSV is not something you want to take lightly.

i like another mom am having a hard time remembering- my now 8 yo daughter had it when she was about 8-12weeks - but at the same time that should make you feel better - the fact that 8 years later i cant remember - meaning that while it seems awful now it will get better and you wont remember every little gasp or deep breath - make sense?

my daughter wasnt in the hosp overnight - other than er - but we got a nebulizer (insuracnce should pay) and she was on pulmacourt (spelling) for several months - and to forewarn you - some drs think there maybe a connection with this and ear infections (and i think there is too - b/c my daughter had them every year afterwards fr like 5 years)

what we did adn it seemed to work well with the nebulizer is bascially we'd irritate her to get her crying and then hold the mask around her face - the dr said this was good bc when they are crying then they take deeper breaths so then they are getting more of the medicine in - make sense?

also -every time my hubby or i took a shower - we wuldnt turn the fan on - but we'd take her into the bathroom with us - so that she could breathe in the steam - that sometimes helped too - i am pretty sure that we also had a vaporizer in her room - and possibly even raised her mattress a bit (by rolling up beach towels and putting them under one side)

I hope this helps - keep us posted - my thoughts/prayers are with you!

God Bless!
S.

Do you have a nebulizer?

My son had bronchilitis at 6 months old..and we stayed a few nights at the hospital, too. It was very very scary!! But your son will be fine. I agree with a few ppl below who said to call your pediatrician right away to let them know. They may want to see him. He will probably have more severe colds (esp coughs) when he is sick over the next few years than other kids - that have not had bronchilitis (that is how it was explained to me and holds true). But we have a nebulizer on hand for when he is sick or has a flare.

I think this is something they outgrow by the time they are 3 (the problems that arise from broncilitis).

Despite having had this and having asthma - our son is living a very normal and active life - no different than his twin sister who never had broncilitis. The only difference is that he has to take meds & the nebulizer from time to time.

He'll be fine - just hang in there & make sure you call your pediatrician.

My daughter had this in March at age 10 months. She needed a nebulizer every 4-6 hours for 10 days, but was never hospitalized. The doctor said that it will get worse before it gets better. And she did get worse for a bit. Keeping her head elevated while she slept helped. My daughter had the same things you are describing. It is a very scary thing to go through. She did recover fully and is fine now.

Did your doctor schedule a re-check? Hers did in just a few days from the first visit to make sure she was progressing properly. This is very serious and life-threatening disease. If you are at all worried he is worse and is having lots of trouble breathing, do not hesitate to have him checked again.

How stressful! They thought my son had RSV last winter (then they thought he had pnemonia). It was horrible. He had such terrible congestion & cough & had such a hard time breathing.
It sounds crazy, but I finally took him in for some chiropractic adjustments (my chiropractor has a lot of experience w/ babies & young children) and it was a freaking miracle! I swear, there was a HUGE difference after the very first treatment! He went in for 2 more adjustments over the next week or week & a half & he was completely better!

I hope your little one is better soon!

It is a little hard for me to remember...my daughter was 6 weeks and is now 7. She was hospitalized also. I do not think she got worse when she got home though. I would take him back to the ER. It does last a while but he really should not be struggling that bad. Are you giving him nebulizer treatments? I know that when my daughter got very bad she was lethargic...maybe that is because she was a newborn though. It really is very serious, please do not hesitate to go to the ER if you are worried.

My youngest (who is now 1) had it really, really bad last year. He was full-term and 6 weeks when he got it but was in the NICU at CHOP for a week. This is the basics to know:

It is a virus and it usually peaks about days 5-7. Sometimes it can peak as late as 8-10 days (from the first onset of symptoms) and can linger for awhile.

The thing that caught my attention is that he is having trouble breathing. My son never ran a fever and did need oxygen. We had him back in the hospital 2x during it because he got so bad he was sleeping all the time and pretty lethargic.

IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS, TAKE HIM BACK TO THE ER OR DOCTOR. You don't want to mess with this because it can be nothing, but also can be pretty seriously.

Watch his stomach:

if he is pulling in when he breathes, (you can see the outlines of his individual ribs)

if he seems to be working really hard to breath

if he is sucking in more than normal when he breathes at his neck

or if you are just concerned, it is worth at least taking him back to the doctor. The offices can check his oxygen levels usually and tell you how he is doing.

I don't want to scare you, but this can be really serious. If you feel things are not right, make them check him out again. You pay them to do that and that is there job.

We got sent home the first visit (we were out of town at a hospital by our friend's house) and the doctors there made us feel really stupid - like we were worried for nothing. Two days later I knew he was getting bad and I am glad I trusted my instinct, because when we took him into the other ER, he was pretty bad and the docs said he really needed to be there.

That being said, the biggest thing they can do for him there is give him oxygen if he needs it and other supporting therapies to help him get over this. Viruses do not respond to other forms of treatments so they will not give you antibiotics unless they suspect an infection.

Best of luck and feel free to write with any questions on our experience. I hope he gets over it soon!

Both of my kids have had it. We ended up taking trip to the ER but never had to stay. It gets worse for the first few days & will then get better. I think days 3-4 are usually the worst. Then he should start to get better. Just watch him close. Make sure his lips are not turning blue & his chest is not sinking in between his ribs when he is breathing. He is trying to get all of the extra mucus out of his chest & occasional some will pass. That is when he will sound & look the worst but it will help him after it comes out. Hang in there - it will get better. Once you get pass days 3-4 it will be much better.

Hi M.,

Do you have a vaporizer going 24/7?

Go to the health food store. See if they have little Vit. C tablets for infants that melt in the baby's mouth. I got some in VA and gave to my little great grand daughter when she was sick.

contact ____@____.com and see if she has any suggestions. She uses essential oils as ways to help with health.

Good luck. D.

I am sorry your little man is so sick! Is he on a nebulizer for breathing treatments? I know that when my older daughter got RSV as an infant (and it's REALLY common, unfortunately), she was on breathing treatments...Albuterol and Pulmicort, a few times a day. The coughing actually gets worse for a bit after a breathing treatment, but that's good-because it means the stuff in their chest is breaking up...if you're using a nebulizer, you should gently pound on his back for a few minutes after a treatment to help with breaking the stuff up-he will cough like mad for a bit...and Albuterol makes some kids hyper...but it does work if you have to go that route. I used to do the treatments 1-2 hours before I put my daughter down for bed...and right before I put her down, I'd put some of that baby Vick's rub on her chest and upper back.
Lots of saline drops in the nose and suction out what you can-they hate it, but it does help. If you have to, let him rest in a swing or bouncy seat until he clears the congestion...laying flat is pretty uncomfortable when they have all that gunk.

Did they test to see if he has the flu? My older one got the flu at 4.5 months old (she was too young to get the flu shot the first time the flu season hit)...we ended up in the hospital for a few days...I would ask them to check to make sure it's not that...but I think the no-fever thing is a good sign...

Good luck...I have been there (and I am a teacher, too!) and it is so hard!

Hi, my son is 4 months today and he was in St Christopher's last weekend. Same thing, they kept him for one night and let him go home. Most of the other advice is pretty much right on, just keep an eye on him. My son is just starting to seem his normal self (sleeping again and eating good) and it has been roughly 9 days. If you feel he needs a doctor, go to one. But it does pass (I've been a crazy mess all week watching him). Hope that helps a little.

My son had RSV when he was 3 weeks old. When we brought him home after he was born my older daughter was sick & he caught it. He was hospitalized for 1 week where he received breathing treatments and oxygen. He had a lot of the same symptoms you described. They told me because he was diagnosed early on, he would get worse before he got better. He was released after 1 week but I didn't think he was better. He was still very congested and miserable. I took him into the ER & they sent us home telling me he couldn't still have RSV but the next morning I called his pediatrician to check him out. Sure enough he was hospitalized again for another week. This time he was also dehydrated because he wasn't nursing well because he was still congested. It took a good month before he was feeling better. Don't be afraid to take him back to the Dr. if you feel he's not well. Who knows what would have happened if I had listened to the ER dr's & just took him home. On a positive note my son is now a very healthy & active 3 year old.

RSV can last a long time, like bronchitis or pneumonia. If you are having any worries that your baby is getting worse, then you should immediately call your pediatrician.

There are some things you can do to help make it easier for your little one to breath... run a humidifier, johnson and johnson baby rub to help break up the congestion, elevating one end of your crib when he is sleeping in it.

However, if you believe he is getting worse call the pediatrician or the doctor he saw at the hospital. They will probably want to check him. It is not something you want to "wait and see" with.

Anyhow, I hope this helps. I wish I could have given you something more positive. Good luck and I hope you are able to have Happy Holidays with your little guy breathing easy.

yes, my son had the rsv virus when he was six weeks old, he is now 5 years old. he had it very bad and was admitted to childrens hospital, he could barely breathe as well. the next day they let him out cause he didnt have much of a fever left. at home he will still be very sick, make sure if he has any meds, that he gets them and they probably gave him a nebulizer for breathing treatments,make sure he does that as well. it takes a few weeks for them to make a full recovery, but he will. any changes in breathing or a fever and get him back to the dr, asap. hope this helped ya.