Allergies in 8Mo Old

Hi N.,

My daughter had similar problems. Whenever she got a cold/runny nose it would always turn into this horrible cough (especially bad at night). We finally took her to a pediatric pulmonologist who diagnosed her with infantile asthma. (Pediatrician office would always down play when I brought her in...she was sick at least 1-2 times a month!) For her the trigger was colds but allergies could also be a trigger. She did not have the tipical wheezing that you see with regular asthma.

They started her on nebulizer treatments then to taking singular (chew tablet once a day). This started around 5 months and now at 2 she rarely has coughing episodes.

Here are some of the things we did to manager her cough:
lots of fluids to keep secretions thin and easier to cough up.
for night time (coughing was keeping her awake and she would get exhausted):
*humidifier
*vapor plug in
*cough suppressant/expectorant (make sure package indicates ONLY these 2 conditions so that you are not giving uneccessary medicines). We did this only at night and only when coughing was keeping her from sleep.
*Other alternative to cough medicine is honey (but she is not old enough for that).

I would recommend checking with your pediatrician about cough medicine for guidance. Also askdrsears.com is a great resource. Dr. Sears has posted charts for symptoms and suggests when and what medicines are appropriate with the correct dosages for 2yrs and under.

I know that making a decision to give your child medicine is a tough one with all the unknowns out there.
It was terrible for us seeing our daughter always sick and coughing and coughing and how exhausted she got. She also did not gain weight during that time due to being sick and we had to start working with a nutritionist.

In our situation medical treatment was the best choice and its benefits outweighted the risks of the medicine. I think this is something to evaluate in each individual case. You might give the zyrtec a try and see how it goes-and you can always stop (if this is allergy related she may only need to take it during the peak pollen months).

Good luck!

There is a role for drugs but it has to be a concern in one so young especially if you are looking at possible long-term use. I have gotten rid of my allergies, and so have many friends, by using a top notch nutritional supplement. There is a great product for kids that is really changing people's lives by restoring the balance in the body instead of just treating the symptoms with medications. I'd be more than happy to talk more with you.

Hi N.,

Take your daughter to a chiropractor... it will get rid of her allergies without any meds or any supplements! Zyrtec has never been tested on babies and your doctor is prescribing it off label... be careful!.

Allie

Hi Nikki,

I'm sorry to hear that your daughter has allergies at such a young age and can't shake her cough. My boys, 4 and 18 months, have had the same symptoms on and off for the past year. Spring seems to be their worst season. They are both on Zyrtec (our youngest just started 3 weeks ago.) Their coughs usually take several days to subside at night (coughs are usually worse at night because gravity isn't helping to drain their sinuses), but they do get better. I would suggest letting the Zyrtec work for a week to see if the cough subsides.

Also, see if you can get her to drink more. That should help flush out all the junk stuck in her sinuses.
Good luck. I hope your little one feels better soon.

J. M.

Good Morning N.:

I suggest you seek the advice of a chiropractor. My daughter has allergies and asthma. The adjustments that he gives her brings great relief. It has also allowed her to cut back on meds more quickly.

At first I thought the only way was the meds but was proven wrong when I saw the results after a couple of visits.

If you have insurance check to see if chiropractics is covered at all. If not I suggest calling to see if the office would work with you.

Hope this helps.

Jenn

If it is a nasal allergy I would squirt Little Noses saline spray up her nose at night and in the morning. It helps me and my son out a lot. She may have post nasal drip that is going in her throat that is making her cough. The saline spray should help.

Hi Nikki, If you know what exactly she's allergic to, you can get natural allergy remedies at any health food store or Whole Foods. With natural remedies it helps to know the allergen. Good luck!

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It is probably nasel drip. I put a couple of thick books under one end of the mattress. This will prop up her head. How did they find out it was allergies? Did they run tests? I don't like giving meds unless truely needed, especially in little ones. Saline spray has helped our family as well. I also have used vicks vapor night lights. They work great with colds!

Get some baby's Vicks Vapor rub and put it on her feet. It works! Just no where near her face. And put socks on over it.

Good luck!

I assume you have her laying flat and when you lay flat at night and have allergies you get a lot of post nasal drip which is the reason for the cough so at night get her as upright as she will allow for sleeping it will make a huge difference. Both of my boys have been sleeping almost sitting up the last few nights and helps a lot also keep all of your windows closed.

Edited: have you tried the little remedies allergy block that goes on the outside of the nose to help reduce allergens from getting into the body? they might be worth a try if you haven't tried it yet they are on sale this week at walgreens. we picked some up to try w/ the boys because my oldest has been real bad at night lately.

N. - too funny. I took my 18 month old daughter the doc this am for a cough and some wheezing - i was sure he'd give her antibiotics, but he said no - claritin or zyrtec he said. she's too young to get the allergy testing that the bigger kids and adults get, but since her ears and throat and nose were clear he couldn't diagnose any type of infection. So....where are we now? I haven't picked up the claritin yet - i use claritin myself so that's my choice - zyrtec made me sleepy (i have horrible allergies so this is old hat to me).

Ok, I'll get to the point - if she's coughing in the night, BUT SHE'S NOT WAKING UP, then there's no problem. If she sleeps through the coughing, you are golden and it will clear up. BUT if you hear wheezing, go back to the doc or to the er - you'll want to have a nebulizer at home to help break the stuff up. We have one - use it like 2x a year; it's good peace of mind. ER visits suck - six hours - when we can do it ourselves at home. Steroids work too if the gunk is really stuck in there. Hope that helps. Happy to talk more if you want.

I realize my suggestions are not "natural" - so other tips are keep her bedroom windows closed; keep the pollen out; change her sheets frequently (dust mites); vaccuum often, no pets on furniture, wash hands after touching pets, etc. But sometimes, medicine is most effective. Cheers. - L.

What types of allergies was she diagnosed with? Have you tried using a humidifier or vaporizer at night when she sleeps? I use a great Homeopathic Practitioner in Haverhill, MA, who may be able to help or at least recommend one a bit closer to you. Cyndia Rafferty - website is http://www.holistichorizon.net/.

My son has had food and environmental allergies as well as Eczema since he was 6mo and I went everywhere. The allergist I went to also wanted him on Zyrtec everyday. I am not one to turn to pills and medication to fix any issue. So needless to say, I was very reluctant to do this. My son is now 5 1/2 and although he still mildly suffers with some allergies, he has NEVER taken the "drugs" to prevent them on a regular basis. He has a nebulizer for his Asthma, and uses this only when needed...(i.e. 1 in 3 or four months).

This is by no means stating that your daughter will not need them, but if your open to natural ways to medicate, this is definitely an avenue to explore. AS for trying to prevent them I suggest the humidifiers even in the summer months, and read as many labels as humanly possible and try to stick to the more natural less junk ingredients. It does get better!

Good Luck.