An Always Sick Baby

Doctors have stopped giving young children over the counter cold and flu medications. Can you check with your ENT who put the tubes in about the sinus problem? Have you seen a pulmonologist yet about the asthma? Our son was diagnosed with asthma at age 2 and we didn't see a pulmonologist until he was 4. I wish we had gone earlier because the medications and schedule he put my son on have made all the difference in the world. It sounds like your son may have allergies too. You can have a blood RAST test done now to see and as he gets older he can be skin tested. Avoiding his "triggers" will be helpful. Many young children are allergic to dust mites and I was advised to wash ALL of my son's bedding in hot water every week and keep dust mite covers on the mattress (and pillows when he is old enough for pillows). Vacuum his room regularly (although not when he is in it.) Dairy is frequently a problem for children that age also. My son switched to goat milk for a couple of years. In the meantime have you tried some saline nose drops? Probably kind of tricky for a baby his age, but those are good for the sinuses. Elevate his mattress on the head end? Moisture in the air is good for the sinuses, but not the asthma. You might want to double check this, but I think he is old enough for honey which is very soothing for a cough. You can put it in his drinks or if he likes it just give him a spoonful of honey if he is coughing. I've been down your road and the ear tubes, allergy specialist, pulmonologist and the above home remedies have all been helpful for my son. Good luck!

I recommend buying a humidifier and running it in the baby's room at night. Micinex for kids works wonders too.

I would take him to a chiropractor...amazing things can happen...

Has the ENT checked his adenoids? If you can, have the doctor who put the tubes in check his sinuses for sinusitis and also his tonsils and adenoids. It might be a combo.

I hope your little one feels better soon, especially with the weather warming up a bit.

Vapor bath with the bathroom steamed-up and then cool air will open the sinuses. A cool mist humidifier and vicks vapor rub too.

J.,

My 8 month old was sick for several months (starting when he was only 3 weeks old)...His big brother would catch a cold or something at daycare, and then pass it to him, then mom and dad would get it too. I have breastfed both of my boys, hoping to help boost their immune systems, but, Jake (my 8 month old) couldn't catch a break for the first several months.

Eventually, we got thru it, he's been relatively healthy for at least 3 months now, we survived flu season so far unscaved.

He did have an eardrum rupture a few months ago, and had to take ammoxicillan (sp)...but, the best thing we've done to help him breathe and sleep at night is use a humidifier in the bedroom every night, and move it into the living room during the day. I also used baby vapor creme (Johnson and Johnson I think) on his chest, and used the suction bulb (his big brother wouldn't let me touch him with one)...It clears things out for sure!!!

Hope that might help???

Sorry to hear about your son. It must be frustrating and scary having him continually sick!

Have you thought about taking him to a chiropractor? They work wonders with babies. The chiropractor near my house is great (Lauderdale Wellness Center) and he accepts Blue Cross, Health Partners and a bunch of other insurance providers.

Good Luck!!

There is a sinus saline wash that they sell over the counter that works really well for my daughter. With a 15 month old, you would probably need to consult your doctor first but it works very well and helps keep the area clear of germs with no drugs.

As crazy as it sounds, you may want to try converting your home to chemical free alternatives for personal care and cleaning products. I personally have allergies and asthma and since converting when my first daughter was born (about 4 years ago) I have had very few issues with either illness. My kids are very healthy I think for a 4 and 2 year old (and a baby on the way). We use Melaleuca products (see their website online) or you can try a variety of natural products that Target or grocery stores carry. It's worth a try for the safety of your kids and the environment. It continues to work well for us! Good luck!

I just did a quick "look up" in my Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine by Michael T. Murray and Joseph Pizzorno. A couple things I found are:
Omega 3's, Vitamin C and other antioxidants, vitamin B6 and magnesium all help asthma. They say asthmatics should stay away from salt. There's a whole bunch of other info., but this may help.

Have you tried taking him off of dairy? My daughter drinks goat's milk because she was always sick on cow's milk. I also think the Chiropractor will help.
Garlic and mullein oil drops work wonders for ear infections.
You can but them at any natural food store for about $8.
Your child is old enough to eat honey so I think you could start spreading it on toast or something. Honey has amazing probiotic properties and is an immune system booster. Of course, the best thing would be to run all of these suggestions past your pediatrician and/or chiropractor.
I would also recommend a supplement like Juice Plus or Xango. Click on the Local Business Reviews link to see if anyone in your area sells them.
Good luck to you!

You may want to try an elimination diet to see if something is bothering him that he eats often. I'd try cutting dairy first as that can cause ear and sinus issues. Be sure to read all the labels of prepared foods and check for milk derivatives like whey and casein. Good luck.
S.

I would also agree with those recommending a chiropractor who specializes in seeing children. Both of my kids have seen a chiropractor since birth and neither have ever had an ear infection or major illness. We see Dr. Zilka at Woodlake Chiropractic in Richfield. They work with a lot of families and the treatment for children is not scary or painful at all. (no bone crunching!) It is very natural and easy. Studies have proven that chiropractic care can help with the problems you mentioned.

Good luck! A.

have you looked into the foods he is eating? things like that can be as simple as food sensativities. my chriopractor's name is carol lipschultz and she has helped so many people. her # is ###-###-#### & she's in st. paul. she does homeopathic remedies along with many other things. doesn't sound like regual meds are doing anything, so this route could really be the answer. good luck!

I am guessing you nursed your baby until about six months ago. Sounds like a food sensitivity to me. I would wipe out dairy first. Try rice milk fortified with calcium. Or, think back to when your baby first started being sick alot. Did you introduce a new food then? That is why I guess it to be a dairy problem. Most kids don't get any other milk products until they wean from Mommy's milk. Dairy and wheat are known to be mucous-producing. Good luck.

SAHM of three.

Milk makes our bodies produce extra mucus, which doesn't bother most people. In some people, it can cause real problems. If your little one is experiencing ear, sinus and athsma, it could be from that. Because it costs nothing and has no side effects, try taking your little one off dairy entirely for 2 weeks. It can be frustrating to do, but it is much easier in the long run than anything else. If you search online about this subject, you'll find lots of information. Good luck!

Wheat, dairy and fruit juice are always the culprits when ear infections and asthma are the symptoms. Tubes won't help much when your child's diet is heavy on any one or all of these items.

Take him off dairy-based formula and stop giving juice as a beverage. Eliminate wheat and dairy in general... After just one week without these trigger foods your baby should start to feel much better. But don't be fooled... adding these foods back in will just make it all come back again.

Do a google search on alternative treatments for asthma and ear infection. You will be impressed with how much is known about these problems that doctors don't know and over-the-counter medications don't cure.

Good luck!

You may want to try a pediatric chiropractor that does food testing. He may have some food allergies. We go to Lake Pointe Chiropractic and Wellness.

Have you tried going to a chiropractor. Sometimes that helps when nothing else will. I'll be praying.
J. H.

I strongly reccomend seeing a chiropractor! It really helped my son & dgtr when they started having alot of ear infections!

Hi

I would agree on having them check his tonsils & adnoids. My son seemed to constantly have a cold & he has sleep apnea. The ENT removed adnoids & tonsils & life has been alot better for all of us.

Hi J., I'm not sure where you live but I can share my story with you and perhaps you can find someone near you. My youngest daughter has battled illnesses since she came out of the womb. My oldest NEVER seems to get sick, my youngest captures the slightest thing that flies past her face. We too went through ear tubes (which was a miracle treatment in itself!), we had so many appointments with her pediatrician that I should have just popped up a tent outside the office, and kept her ENT quite busy as well. She got diaper rash so bad that she would get 2nd degree burns on contact. I was beside myself and didn't know how to help my baby. I would walk into the natural food store and be overwhelmed with choices and scared of them at the same time.

What I finally ended up doing was taking her to a doctor that specializes in homeopathy/kinesiology (or voodoo doctor as my husband would call her - that is until he saw the results for himself!) A kinesiologist studies movement and is a crazy way of helping to diagnose problems - had I not seen it for myself I would have balked at the idea of it. My daughter would sit on my lap, and me with one arm wrapped tightly around her and the other out stiff to the side. The doctor would then have my daughter hold different items in her hand or she would hold them against her belly while pressing down on my arm. I know this sounds strange, but I could tell when my daughter had a hard time with something because my arm would become much weaker. It would become weaker in different areas as well, which would tell the doctor what part of my daughters body was being affected. We found out that her body wasn't digesting hardly anything that went into her mouth which was leading to the horrible diaper rash. So the doctor put her on digestive enzymes. We found out that she's allergic to tree nuts, which we have since found that out the hard way and now carry an epi-pen for. Her liver was weak and couldn't process some foods and was put on a series of herbal formulas (all approved by her pediatrician as well).

I can't begin to tell you the difference it made with my daughter, although she still gets the winter crud - it's nothing unusual and goes away as fast as it comes. Her liver is now functioning the way it's suppose to and all of her food is now properly digested. She hasn't needed to take any herbs or enzymes for the past year or so, but I really do believe that she was able to help her body repair itself holistically. I am thankful for antibiotics, but fear them as well. I don't know enough about herbs and have heard some scary things about them too. But I would highly recommend talking to a holistic doctor and looking into kinesiology - it made the world of difference in my daughters life. I think my daughters little body was struggling just to function properly and therefore didn't have the ability to fight off illnesses like it should. This is only my suggestion, everyone views things differently - but when multiple trips to the pediatrician left us with no results and only more antibiotics pushing through her delicate system I knew I had to find another answer - this was ours! Good luck!

Our doctor:
Dr. Hadley
Deephaven, MN
###-###-####
http://www.fusionlifespa.com

For natural remedies, I like to reference the website http://www.betterlifeunlimited.com. And, I would try probiotics...they can come in a powder form that you can just sprinkle on your son's cereal or into a drink. The Activa yogurts and such have some probiotics in them, but I would recommend getting some in the powder form that have the whole span of them in it as the stuff in yogurt only has a portion of the probiotics. Also, have you tried a really good air purifier for your home? They can be a little costly, but can make a huge difference, and cut down on medical expenses, prescriptions, etc.

Hello J.

Sorry to read of your struggles! Didos on all the chiropractor suggestions! Here in Chanhassen, Mn we use Valeo Health and Wellness. http://www.valeowc.com/valeo/index.jsp Dr. Aaron Morland is the owner. They may have some suggestions for someone in your area?

Secondly, take a look at your home environment. What do you use for your cleaning, laundry, personal care items? Do you use Lysol, air fresheners, plug-ins, furniture polish from a pressurized can like Endust...? These are all main components for childhood allergies and respiratory issues.

If you are interested in a way to clean up your indoor air quality let me know. I would be happy to share more information about what we have done in our own home. The health in our home has improved dramatically! Our daughter started kindergarten this year. The only time she has been sick is the short bought of influenza late last month. It lasted from Thurs. pm to Tues am. Our bodies are not having to constantly get rid of toxins which in turn effect the efficency of our immune system.

My email is ____@____.com

God Bless

K. E

Based on my own family's history, it sounds to me like he probably has allergies. Find a good allergist that will check for both food & environmental allergies. I know there is a good one that my mom, siblings, & aunts go to in LaCrosse, WI (sorry, don't have his name, but if you want it, you can email me & I'll get it for you).