Infant Sick Baby

I am surprised your dr gave a flu shot while your little man was ill. I was always told by my dr back home in CT, if my child has a cold, or fever, no flu shot. As far as running a temp, that is normal. My 2 kids always run a temp after any shots they received, even the flu shots, and sleep well for there nap and at bedtime. As far as eating, when your little man is ready he will eat his solids again. At least he is taking a bottle and getting his nutrients. I know when I am not well I do not want to eat. Always go with you instinct. you know your son better then your dr and us. if you feel something is wrong with your current ped. find another one who will listen to you and your concerns. keep us posted.

Hi A., I had the same thing happen to my 3 month old. He is now 2 but he had bronchialitus (sp). I had to do a nebulizer for him for 10 days 3 times a day to clear it up. You might want to ask about it. Another thing is try not to spray Lysol in his room or use clorox as it will aggrevate the lungs even more. Only use warm water to clean things around his food and he will eventually clear up. But I woudl definitely ask about a nebulizer. I still have it and can use it if needed just for steam to help with sinuses too. Anyway. I hope this helps.
K. S

I know it is hard having a sick baby. I'm a mother of 2 boys, 4 and 3, and my 3 year old is my sick one. We've been in the hospital 3 different times for dehydration in the last 3 years. The first time he was 4 months old and the doctor gave him his boosters. He had ran a fever of 101 that morning, and when we got to the office, his fever had gone away so she thought it would be ok to give it to him. BIG MISTAKE! He ran a fever of 105 and was hospitalized for 4 days.

As long as your girl is taking in fluids and keeping them down, that is great! It'll take a little while for her to want solids again but she'll get there.

As for the booster shots in a few weeks, if the coughing and congestion is gone, and she hasn't ran a fever the week before the shots, then she should be just fine. Be sure to give her some Tylenol before she gets the shots, that way it will keep her fever from going up to high. If she is sick a few days before the shots or is running a fever, put it off for another week.

I hope this helps your decision.

My doctor gave my daughter her booster shots when she was sick and the same thing happend - you aren't the only one. Now I make sure my kids are WELL before we have any shots.

Did they do a strep test? Not wanting food shows me that he's sore in the throat...and just because they get the flu shot doesn't mean they can't get the flu. I'd take him back and insist on testing. There is nothing worse than a miserable baby who can't tell you what's wrong...

A., Sounds like a rough week! I am certainly not a doctor, but I did not think you were supposed to give vaccinations to a sick child. This could be why your baby had such an adverse reaction. I recently spoke to my pediatrician, and found out that although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the flu shot to kids under 2, she does not except in extreme circumstances (compromised immune system, etc.) but not for a healthy baby. I know that doesn't help you now, but I found it nice to know.

As long as your baby is getting enough fluids, he will be fine, and he knows what he needs. He will start back on solids soon I'm sure, just take it slow and let him lead. Maybe his throat hurts and he does not want to swallow too much. Try some broth maybe? Vegetable or chicken noodle, something really soft and soupy. And as a mother who tries to steer away from medicine, I find myself giving Motrin or Benadryl before bed when she is feeling really rotten, it helps her to sleep better and get some rest, then wake up feeling a little better in the morning. Just watch out for the Benadryl, careful not to overdose!!

Hope that helps, and that your little boy feels better soon!!

You should have listened to your instincts instead of putting your faith in an imperfect individual wearing a chef's coat with a colorful title behind her name. You work WITH the doctor, SIDE BY SIDE, SHE'S NOT IN FRONT, however you always, always make the final decision. You respectfully sit there and listen and let her talk until her lovely lashes turn backwards, but, always listen to your inside voice. You may also want to find another pediatrician, it's pretty obvious that she slept through a couple of classes in medical school and again, I'm sure your inside voice has told you to move on and find another. When it comes to allowing your precious son any additional shots, take this motto to heart: NO SHOTS, NO HARM. No harm to you with sleepless nights, taking off from work and feeling guilty that you made a mistake and no harm to your innocent son who depends solely on you to make the BEST decisions for him.
I suggest you do a hands-off approach to allow his body to recover. Your son's body is yelling, "please stop!" You may want to investigate a homeopathic physician who can help with removing those toxins out of his body (contact Quintessential Health in Atlanta, Georgia) to assist with rebuilding his immune system. If I were in your shoes, I would hold off on ALL vaccinations for a couple of years and even if you still decide to vaccinate try reading
Dr. Stephane Caves' book concerning vaccines. She gives a great protocol and tells you steps to take before and after you vaccinate your child. Remember, being a mother is a powerful blessing, never second guess your title and take this crown off your head again for anyone! I remember when I was a mother for the first time, it was scary, but in hindsight, If I had a complete stranger to plant just a little seed of new knowledge within me at that time, I would have made better decisions for my son. Even so, I was blessed to try again with my 2nd child and I'm soooo on it now. With each child we try to do better.

Be Well
S.

A.,

My 7 month old also received her flu shot last friday and on friday night she ran a fever of 102.6 until we gave her some infant tylenol. She must have broken the fever over night because the next day she was okay. She is still a little fussier than normal, but that is usual after she gets shots (she just wants mommy). I don't think that the flu shot and his cough are related, although I am surprised they gave the shot to him when he was sick. I had to wait for my baby to get her 6 month vaccinations due to an ear infection. When you get a vaccination, your immune system is more susceptible to getting colds, fevers, and such. If anything the shot just brought out sooner what your son was already going to experience. I would definitely wait to get the booster though until he is feeing better. My daughter has had a cough off and on for the past couple of months but it is getting better and her pediatrician says minus any warning signs or complications of a more progressive illness (like pneumonia or RSV), then a cough is okay because it teaches the body how to reject things that go down the wrong pipe and how to clear things from the lungs. I had many sleepless nights there for a while but she is soooo much better now since I just let her body work it out. I hope your son feels better soon, and keep the humidifier and love flowing=)

T.

It's weird to me, I took my baby boy yesterday for his check up and the doctor told me to wait to give the flu shot to him till Monday, because the day before he was running a fever. He said it was OK to give him the flu shot, but not till Friday or Monday, not when he's sick he told me.

I agree about not giving babies the flu shot - but probably for different reasons.
Did your Dr mention that once you get the flu shot, your baby's body is less able to create their own immunities to the flu, and that he will have to get a flu shot every year?

I know they recommend it for the very young/very old, but personally, I think it's over reacting. Does your some have immune issues?

My granddaughter just got her flu shot, becasue my daughter didn't know that it would have to be repeated every year. She was not told until afterwards. Now she is upset, for the same reason I am. In our family, we generally have VERY good immune systems, and my kids have only gotten the vaccines required by law.

My granddaughter did get a little ill after her shot, but only for 2 days.

As for the congestion, have you tried vicks vapo-rub and a hot water vaporizer? (Hot water so it evaporates easier and does not make his lungs "wet").

Good luck, and please keep us informed.

Sorry if this was long and preachy...

This has never happened to me, but I strongly suggest you find a new doctor. Even though it is a dead virus, the body still has to "fight" it while it was trying to fight another disease as well. Here is a good website for information about the flu shot as well as other vaccinations - http://www.nvic.org/Diseases/influenzafacts.htm
I hope your little son gets to feeling better soon! I'm glad he is taking his bottle again. Hopefully he'll start eating again soon.

My daughter recieved the flu shot when she was nine months old-it did make her sick. She ran a fever for 3 to 4 days. I have a 3 month old baby as well and this year neither one of them is getting the flu shot.

All prayers are with you and the baby. I'd consider another dr mine will not give flu shots or any while a child is sick you are not at any fault all we can do if not in the medical field is ask questions and try to educate ourselves best we can..always trust you little voice as adults we stop listening to it but as children we listened to it...you can only do the best you can with the advise you receive you are not a bad mom.
Prayers for a speedy recovery.

i honestly don't know that the shot cause the fever. But I do find it odd the gave it when your baby was sick at the time, I thought they usualy didn't do that. All three of my kids have had bronchiolitis and they had super fevers along the way. Their doctor at the time had me use a miachine that blew out the medicine (my brain's not wanting to remember what its called). I wouldn't worry about him not eating as long as he keeps drinking, that's what the doctors allways told us. I'd keep trying to offer him food, stuff you know he likes. I kn ow when I'm sick I don't eat much, its hard to eat and breath and cough all at the same time!!! Good luck and there's no harm in calling the doctor if you're worried.

I am sorry to hear the little one is sick. I have never heard of a doctor recommending any kind of injection flu, pneumonia and routine while they are sick, I know when I get a flu shot for acouple of days I feel like I have a mild case of the flu. Hope he gets better son.

I am very surprised your doctor said it was okay to give the flu shot to your 7 month old- that is very young. good for you to wait on the next set of shots - we are just now starting my son on his shots at 2 due to being so young for that amount of chemicals in the system.We are also not doing all of them, only the ones we feel are crucial(and only because this is a compromise between me and my husband, otherwise, menengitis would be the only one I would choose for my son) We decided to do the whooping cough vaccine at 6 months due to children dying in Asheville of the illness (where we lived at the time), and my son had a fever, was lathargic and not himself for almost a week-it was very scary.
I say keep the fluids in (if you are nursing, do it A LOT) and keep unnecessary meds out of him-they can prolong the body healing itself.I would look in homeopathic as well, they work wonderfully on my son. I wouldn't worry about the foods as long as he is drinking, that will come when he feels himself again.
I say switch doctors, sounds like you've lost your faith in yours and that's not a good thing. Also, research vaccines before sticking them in your child. Dr. Sears just came out with a new one that is unbiased, and wonderful information on each shot. www.askdrsears.com .

Flu shots are one of the few remaining vaccinations that contain the preservitive thimerisol. I would strongly suggest that you not give your son the booster and before receiving any vaccinations ask your pediatrician if the contain this preservitive. If you have any questions about this please feel free to respond back. I agree with most of the posts that this vaccination probably just aggravated an illness that already existed. Just always listen to your gut instincts, because they are usually correct.

His illness is most liely not from the flu shot... He could have already been in the process of getting something... due to the fact that the flu shot is a Dead virus and if it where the flu it takes 7 - 10 days for a person to show symptoms of any cold or virus. So chances are that with him being in daycare you littly guy was already going to be sick... and this is coming from experience my daughter is 15 months old and the 9 months of her life she was sick every other week. So you might want to get the booster because it may cause other problems... and plus with what you described the flu is much worse then that. So that is my advise... and it is all from experience....
M.
PS I am not a doctor either..... I am a cosmetologist.... and my husband is a mechanic... so I am not sitting here promoting flu shots but they are good things to do.

Surprise is what I would say about your doctor giving a flu shot to a sick baby. That is very uncommon.
It's hard to say what your baby is going through right now (whether it is from the shot or the virus)... but my baby just had the same nasty cough and he has refused to eat off and on for the past two weeks. He lost atleast a pound... and from what I understand it's a nasty virus going around...some people (kids and adults)are even vomiting.
Try pedisure... just to get vitamins and calories in him.
Best of Luck!

A.,

Is your son still having trouble breathing??? If so, you need to count how many times he breaths by watching his chest go up and down. If it more than 40 times per minute, you need to take him to the doctor immediately. Bronchiolitis is the precursor to RSV a very serious respiratory virus. My son had it at 5 months with the very same symptoms. If he is still coughing, wheezing, etc., please demand an RSV test from your doctor.

T.

Oh A., that poor baby. I hope he feels better soon. What i am about to say is strictly just my opinion & always ask your dr and use your mommy judgement for your baby.

I think you should never give a baby a vaccine when they are sick. The vaccine is to stimulate the immune system which if they are sick is already working overtime. Most dr's say to give it, but only if they don't have a fever. I personally forgoe the vaccine until my babies are well. However, I don't allow them to have the flu vaccine, but they aren't in daycare. Some of the flu vaccines still contain mercury. You can look on the fda website for a list of which vaccines have mercury, etc.

http://www.fda.gov/cber/vaccine/thimerosal.htm

As far as your baby not eating solids, both of my babies went through this when they were sick even though they were hefty eaters previously. It took a while to return to normal, meaning they had no real major signs of sickness but just still weren't eating well. Then a few days they'd start eating like normal. To give you a timeline, I'd say they'd be 8-9 days into a cold which was basically over, and start eating good at about 12-14 days into the cold. I wouldnt worry too much as long as he was drinking his bottles and peeing & pooping fine. If he starts decreasing wet diapers, then he could be getting dehydrated. So do keep a close eye on that. But for the most part he should be ok, just take a while to return to "normal" eating.

I hope your little one gets better soon, and always, always follow your mommy instinct. We know our babies and the dr knows medical protocol, but that isn't always for every baby.

A.,

I am really surprised that your dr. gave your son the flu shot even though he was sick already. Where I work, we give flu shots and we WILL not give a shot to anyone who is sick even if it's just a cold. Your son's immune system was already weak and I think the flu shot probably aggravated it. Have you called your pediatrician? Since he's not eating....could he have a sore throat? If I were you and he is still not any better, I would make another appt. with the pediatrician. Sometimes you have to force them to do something! Good luck! I hope you have your healthy baby back soon!

Has your son had bad side effects from any other shots he's been given?? My daughter is 11 months and had the flu shot yesterday, she was a little cranky, but no fever. She slept really well last night. Perhaps he reacted poorly to the shot or it was a combination of things that kept his fever up (the bronchitis, teething). As long as he's drinking, I wouldn't worry too much about not eating right now. Poor baby. Hope he's feeling better.

A., I would recommend a second opinion (just another doc in the practice would do). It's so easy to connect the dots that we see. I think it's important to remember that doctors might see dots we can't! I think you're right to listen to your gut...I also think it would be smart to gather more information. In my experience, my children have never had a problem with the flu shot or any vaccinations. Just take a little time and get some good, sound, professional advise before you make a decision that could affect the health of your child.

Good luck!

he is prob not eating solids because his throat is sore from the coughing. and yes the flu vaccine is a dead virus that does occasionly cause fever / flu like symptoms a few days after wards, but it also keeps baby from getting the flu again this year. Booster shots do the same thing, they are dead strands of the virus that will keep your child from getting the big bad version. Id just keep giving him his bottle and offer him soft stuff like noodles and little pieces of cheese.

When my son was about 8 months old and had a fever of 103 he actually had a hole in his ear drum and his pediactrician never caught it b/c it was so small and we had to go to the emergency room, and during this time he absolutly refused to eat he just cried and I thought I was going to go crazy, I don't know if he is showing any signs of favoring an ear but I was told a high fever usually indicates ear infections. Hope this may help.

Hi A.-

I am a mother of a 5-year old boy, and I feel that I have a balanced approach towards vaccines. I have allowed my son to have the menengitus and streppocauccus (have no idea how to spell these) vaccines, but none others. Both of these diseases are extremely rapid and have a high-risk of fatality, and the vaccines have proven to have very little risk of side effects. Contrary, some of the other diseases that they vaccinate our little ones for (measles, chickenpox, diptheria- who gets diptheria anymore?) are not rapid nor have a high fatality rate (anymore- maybe they did in the 50's). They are uncomfortable and can be serious, but the documentation on the risks of these vaccines is, to me, much riskier. You as a mother have an instinct about your child that no one else has, and it is your privilege to act on those instincts. That's why a mother's milk adjusts its antibodies when the child is sick. It's why you know the difference between hungry cries and needy cries. Don't doubt your instincts, but also don't let fear take over. Just be informed and stand up for what's best for your child. You can do a lot of good research on the different vaccinations and then make your own choices by going to http://www.nvic.org/About.htm. Of course, to have him in daycare w/out the vaccines, you'll have to claim religious exemption, and you'll face some pressure from some doctors. But the exemption is very easy to do and, hey, if you feel in your gut that's it's the best for your child, who cares about the stigma? I have actually been told by a doctor that he would not see my son b/c he didn't have all his vaccinations. I told him that was fine with me, I wouldn't be back. Any doctor that doesn't credit the mother's intuitions nor the pros/ cons of vaccinations and therefore consider all options, is of no use to me. I am very surprised that your Dr. gave your 7-mo old son a vaccination when he was already sick. I thought that was a big no no because your body can't build up the immunity to the vaccine when it's already fighting a real thing (building immunity by the body attacking the injected virus is the whole point of vaccinations). A fever is the body's way of killing a virus, by getting the body temperature higher than a virus can survive through. Poor guy was miserable enough! I would consider not returning to that doctor (just my personal opinion). In the meantime, with your little guy having such bad symptoms, keep him away from dairy (causes mucus) at least for now, and with the solid food thing, try giving him just sweet stuff for right now. It's easier for the stomach to handle, and the response to the sugars will more than likely prompt his body to want more complex carbs/ protein. That's always worked for my son. He probably has a lot of drainage that's making his stomach nauseous, and, let's face it, when we're that congested, nothing tastes very good.
If the congestion is a chronic thing, you might consider trying an elimination diet of wheat and dairy (at different times) to see if he has an allergy to them. Many children do and it's often misdiagnosed as chronic ear infections, chronic bronch, etc. That's because some children lack the enzymes required to break those down, which causes inflammation. Where there's inflammation, the body creates mucus as a defense. That was the case for me and it led to being on antibiotics for most of my young life. Unfortunately, that caused chronic yeast infections for the rest of my life! We have to get down to the root of the problem instead of always trying to fix the symptoms (i.e., antibiotics). Luckily, when my brother came along, my mom had wisened up and just kept him off of those 2 foods. He only got congested when he ate those things. The good news is that as they get older, their body outgrows the allergy. Just another thing that the doctors won't always tell you! Anyway, good luck!

Please be careful. My 4 year old daughter had a cough with no other symtoms. I took her to the doctor and she had phnemonia in both lungs. I would get a second opinion.
D.

Hello i am very sorry to hear that your baby is sick.Have you asked your dr.if maybe he could have rsv or the croup.my little girl had both and what you describe sounds like rsv.my baby had that and the fever lasted almost a week and then once the fever went away the other system slowly went away.i dont think it has anything to do with the shot.i do think you should get the booster shot.if your baby gets the flu it could be alot worst.i hope everything works out and your baby gets better.just be patient and remember it will pass

I'am also surprised he was giving the shot while he was sick. I always thought that was not done. However, just to play devil's advocate here... my daughter got the flu at 5 mos. (too young for the flu shot) and it was AWFUL... it's really a nasty illness in kids that young. While I don't get them myself, I have gotten them for my kids ever since. Good luck whatever you decide.

I am a nurse and have worked with many babies with bronchiolitis. It is very likely that he would have been that sick even if he had not had the flu shot. Everything you described sounds like things that a baby with bronchiolitis can go through. Many babies are hospitalized with the flu and I feel the flu shot is important for them. However it may have been a good idea for the doctor to have waited until your soon was well before giving him the shot. I would probably discuss this with your doctor before ruling out the booster shot. I hope your son is soon better.

My doctor wont give shots if a child is sick.Dont know why your doctor rec. it but not only would my doctor had stopped the coaching but he wouldnt be dumb enough to give a baby that is already sick a shot that will make him feel worst.

Hi A.,

There was a time for vaccinations in our history. And there may even be a time today but it is the pharmaceutical industry is who is educating our doctors today. What they learn after medical school is only what they seek out and the pharmaceutical reps take advantage of that. These drug companies are about profits. If cheaper ingredients work, they use them. Consequences are not weighed.

Google, google, google! There is a lot of info on the web about vaccines. One article is http://educate-yourself.org/vcd/howensteinwhyyoushouldavo...
I started researching all of this when my best friend's bright, beautiful daughter went in for her shots and came out almost mentally retarded. They have had such a struggle.

My kids have not been vaccinated since (3 months and 3 years) and they have not been sick since either! They are now 12 and 15 and they DO NOT get sick! Their natural immunities have been strenghtened!

The flu shot, in "natural" circles, has documentation of causing dementia if take 5 consecutive year. My mom and dad were the only people in the assisted living facility they lived in that didn't get the flu (from age 80 to 85, they're both the same age.) They stopped taking the flu shot shortly before they moved in. All the other residents had the flu shot!

If a cholera epidemic invades the US, I'll probably get everyone vaccinated but I'll weigh the consequences then.
I hope I've helped. You can't undo the things you've done,so don't stress it. I'm the "what if" type and I have to fight that. Just research and go from here!

Take care!

M.

Children can run fevers from the bronchitis or the flu shot. Your doctor is right about needing it. Believe me the last thing you want is a child sick with the flu. The flu is actually deadly. The bronchitis is probably worsening. You may want to take him back to the doctor or at least call them. You probably need a steriod type drug like Orapred. You should go back and get the booster. Maybe just make sure he is closer to being well. Call the doctor. Dont get mad at them. Talk to them. If they are bad doctors and dont spend the proper time explaining things to you then either continue to ask questions until you are satisified or switch doctors.