Difficulty Breathing

D.,
I am blessed to have a very recognized Pediatrician as a Godparent for my children. One of the things he told me when the first child was born is that moms KNOW thier child better than any doctor ever will. That said, it almost sounds like you are afraid to seek another opinion (I HATE when I realize the Dr. whom I have trusted my child to is not as good as I thought and hesitate as well about going to another Dr.)and many people are that way- either for insurance reasons, self doubt, etc.
The thing is though that Sophia needs to be seen by someone else. NO baby should be difficult to arouse. No matter how hard they play when they are up or even with allergies (I had a brother who was allergic to EVERYTHING and still ran around like a pingpong ball all day).
Some things that come to mind are why did you mention the blotch on the back of her neck? Is it possible she was bit by something? (spider? mosquito?) Also, after coming from a family of asthmatics, wheezing normally happens on the exhale not inhale, so I doubt Reactive Airway Disease (fancy term for asthma in young children). These are syptoms of something greater and it sounds like you need to consider a lot of things. Did you change bathing products? Did you change cleansers in the house? Do you have paint chips anywhere the baby crawls? (If so take her to the ER NOW and have lead tests run!) Has her intake changed in breastmilk? (in other words, are your breasts a little harder or sore lately due to insufficient emptying?) When were her last shots and do they correlate with any of these symptoms? I am not on the "shots are bad for babies" bandwagon, but there ARE acknowledged risks associated. Is her poop the same or has it changed in consistancy or color? What about her urine output? Color, amount, odor are all important. How does the Dr. know it is her esophogus without tests? He is only guessing unless he did an xray or upper GI or MRI. Did he say how steroids were supposed to fix an esophogeal problem?
Have YOU started any medications (even over the counter) or other foods? Or have you stopped any? Have you had any shots, etc? Ask yourself these questions and any others you can come up with, then write them down and the answers. Somethng will "click" for you or another Dr.
I cannot tell you what is wrong with sweet sophia, but I can tell you to ask yourself to think outside the box here- so that when you see the new pediatrician (and I STRONGLY encourage that ASAP) you will be able to answer and give some specific details to show: 1, you are a responsible mom(we know you are just by your concern!)2, you have done what you can to remedy this and 3, you are NOT messing around. Patients that come in well armed with information are patients that keep a good doctor happy and get a poor one on thier toes immediately. If the doctor does not like that you have armed yourself with information (go to sites like webmd and do the symptom checker and read about ALL the possibilities listed so you know what is out there) then they are threatened and you need to WALK out and find yet another Dr. Most doctors are not threatened by an informed patient, but there are some who would rather you to simply trust in them which is foolish because they are only human too.
PS, I have to say, sports have never CAUSED a heart problem, they only exacerbate a preexisting one OR they are brought on by steroid use during them. That may be a conversation to have with DH, if he used then you need to know for your Sophia's sake and health. (no judgement here, peer pressure makes us all do dumb stuff in teen years.)
Best of luck dear and I will be praying for you and yours.

This sounds very serious. I am not sure where you live, but I would bring her to Yale or NYU Hospital as soon as possible.Don't wait.

Get a second opinion. It sounds like you don't agree with what your doctor is saying, and honestly I believe moms have a sixth sense when it comes to their kids - follow your gut. It could just be allergies/asthma, something very treatable. Just be sure to follow your instincts, you know your child better than the pediatrician. Don't stop looking for an answer until you feel satisfied. Best of luck.

I totally agree with Heather R. Get a second opinion. Asthma/Allergy specialist maybe. Steroids is a long term treatment, that doesn't necessarily show signs of working right away. She might need a more quick acting medicine
Good luck and go with your gut.

Hi D.,
I am a nurse, not a pediatric nurse, so by no means am I an expert on babies, but the pale and lethargic and difficult to arouse caught my eye right away. I don't know how long your baby has been sick, but if you are not happy with how your doctor is managing your baby, by all means, please find another pediatrician.
Ali V

I am sorry you have to go through this, but I think this might be an allergy, Have your doctor run an allergy panel on her blood.

My son was around 1 yr old when we gave him the flue shot and he got croup from it, then on his 1st b-day we gave him the usual cake and Ice cream. He got sick, real sick. Bad cough real mucousy. After 7 days of home monitoring and over the counter treatments took him to Doctors and was told it was just a cold don't worry about it. 7 MORE days go by and a rash on his butt shows up and the cough is worse he is coughing so hard he is throwing up, took him back to the doctors and was told the same thing just a cold don't worry about it, you are wasting your time with all the stuff you are doing (humidifiers, vaporizers, nasal wash, chest physical therapy, cold medicines). 5 more days go by he has a violet line around his lips and his nail beds were turning blue. I took him back and heard the same thing, I was done I took him to a different doctor who ran an RSV culture right there in the office and sent him for blood work and a chest x-ray and they thought he had pneumonia by the chest x-ray gave him antibiotics they did not work then a stronger one and it did not work until we found out he has an EGG allergy. Who knew?

I would insist in some results and fast, if you are not happy with it switch doctors, your instincts are telling you something is not right, do not let ANYONE make you not listen to them, You are doing a great job!

K.

Hi
I don't know how long these symptoms have been going on but I agree with all the opinions so far - you need to bring your daughter for another opinion - maybe a pediatric lung or ENT specialist. I would get the X-ray as well.

Trust your instincts. Get another opinion.

The paleness and lethargy are alarming to me, personally. I would call the pediatrician this morning and get started with testing TODAY...Also, I would be sure to tell him about the pinprick/redness on Sophia's neck (love the name, btw!)

Best wishes to you.
J.
PS - maybe it'd be a GREAT idea to find another pediatrician, but don't wait...also, my daughter has asthma, this does not sound like it...also if she sleeps quietly thru the night, it's not croup. And I doubt allergies would make you pale and lethargic...those are 2 key words our pediatrician told me to watch for, if my kids were pale, lethargic, to bring them in right away. Go to the ER if you can't get in to the ped. today.

Hi D.,

I went through a similiar experience with my son. He was born prematurely and at three months he developed this "noisy breathing". They said that it was the rings in his throat were still soft and floppy. This went on for months and they said he would out grow it. He would sound congested at times but they always said he was fine. When he was 5 months they did a broncoscopy and said they didn't see anything. The noise continued. Last month we took him to the hospital for a fever and they found that he was having problems breahting. He had another broncoscopy and they found that he had two cyst growing under his vocal cords and was blocking his airway. The cyst were blocking 80% of his airway. They removed them and he is doing much better.

M.

Sophia,

YOU MUST SEE ANOTHER DOCTOR!!!!!!! This does not make sense to me and I think your doctor isn't doing enough to figure out what is going on! You don't go from a happy, little smiley pants to a lethargic, tactile defensive baby without something being very wrong. The descriptions you give are very alarming to me--especially pale,lethargic, difficult to arouse--has she been seen by a neurologist? Please immediately seek another 5 opinions if necessary until you get an answer! Don't rely on mamasource only for help--you may get some great ideas and you can check them out, but you must get rid of this doctor!
Many blessings and hugs to you both,
A.
PS--please let us know when she is better!

Hi D., You are right to be concerned. At this time of year, allergies could cause breathing problems but I would continue to work with your Doctor until you get to the problem. Best wishes and prayers, Grandma Mary

Hi D., it sounds to me that you should get a second opinion at a specialist. I don't like the lethargic part and her crying when you touch her. Something is defininetly not right and always go with your instincts when it comes to changes in your children. The doctors don't live with them, we do, and we know when something isn't right. Good luck and look for another opinion.

it sounds like allergies to me,

definately get her heart checked because sorry to disappoint your husband IT is NOT from sports LOL

At this point it could be anything, virus, bacteria,
she is crawling around now breathing fibre's from the carpeting and floors,make sure to put a blanket down for her

it you have dogs or cats it could be from them even if it never seemed to affect her before, -this is because she was not crawling around before

she is crawling around now and that makes them more tired aswell, physical activity is draining

I think its could be allergies,

if she is eating foods now try monitoring them,
giving her only one certain food per week and see the reaction,

dustmites can trigger asthmatic attacks,so can pet dander
make sure her sheets are washed every 3 days and that the thread count is 400 and up

purchasing an air purifier for the house.and her room
should help

also you said she has a stuffy nose , which sounds like allergies, and a sinus drip, using a pillow at her back to help her stay elevated will help the sinus drain properly , making it easier for her to breath, and prevents the mucus from pooling in her throat which may be causing her wheeze,

the fact that she is not coughing, is probably the reason she is still wheezy, were she to cough it would help clear out the mucus making it easier for her to breath.

email me if you want to talk.
or ask me about something

M

Get her to an ent.. ear nose throat doctor.... and have her checked out... Keep going to doctors until you get a good feeling and get to the bottom of this problem. And steroids are not always good... you don't want her to get used to them. if you don't get an answer from ENT.. got to an allergist.. good luck.. If you are in the berkely heights nj area.. dr. Brown is good with allergies.. or Dr. Berg in West Orange for ENT.... or Dr. Mazzara ent in Westfield.. great with kids.. good luck

I don't know where you live, but our pediatric pulminologist, Dr. Hussein Sadhegi at the Tully Medical Center in Stamford, Connecticut is wonderful. I would definitely stay away from the steroids until you see a specialist. They could most definitely stunt the baby's growth. A regular pediatritian will not have the expertise to truley say what is going on. It could be allergies and you may need a special puffer with a ventilator mask. We were having similar issues with our now 2 1/2 year old daughter. He knew immediately what it was and with the treatment her symptoms have already lessoned. While you are at the doctor never hessitate to ask for samples too. That makes a huge difference sometimes and they get everything at wholesale prices. I hope I've been of some help. Good luck and God bless you and your little one. -J. H

this sounds like an allergy, possibly to food?? I also think that it might be a good idea to document her symptoms very carefully. If they go away, great. But, they may also even come back and then you will have a comparison to check with. (us new moms always seem to forget things lately!)
The sleeping thing may be coincidental, a new pattern developing, but don't discount it either.
But do keep in mind, if you genuinely suspect there is something going on, you also have the right to consult another physician if you don't truly trust your first diagnosis. Never feel bad about this, doctors are human. Your first loyalty is to yourself and your child.
Good Luck-
M. P

Hi D.,
Sophia sounds darling. If my baby were doing what your daughter is doing I would check another pediatrician. Also, my guess (and this is only a guess) is that Sophia may have either asthma or allergies to something in your home air. I represent a company that offers help with both of those. Mainly, you need to get the toxic chemicals out of your home. If you'd like to learn more, contact me.
Best of luck,
L.
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www.LiveTotalWellness.com/L.

D.,
It sounds like asthma to me, but I am not an expert. When my son was 2yrs (he's now 4), he had some bacterial induced asthma thing. Anyway, we had to use a nebulizer and some antibiotics for a couple of weeks. My son actually enjoyed the nebulizer for the first few days when the treatments happened the most frequently. My husband and I made a private joke that our son was smoking a bonn (I think that's how you spell it. The weed machine thing.). LOL

Mention asthma to your pediatrician and see what he/she says. My non-doctor degree, mother's-intuition, feeling is that your daughter is sleeping to give her body a chance to get some rest from a lack of oxygen. She's not breathing well enough, and her body is compensating. I agree with the other Mom's who said that you should look for another Dr. if you don't like the answer you get from your current one. It's not that your pediatrician is bad, it's just that another set of eyes may see something different. :-) She will be fine. Just love her to pieces, that's the best medicine!

Great name - my 17 year old daughter is Sophie...On the more serious side, get a second opinion. Pale is worrisome and combined with lethargy - could be circulatory. The aorta intertwines with the esophagus, they can become stuck together. It could also be Lyme or another kind of bite. Have her looked at by someone who will look at her holistically - allergies/bites/respiratory/circulatory etc...find a more holistic MD and you could also consider looking at centerimt.com.(I'm an Integrative Manual Therapist). I hope she feels better soon!

D.-
We have been dealing with this type of thing since my son was 6 mos old....the pediatrician kept calling it croup. I finally put my foot down after getting advice her at mamasource and saw an allergist who diagnosed my little guy with infection/allergy induced asthma. He takes singulair daily and a nebulizer when needed, he is much better. I do knwo from him being on steriods that they totally change their personality. My son is very emotional when he is on steroids the littlest thing can make him cry for hours. Talk to your ped. and demand tests and a specialist...don't let it go.
Good luck,
J.

sounds very familiar to what my son went thru. i wound up taking him to a ped. pulmonologist & he has restrictive airway disease. the wheezing improved alot with a nebulizer 2x/day. He was on Pulmicort & Xopenex. my son also had reflux until he was one year old. that cleared up alot after i took him to a chiropractor. i would definately go see a pulmonologist or even an ENT. My son also had RSV when he was an infant.

Hi,

If I were you I would get a second opinion - immediately. Good luck with your little cutie!
Liz

Hi D.,
My older son is now 7 and has allergies that are also the triggers for his asthma. When he was 2, and again at 3 he was hospitalized for a few days because of it. With small kids allergies/asthma can become very scary--very fast. I couldn't say without a doubt that that is what is troubling Sophia, but I would take a serious look at the wheezing. In conjunction with Sophia's other symptoms, it sounds like it would definitely be worth getting a second opinion, or a consultation with an allergiest. I would also do it as soon as possible. Good luck. Hope little Sophia's smiles come back soon!
~K.

Hi D.,
I don't know what kind of products you are using to clean your home. But your little one might react to the toxic chemicals you have in your home. Now, you might say, I don't have any in my house. If you are buying your cleaning and laundry products from the grocery store or drugstore, you certainly do polute your home. Also, if you are using J&J baby shampoo, stop using it, it contains formaldehyde.
Check out: http://C..healthyhometour.com

I never understand how Dr's can subscribe drugs, and moms can give their babies drugs, they never cure anything!!!

There are very good natural health practitioners around.

Best of everything to you and your baby.

C.

Definitely see another Dr. if for the very least, a 2nd opinion. Especially in light of the fact that she's been on steroids. I'd take her to a reputable ER given her lethargy, paleness & crying when you touch her. My son had the same symptoms and was diagnosed w/ bronchial asthma- he's better now. Asthma attacks can be not so obvious- don't wait out for schedules & tests- let that take place after she's been seen by an ER Doc. Your current Doc may be a bit too relaxed & self assured (some often think parents/mothers are being too worried/hysterical)- however s/he may not be such an expert w/ what your daughter has. I'd bring her to a specialist (pediatric pulmonologist) after seeing the ER right away - & a good Doc would schedule in an "emergency" appointment. I hope it worked out!

Find a pediatric specialist that deals with breathing and heart issues right away. Those things do not sound normal and your regular doctor does not have the same training a specialist does. It will be well worth it if nothing but peace of mind comes from it. A.

Please get a second opinion. It sounds like your daughter may be very sick.

Also, as someone else pointed out already, playing sports, no matter how rough, will not cause heart problems. What that will do is cause an under lying heart problem to surface.

Get an xray done and take the resultts to a specialist. Did you get a full blood work done on her? Your doctor seems unsure what is going on and should not have given her steriods without knowing what is going on with her. Croup is an aweful uncontrolable cough. I had that growing up. If that is what she has put her in the bathroom with the stream on from the shower. Sit on the floor and play with some toys. Make sure the door is closed. Don't put the bathroom fan on. Do this until she stops coughing. It sounds like she may have asthma. Do you have any pets? Carpet? These are the worst for asthma sufferers. I have asthma. Or she could have in the esophaus it is loose flappy. They grow out of it. My daughter had it. It is the flapp where it flapps down to let food go to the stomach. It is scary when they are breathing at night. lay hewr on her stomach not on her back. on the back is worse. If she weezes when she is sleeping making noise like she stops breathing. Rub her back. It went away by the time my daughter was 2. The xray is important because they can tell if she has asthma. If it is asthma then watch cleaning products you use cause everything bothers an asmatic person. If no one can find out what is wrong with her don't be afraid to have the hosiptal check her in and watch her through the night and run tests. Be presistant if you feel something is wrong. If it was the heart the tounge, lips, gums and nail beds would be blue. There is no trouble breathing. My other daughter has born with a heart condition. Sometimes when children get cold they turn a little blue. Put extra clothes on them aroiund there chest. That is what my cardiologist told me. If you took her 6 months ago and she was fine. There would not be a dramatic change in 6 months. Even in a year. There would have to be a significant weight changeMore than two pounds a month) Be over weight. Take her once a year to the cardiologist since your husband has the heart problem. Too be safe.

D.,

I don't have any specific advice other than trust your gut and don't let the doctor play a guessing game. Ours did that with my middle son telling me it's asthma yet 3 months of breathing treatments did nothing to help him. Come to find out, he was suffering from allergies that Clariton or Benedryl cleared up in a matter of days.

If you do not get answers you are happy with, demand to see a specialist. You must be proactive in case you are right and there is something wrong. Obviously SOMETHING is going on and I don't buy the esophagus explanation any more than you do. What changed with her esophagus recently to make this just start happening? She wasn't doing it before, right?

Also, I am surprised he put her on steroids without being sure of anything. If it's a wheezing issue, why didn't he put her on breathing treatments instead? Has he tested her oxygen levels? All they do is put the clothespin looking thing on her finger but her levels should be in the high 90's.

Please get another opinion. The more I read your post the more freaked out I'm getting that this doctor knows what he is doing!

Julie's post is great and you should seriously look it over and answer the questions. I also agree about your husband's heart. That sounds like either he isn't being up front or he had a bogus doctor as a child too. Usually an enlarged heart is because of genetics, an illness like rheumatic fever, high blood pressure, or brought on by other things like chemicals possibly.

On a happy note, what is Sophia's birthday? My youngest is 10 months old as well and was born 8/7. :)

Please keep us posted.

L.

get her tested for lyme.