Nervous Wreck-baby Constantly Getting Sick and Growth Has Leveled Off

Reflux can develop at any time. Give the medicine a chance to work. If it doesn't, there are lots of other. Prilosec works for mine. After it works, he'll start eating solids again. (The same thing happened to my baby. He loved eating and then developed reflux and stopped eating solids for a couple months. As soon as the medicine starting working, he started eating again....and sleeping better too.) I wouldn't be worried at all about the crawling. He's not too old to be crawling the way he does. My kids both started crawling on hands and knees at 9.5 months. Some kids never do...they just skip it, and that's ok too.

I will second what Jessica and others have said...NO FORMULA! Formula actually weakens a child's immune sysytem so you don't want that when he's already feeling ill.

Second, no drugs! YOur baby is far too young for acid reflux (or any other) drugs, which some studies suggesat isn't even a real illness but rather a reaction to improper nutrition. The drugs are toxins and toxins will also weaken an immune system.

Our son is 16 mo and has only had one 3 day cold. I will tell you what we do.

We breastfeed. He didn't get solids until 9 months and those solids were local live organic veggies that I would steam and mash. As he got older, he got raw goats milk, local sheeps milk yogurt, and then local pastured meats. We still breastfeed.

He gets 1-2 tsp of raw organic extra virgin coconut oil daily. NOt only does this stuff improve your immune system, it help with teeth, hair, skin nails, and digestive issues. IT's a miracle.

He's outside all the time and in the winter we sleep with our windows open. Fresh COLD air is fantastic for their immune sysytems. Get him some wolly long johns and take him outside every chance you get.

If you are nursing, take 1000 mg of vitamin c daily to also up his intake of vitamin c.

Be smart about germs. Clean shopping cart handles, public tables, public high chairs, and wash his hands like crazy. Do not let him crawl around on floors and then put his hands in his mouth.

Good luck!

Oh hon, you are doing a great job! Now you need to breathe. Your son is going to be just fine- go back and re-read what you wrote about him. He sounds smart and funny and completely on track developmentally. And btw, commando crawling is just fine! Plenty of kids never crawl with their bellies off the floor! My friend's baby commando crawled until 13 months, and then he moved straight into running...

In terms of being sick all the time, this just sounds like a reality of daycare. Many kids go through this their first year in daycare, and it's eternally frustrating for their parents. The good news: preschool won't make him sick all the time, because his immune system will be used to it by then. The bad news: you all have to suffer now. :( I don't think there's a real way out of this. My son isn't in daycare, but he gets sick all the time from playgroups. It's just part of the whole "socializing" thing.

That being said, you want him to be able eat. Are you giving him finger foods yet? Maybe skip the pureed stuff, and start giving him food to eat on his own. And while milk can definitely make snot worse, I don't think you should give up yogurt. Most kids with a sensitivity to dairy can still handle yogurt, and it has really good bacteria in it! That helps with the immune system! You can also give drinkable yogurt or kefir (even more healthy bacteria than yogurt) in a bottle or sippy cup. Tastes yummy, really healthy, and adds calories to the diet. I bet your son would love it!

At this point, I don't know that formula will really help him. I'd stick with breast milk, as long as you're happy nursing, and just add in the kefir. Stick with the Zantac for a few weeks, too. Reflux can occur without spitting up, and symptoms can include gagging, choking, coughing, and/or not gaining weight. After a few weeks, if you don't see any improvement, then you can probably cut the medicine out.

Good luck, and cut yourself some slack. Your son sounds fabulous! :)

Hi W.-

My now 3 y.o. son also was sick & congested after starting daycare at 4 months of age. He went to a small place for only 3 days per week. I breastfed but wasn't so great w/ pumping in the day when at work. He was a nurseaholic when I was w/ him and I wanted him to get as much breastmilk as possible to strengthen his immune system etc..
I did not want to just accept that this is a "normal" situation w/ being exposed to germs etc. and his immune system developing. Being raised by a nurse who was quite a health nut, I too try to practice good nutrition-I think it is the root of good health. So I saw a nutritionist and I researched a bit on line w/ infant's health. I started giving my son probiotics as well as nordic naturals cod liver oil for babies in his food. The probiotics I gave were an infant formula - bifidus infantis (or something like that) - a good brand you can get in a good health food store. It helped.
He was so ill (GERD) & allergic when I gave him formula for the time I wasn't w/ him and I was directed to Alimentum formula - it is more expensive but is developed especially for infants who cannot tolerate the milk solids in "regular" formula - which no child should ever be given anyway in addition to most of the additives put into formulas as their fragile bodies and undeveloped digestive system cannot use or handle what is in it. Anyway if you need to give the formula - this is the one best suited for what you are also describing. I added the probiotics and the cod liver oil to the bottles.(I prepared all his bottles that he needed for the day myself and brought it to daycare w/ him every day. This way I cleaned the bottles and knew what he was given. The providers didn't need to hassle w/ it either.)
It was like a 1/4 quarter teaspoon of both the probiotic formula and the cod liver oil to the 6 or 8 oz bottle of formula. You can find out more w/ Mercola.com on infant health- he has a remedies and recipes on it. ALso if you are in the NYC area or even if not, maybe on line you might want to consult w/ the nutritionist I did: Dr. Sarah Cimperman - web site: drsarahcimperman.com. It was so worth the very reasonable fee.
Medicating my child over and over again was not the answer for me. After he developed bronchial asthma following almost repeated colds & congestion, despite my breastfeeding, I addressed his diet (and improved my own) and he has been pretty free and clear - occassional colds but not so long lasting nor so frequent.
Best,

C.

just my suggestion, nurse him more if he is eating less, get rid of your formula. breastmilk is the most nutritious food for him. solids are to complement the liquids the first year, but his nutrition would be coming from breastmilk in your case. if you are truly concerned, nurse him as much as possible to get calories and fats in. keep trying the foods as an offering but make sure you are keeping up with the nursing. also, when his teeth are in, maybe try feeding him something like bananas, avocado, super soft pasta, maybe he will be more interested in that texture. at nine months, he will be able to gum those. my daughter is getting her top two teeth at once right now and is not eating at all.

Ok, I have to know. What is commando crawling?? :)

As for the illnesses, it drives me bonkers when doctors just immediately want to medicate instead of looking at the source of the problem. You say this didn't happen until he started daycare a few times a week which immediately leads me to 2 thoughts.

1) It is an unfortunate "side effect" of being in daycare. Kids get sick the more they are around other kids. My boys were healthy for the most part until they started preschool. Forget regular school. Then it got even worse. The more kids he is around, the more things he is going to be exposed to. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do about that but wipe his hands down with wipes or wash them with soap and water as you can.

2) What kind of daycare is he in? Is it possible that there is something very unsanitary about the daycare? Could the person be changing his diapers and then putting orajel on his gums without washing her hands or worse, changing another baby and then doing something to your baby's mouth via orajel or preparing solids or bottles? Unfortunately, you might not be able to find out if it isn't the type of daycare that has cameras where you can log in and see. I would seriously not expect them to be honest with you if you asked. Perhaps you need to do unexpected drop ins but even then, the chances of catching them in anything might be slim.

I wish you the best and I would NOT panic but I would NOT take this lightly either. He didn't suddenly become this way for nothing. There is a reason and that's what you have to figure out.

Almost forgot, regarding the milk and congestion...I have always been told to hold off on the daily when they are congested too...aside from their formula or breastmilk obviously. To get the "good bacteria" our doctor told us to mix half a capsule of Culturel in apple sauce. My son loved it and it was actually his first solid.

Good luck,
L.

My son started daycare at about 1 year or so. During the first 8-12 months he was sick CONSTANTLY and I was at my wits end. It was just colds and croup and stuff like that, but it made all of us sick and took a LOT out of us. Then it stopped and he is almost NEVER sick, and I mean once a year at most. He is almost 11. They say that they are building up their immune systems once they go into daycare because they are suddenly exposed to so many germs. Which is why they get sick. My suggestion, as hard as it seems, is to wait it out. It should subside within the first year at daycare or less. I would also make sure that things are sanitary and that precautions are made for children who ARE sick. Some daycare centers dont allow children who are sick at all and I would agree with that. But others are more lax if there is just a runny nose or cough. We ALL know that a simple runny nose or cough in one child can be a full blown cold in another. Again, you are a new Momma, which is the SCARIEST job ever. And your concern is warranted. Just be sure your pediatrician isnt overly prescribing and keep breast feeding as long as you can. Best of luck and Happy Thanksgiving. You are going to be just fine!

W.,

Why would your pedicatrician give him a prescription for acid reflux if he does not have it? Even if he did, I wouldn't give it. I'm not a doctor, but do you think that maybe he could be rejecting the food because he is so congested that it is hard to swallow and breathe? He maynot be hungry due to being sick either. Sometimes it takes some time to get your appetite back.

Make sure you keep his gut healthy. 70% of your immune system is based from your gut. Keep up the good bacteria levels and sickness will be a distant memory. My kids were always sick once they started nursery school at age 3. I got rid of the pediatrician vitamins and got them on another program and they hardly ever catch a cold now and if so it lasts 3 days!

Best of luck. Let me know if I can help.

T.
Mom of 3 ages 6,5 and 3.

hi W.;

first of all, try to relax. you're a first time mom and we all go through this kind of phase; the more things change as the babies grow the more we realize we can't be prepared for all the unknowns, and we have to learn who our babies are as they evolve. you are doing a great job.

next; do NOT use formula. formula is NOT an alternative to solids; it's a 3rd rate source of nutrition that should really only be used in the event of breastfeeding compromise, if things really go badly. your breast milk is THE BEST FOOD YOUR BABY WILL EVER GET. solids are not better and he doesn't need them yet or any time soon. many nursers dont even touch solids till 12 mos or more. and anyway, think of the quality as this; formula is to breastmilk as Fritos are to a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with hummus, if you know what i mean.

more over, using formula and too many bottles could compromise your excellent and successful nursing relationship. so no matter what you ped says, and he sounds like a very nice, laid back person that you trust, stay away from the formula, it will only make things worse.

keep nursing your son as much as you can. many breastfed babies get interested in solids temporarily and then lose interest. as long as he is on the breast or getting breastmilk in the bottle while you are at work, he will really be fine.

also, the activity and intelligence level you describe in him, even while he's sick, is really great, and those kinds of things, plus wet and poopy diapers, good coloring, good sleeping, are what you look for to indicate good health over all. if something is really wrong, he's going to get lethargic and yellow and sad, and that's when you would worry.

leveling off in growth is also very normal for nursers; they often will plump up fast and early then slow down; (my daughter was a big fatty for a while, 25 lbs at 16 months, and hasn't gained at all and is now 21 months and getting tall and leaner.) one theory is that because breastmilk and breastfeeding help babies develop a higher intelligence and more intense personal contacts and interaction, they are livelier, more curious, interested babies, and they get busy during the day and will skip feedings. if you are really lucky on one level and he's a great sleeper, he may not be making up those feedings at night; but he WILL make it up. he will tell you when he's hungry, i absolutely promise. try offering him the breast as often as you possibly can when you're home, like every hour or two no matter what. this will help make sure he's remembering to eat when he's busy with the stereo and heavens knows what else!

as for crawling don't worry; my son didn't crawl at all till almost ten months, and then two days after his first birthday he got up and walked across the room and never stopped moving ever, since then; hes now 3.5. my daughter crawled a lot at 8 months but didn't walk until 13 months, and now she's 21 months and runs everywhere constantly. your son will get there, too.

lastly i would say if you really feel nervous go to your local La Leche League meeting; just google the organization and click on resources for your local chapter; even tho your nursing is going fine, they really are the most reliable, up to date resouce on infant nutrition. they may have a parenting agenda that is not perfect for you in totality, but that's fine! take what helps and leave the rest.

lotza luv,
J.

I don't have any easy answers for you, but just wanted to say that I have been through something very similar with my daughter, now 3 and a half, and it can be very worrying to have a lot of illness and low weight gain with no clear explanation, but that some kids are just like that.
She was very prone to vomiting between 6 and 18 months, having not had an issue with it before. I was also told by the doctor that it could be reflux, but like you wondered why it would have started at that age. We also cut down on dairy which did seem to help, though there was no evidence that she was actually allergic to dairy. She is still very prone to vomiting especially at night, and will often throw up with an illness, say a cold, which does not cause vomiting in anyone else. We have just learned to put up with it and wash a lot of sheets!!
Her growth was also affected because of frequently getting viral infections and also the throwing up, but she has still kep growing and has achieved all of her milestones early.
Her height is in the normal range though her weight is low.
She had pneumonia 6 weeks ago and since then has caught every little thing going again. Aside from that, the level of illness has gradually got less as she has got older and I feel like we might be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
It has been such a shock as my older child is as healthy as a horse and very tall for her age.
She has had many tests of all sorts at the children's hospital and nothing whatsoever has been found so she just seems to be one of those kids who gets every little bug!
If the doctor is not worried about your baby and he is gaining his milestones, it could just be that he will be prone to all of this while he is little and will grow out of it.

Well W.,

What I can say is that I CAN RELATE! My daughter is definitely slim and mind you, we DON'T come from a family of teeny people. And I'm Latina- for certain not little and have always been a healthy eater. Food food food, that's such a major part of our culture and way of nurturing, love, communication, everything! And the cutest thing to us (at least in my family) is a chunky baby. No such luck. My daughter is now 13 months old and in the 25th% percentile (AGGH!). My doctor has forever been telling me not to worry about it, the more I worry the more likely she'll end up with food aversions or obese and so on. But like you, I can't help but be concerned.

Especially b/c I worry about exactly what's happening withyour little one, bouts of sickness where she could loose what little weight she has. And she has been sick on/off, but not quite as much as yours. My baby does (did) have acid reflux but thank God she is much better now that she has turned 1. We had to buy expensive formula (Alimentum) for her and still had to supplement with giving her Gripe Water. I don't know if you've tried it, but I highly reccomend it b/c it really helped and is only as needed AND is homeopathic. I wasn't comfortable giving such a young baby daily medication (she was also on Zantaz or something like it for a spell). I know it's neccesary sometimes, but personally I like to try more natural roots if possible and not start attacking liver function. They sell Gripe Water at CVS as well as Target.

I'm guessing that day care is the only way to work it out? It certainly would be best for the poor babe not to get SO sick SO much. Or perhaps you can try a babysitter instead or a smaller daycare? Just a thought.

I'm still all gaga googoo over every little thing my wonderful baby does also. She's a lot like yours, happy and bubbly and just full of life and love. It gets even better (if you can imagine) as they move on to do even more funny, cute stuff. Mine lately is just fascinated by different animals and the sounds they make- her favorite being the lion (she was one for halloween and learned how to "growl"). She can also identify, sound like and go find her monkey, etc. She's so great and makes me smile and laugh every single day. I am, to some extent, taking the doc's advice and trying not to worry too much. She is eating a whole lot more now b/c she LOVES table food. That was a relief b/c she didn't really like babyfood and never even made it to stage 3. To this day, she still drinks only about as much as a 6-9 month old, never more than 5 ounces at a time (if she even gets close to that). But, she happily eats just about anything now so hopefully she'll gain weight soon. I'm sure your son will too as he moves on to table food as he gets older. Best wishes, Nat

If he's getting fevers with every cold, could it be tonsillitis? That might explain the difficulty swallowing. Maybe you could ask the pediatrician.

My son has been in daycare part time since he was an infant - he is a little over a year and a half old. I felt like he was sick a lot too but dr's and friends assured me it was normal for the first year - especially if he was in daycare. I personally felt b/c he was only there part time that he got sick more often b/c he didn't have the chance to build up the immunity on a regular basis, so I'd get him home, get him healthy, he'd go back, he'd get sick - anyway - regardless - i think its normal as long he isn't suffereing from anything serious - everyone is sick right now, even the children of my friends who stay at home. As for the appetite, my son loses his appetite when he isn't feeling well...applesauce is a favorite at those times and I just keep making sure he gets his vitamin and juice/liquid in take. I still offer him his regular meals and try not to freak out much if he only take a couple bites. I just try to make sure he's got something constantly throughout the day rather than expecting to him to eat big meals with a couple snacks. Bananna's are a favorite too. Actually my son is just getting over a cold now too and wasn't eating much but its getting better again. So just keep talking to his pedia - do you know if has a sore throat??

As for commando crawling - my son didn't start walking until after his 1st birthday. He started crawling late - one leg tucked under the whole time and was happy with that - it worked for him - he got around faster than trying to walk...once he started with the steps though he was on his way and now he just runs!

Also - milk and congestion - I never fully understood if there is really a link - i've heard yes, I've read no...ughhh - I wonder what everyone else thinks. My son is still congested now but I haven't decreased his milk intake. And Yogurt - I've always thought that natural yogurt with the rigth bacteria in it is a PERFECT fighter for colds - I actually had a stomach virus once and my dr said plain natural yogurt...its fights the bad bacterias in your digestive tract...

First - i am sorry to hear about your little guy and his illnesses. I don't have any real good suggestions for keeping him well, but I think his immunity will build up and this too will pass. What I did want to say is that statistically - it is too late for your son to be diagnosed with acid reflux. My daughter was diagnosed with it and first she was on zantac, but I saw a pediatric GI and she seitched her to Pepcid. She said the zantac contained alcohol and she does not prescribe it for infants! The Pepcid was much better. However, she was diagnosed at 7 weeks and I completely weaned her off the medicine at 7 months - which is how it normally goes. The acid reflux in children usually goes away at about 6 months - there is a whole physical reason why - I'll just spare you the details. So it seems extremely odd to me that a pediatrician would prescribe Zantac at 9 months. I would seriously question that. Also - if he wants him off dairy and you are nursing - you need to be dairy free. Did he tell you that? I had to do this as well and it is not fun. If you seriouslt hink he has GI problems - please see a pediatric GI.
I wish you the best of luck.

You have two problems --- baby continually sick and has reflux.

I went through this. My son exposed to lots of germs, got sick all the time (from him and his sister being in daycare) and did not gain weight.

The reflux part was not obvious to me at the time, but I later read that if babies try to sit up after feeding (not want to sit or crawl but pull up and stand ASAP, especially after nursing or eating) it relieves the reflux. My son did this. He also was down to almost only eating yogurt because it is soothing to the esophagus, which gets sore from the reflux.

I cannot say that medication really helps. I think the breastmilk was better, letting him nurse as much as possible. For thousands of years babies had "colic" without Zantac.

His restless sleeping was his tonsils getting bigger and bigger --- fighting all the infections --- until it was sleep apnea at 18 months old (if you think your son not gaining weight is nerve-wracking, then try listening to him stop breathing 10X a night and you not getting any sleep). Eventually he needed his tonsils out at age 2! [This may not happen to your child, just FYI].

Bottom-line--- my recommendation is find a day care with a hyper-clean policy (washing toys daily, wiping surfaces continually),
OR
Consider a home day care situation. If you can find a good home day care (check out your county’s Child Care Services or ask around) that is the best option.

If you go out in public take baby wipes and keep his hands clean. Wipe off the handles of grocery carts and anything he touches. Or just don't take him out shopping. Afterall, he is getting enough germs and exposure. I know it sounds restrictive, but the time when he is little will go by so fast.

Also, studies show that the longer the baby crawls, the more athletic he/she will be later in life. Crawling is to be encouraged.

Dear W.,

I own a nursery school/daycare with ages infant to six years old. Unfortunately, sickness comes with the territory. It sounds like your little guy is not really getting the opportunity to built up his resistance before going back into daycare. One suggestion is to ask ask how they are sanitizing their toys. We take each toy every Friday and put them into the sink with a very strong antibacterial soap. Each night high chairs and all surfaces are cleaned with the same spray and then lysol is also sprayed to try to prevent the spread of germs. One thing I do with my babies is ask mom to bring in their own toys and I have my caregivers keep them in their cribs. This prevents sharing toys. Lets face it at this age everything goes into their mouth. Hand washing is also very important. Make sure they are washing his hands. If he is crawling as you said his hands will need to be cleaned often. It is really difficult to protect kids completely from the spread of germs in a daycare environment, however it is not impossible. Also make sure they are following their sick policy and sending sick children home immediately and not allowing them to return until symptom free. Some directors do not follow through on this policy because parents give them a hard time. It is tough to implement the rules however it is in the best interest of all students and staff. Good luck on your baby!!