Sick Daughter

It is totally normal for a kiddo or baby to not want solids at all and only be interested in liquids, if at all. My son went through a horrendous ear infection at three months. It was one of the most awful things I have been through. My son would hardly take anything until they gave me some pain relief drops - called AB drops (perscription only). I have been stunned at how few doctors will perscribe these to help babies - after I put them in my sons ears he could take enough food to keep down the antibiotics. I have heard that garlic drops help with ear infections but I have never tried it myself.

Push the Pedialyte (sp?) as she needs the nutrients in it. Get an appointment with her regular pediatrician. You can always cancel it later if she is feeling better.

Isomil DF (Diarrhea Formula) does wonders for diarrhea. That's what my doctor recommended. Sounds to me like it might be a good idea to take her in though. She sounds pretty sick. You can get the formula at Walgreens.

I would get in to see your regular doctor ASAP. Dehydration can happen so quickly in little ones. My younger son got sick on his second birthday with flu symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting, etc). He had a lot of 'baby fat' so he didn't appear dehydrated. Of course it was the weekend and we didn't have an urgent care at the time. On the second day of it with little/no fluid or food intake we took him to the emergency room. He was so dehydrated his veins were flat and they had a hard time getting an IV started. He ended up in the hospital for 3 days getting hydrated. After my scary experience I always recommend getting to a doctor because I don't want any other mom going through what I did. Good luck to you and best wishes for your baby to get healthy quickly.

I would call your pediatritian first thing today. I don't know why the urgent care doctors would tell you to wait for a wet diaper for 20 hours, but every doctor/pediatritian i have ever spoken to has always told me for the last 6 years has been as long as they have a wet diaper in 8 hours. I don't think that the ear infection would cause the vomitting and dirrea. Granit it is probably just a bug from traveling and what not, but better safe than sorry. Get her into a pediatritian office of childerens er right away.
Good luck and await the response to the group on how she is doing.

B., I was told by my Dr's that it's very normal for a baby that age to only want to nurse/bottle/drink when they are sick. Just keep an eye on those wet diapers like they told you.

Also, are you breastfeeding? Believe it or not you can use breastmilk dropped in the ear to rid the infection. It worked for us! Just a few drops in the ear(s) (enough to basically fill it up), I think it was 6 times a day or something we did. Make sure anything you put in the ear is body temp or I'm told it will make a person feel sick.

Just an idea if you are open to it.

Take care and hope your baby is better very soon!

Get her to your regular DR immediately!

DO NOT GIVE HER GATORADE. It has high fructose corn syrup in it. Do not give her juice, as it is a high concentrate of sugars too. High concentrates of sugar will make the diarrhea worse. Even if you have to use a dropper, get pedialyte into her! You really don't want to have to hold her down while they IV her to rehydrate her, been there, not pleasant.

Pedialyte comes in Popsicle form. Since it is only good 48 hours after you open it, these are the way to go around my house. I put 1/2 the box in the freezer and keep 1/2 out to be liquid to drink. Kids love to eat "popsicles." We even make "slushies" with pedialyte.

We always have pedailyte and pediasure on hand. Most stores have generic brands of both. They are made by the same company, just cheaper labels for the generic.

Remember the BRAT diet too. Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. Baby rice cereal, Baby Bananas, Baby applesauce-no sugar added...

Good luck, hang in there!

They are right to tell you not to worry about dehydration until she has not had a wet diaper for 20 hours or so. That is what they told me the first time my son was sick. I was nursing him, so it was a little different, but I would offer her water, formula, and crackers/cherios just like you have been. Perhaps some of it she can handle better than the rest. She may not feel like much nutrients, but I would try to get her to drink the water or electrolyte drinks (water or pedilyte is best). and then just offer the other stuff. My son HATED pedialyte, but he did like gerber liquilytes. I used to be able to find them in pre-made bottles, but the last few times I looked i have only been able to find the powder that you mix with water. In a way, that's better because you can mix only what you want and save the rest. It tastes much better than the pedialyte and does not have the sugar that gatorade has. She will eventually get over this. If some of the things you are giving her seem to be making the diareah worse, try something different. Good luck. It won't last forever.

Well, I know I'm old fashioned ( I'm OLD lolol) - but waiting til she hasn't had a wet diaper for 20 hours - seems WAY too laid back to me- . I'd strongly urge you to call her pediatrician- or Children's Hospital- and ask your very excellent question-- - ummmm- do it now --- ( yes, I'm being urgent- but she sounds like this has been going on a long time for the ''wait and see'' approach) The super thing about Children's is -- they are available 24/2- they really, really really know kids- and if they say ''' bring her in now'' -you know there will be someone there to greet you who will be as nurtering to YOU as they are to HER. I've had nothing but excellent experieonces with them for the 36 years I've lived in Seattle - while I raised 3 children and am in the processe of helping raise 3 grandchildren-.

Blessings,
J.

Ear infections usually don't cause you to throw up, have diarreah, that sounds more like a cold/flu. Did she get her shot? One other thing is she might be allergic to penicillin and need to be on a different antibiotic. I would definately call your doctor and at least ask the nurse and I bet they have you come right in, our doctor always wants a follow up appointment after any trip to an emergency room, plus our one ER trip they were dead wrong on their diagnosis, your doctor knows your daughter the best. Every time my kids had an ear infection they always were acting more normal after the second dose of medicine. You could add vick's to a humidifier or get a plug-in if you don't have a humidifier to help with the congestion and make it easier to breathe while sleeping. Don't worry if she is sleeping more, she is fighting an infection and they heal more while asleep. Think of how you feel when sick, babies are the same. Good luck, it is terrible watching your baby be sick. Vomiting is the worst, clear and white foods for that to start with so don't forget the juices as well, look up the BRAT diet, can she chew a saltine cracker?

Hi B.,

I didn't have the time to read all the responses, so I apologize if this is a repeat.

When my dd was 10 months old, she came down with her first illness - very similar to your little one.

What the doctor recommended was to give my LO 1 to 2 ounces of liquid (preferably pedialyte) every 30 minutes or so. He told me that when our stomachs are upset, it is difficult to drink a lot of liquid at once, but if babies can keep about 1 ounce down every 30 minutes, it means they don't need to be given an I/V to be rehydrated.

My daughter only drank about 1/2 an ounce every 30 minutes at first, but slowly, as the day went one, she was able to take in 1 ounce, then 2 ounces.

I hope this helps! It is so stressful taking care of a sick baby. M.

All mothers worry when their baby is sick. You are doing the right thing with the liquids and food. You could try Pedialite or one of those liquids with minerals but without sugar as Lisa suggested. Not having an appetite or wanting to drink is common with colds in both children and adults. That doesn't keep us from worrying, I know.

I suggest that you also put a vaporizer or himidifier in her room if you aren't doing that already. This could help her to breathe easier and cough less.

The menthol in Vicks also helps to open air passages. Try putting a bit of that on the outside of her sleeper. I don't know if she's too young to put that directly on her skin.

I've heard advertised a plug in menthol aroma "thing." I've not seen it but the ad made it sound safe and helpful.

If she has been on antibiotics for a week with no improvement she might need a different antibiotic. There are strains of bacteria that are resistant to one or more antibiotics. After a week of Also, try pedialyte popsicles, my daughter thought they were cool (no punn intended) so she actually got some liquids. We also offered her something to drink literally about every 15 minutes during the day time. Will she eat any chicken soup? The broth could serve both purposes.....

Good luck!

S.

If they still have them, try the Pedialyte freezer pops. If you're worried about dehydration, especially with vomiting, the Pedialyte or other baby electrolyte drinks are the best thing. Don't try to make her take a lot at once, but even if you can get her to swallow a few spoonfuls at a time every 20-30 minutes, it will help. She may not be taking the bottle because she is so stuffed up that it is hard to suck...

If the antibiotics aren't working, it's probably just a virus that will run its course and be over in the next few days. Or, she got another bug on top of the ear infection. Do call your pediatrician though, and see what they have to say about it.

Offer her food, but don't be surprised when she refuses it all. Offer formula, but again, don't be surprised when she refuses it. Forget offering water and just push Pedialyte. When my son was sick, we couldn't get him to eat anything (6 months). He got so sick that we were on our way to the ER. He was serevely dehydrated and lathargic... he wouldn't even cry anymore. Anyway, we tried Pedialyte, and he guzzled the WHOLE thing!!! Within 20 minutes, he was back to crying and feeling much better. Sometimes, that is the only thing you can get them to take, and 4 ounces of pedialyte is better than 8 ounces of milk or water.
Just watch out for things like no tears, lying lifelessly without crying or kinda staring off into space like she is off in lala land. You can also check in her mouth and make sure she still has lots of saliva. When she gets dehydrated, her mouth will start to dry out.
It is hard to eat or drink when her ears hurt so much. It is possible that the antibiotics are not doing anything for her. If you are not already, try giving her Motrin (will work better that Tylenol for this) I bet you'd see a huge difference.

B.,

I would recommend having her rechecked by the doctor to be on the safe side. Also, buy some Pedialite and get her to drink some...it is to help keep her electrolytes level.

A sick and hurting child is horrible, I know.

Blessings and wellness for all,
T.

I can remember feeling a lot like you when my son was really sick the first time too! It is difficult to find good answers from books or doctors too! I finally started focusing on diapers...as long as he had a few wet diapers per day...the doc. said we were fine (when he is sick) and to expect his intake of food and liquid to decrease by 50% or more! It is hard because this is all we moms can do for the sick little ones! It is hard...but you are doing a great job....hang in there...and don't forget to take care of yourself too!
k

Hi,
My kiddo was sick a while ago and she refused to drink to,. So I just gave her a lot of applesauce and canned fruit. They have lots of juice, so that kept her hydrated.

Good luck!

Take your daughter to your pediatrician/family dr. Urgent care docs don't have her history and see people who are in 'urgent' need. It sounds like she has the flu in conjunction with her ear infection. Again, take her to her dr. to follow up. Little kids can dehydrate a lot quicker than an adult. The amount of food she's taken in is not much. Are you offering rice cereal or fruit (bananas?) Rice and bananas will help with the diarreah. You don't mention whether or not she has a fever, I would expect some with the ear infection. Do make sure she gets her antibiotic on schedule. Take good care!

Hmmm... Ten months old.... Have you explored the possibilty that she is teething? The symptoms you listed are pretty much what I remember when mine were that age... If there is discomfort in the mouth because of teeth either raising to the gum or getting ready to break thru will cause the not wanting to eat or drink much because it's bothersome and it hurts.. With teething, the immune system is paying attention to the mouth which sometimes leaves a "back door" open for a secondary infection or virus. I would call the pediatrician in the morning and schedule a well baby check up just to make sure that it isn't something more serious lurking under the surface. My daughter was a horrible fever, trips to the emergency room when teething kind of baby...So when in doubt or when worried, as you obviously are at this point, don't go to urgent care. See the pediatrician ASAP or go to the ER at your local hospital if after hours. But don't keep "waiting it out" as urgent care advises. It doesn't take long for a baby to dehydrate to a point that it's serious and possibly life threatening.IMMEDIATELY SEEK REAL MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS & ADVICE for what is ailing your little baby.

Well the intensive care was correct when they were talked about dry diapers, and she is still taking some liquids.

I knew my normally very active 18 month old daughter was sick enough to see the doc was when she stopped moving. It turned out the doc told me that she had a bacteria but they didn't know which. Since she was so young they treated her before they got the results back.

I think that as long as your daughter is talking some liquids, moving some, wetting her diapers some, and not getting worse, she is getting better. Do you have a thermometer? You should get one and chart her temp. That way you know if she is getting worse or better. Also chart her fluids...etc. That will give you information.

Good luck and things almost always turn out fine.

Please call your doctor and get her in asap!! That is the best thing you can do for her. I'm sorry that she is so sick. I'm sure it is just a flu bug but she really needs to be seen by you pediatrition.
I hope she will be feeling better soon!!

Cheryle :-)

Hi! You might want to try making popsicles for her to suck on...you can make them out of Pedialyte or Gatorade (basically same stuff and cheaper!). I also use fruit juice and yogurt sometimes, though you should probably avoid those things right now.

Good luck, and I hope your little one feels much better soon!

C.

First you need to push the liquids,, she needs that,, start making or offering her water,,half water/apple juice,,pedialight{sp} spelled wrong,, sorry,, anything that puts the nutrients back in her body,, call your Dr and tell him /her what is happening ,, that she is NOT drinking fluids or eating,, and how old she is,, this is nothing to play with,, this is serious,, do it now,, I don't mean to scare you,, but you should of called the Dr immediately,, when she started throwing up and not drinking or eating,, she is way to young not to have all the fluids and foods she needs to live,, call now,, she needs fluids,, a lot of fluids, she will dehydrate,, that's not good,, call your/her Dr. NOW,, don't waist time!!! D.

Hi!~ B.
I have had the very same stuff as your daughter..from what I am hearing from the news its called the norovirus flu..
It too me a full two weeks also to re-cover from..its awful.
For the two weeks all I ate was crackers,seven up and punch flavored gatorade..I slept alot and had the shivers at times.
It takes a lot of rest and quiet time to shake this bug..
I dont know if your daughter will drink the straight gatorade..but she will need the electrolytes..
I went thru a bunch of ice chips, Heres what I did with the gatorade..I put it in the freezer until it was nice and slushy..it really helped. I wish you my best for a healthy re-covery..C.

Man, your situation sounds almost EXACTLY word for word what I JUST went through with my 15 month old daughter. I breastfeed still, and my pediatrician (who we got so see after 2 weeks of snow, going to urgent care twice and all they gave her was tylenol and said for her to have pedialite), ended up giving her a shot of antibiotics after like I said, 2 weeks of having a cold/flu, where she was runny nose, fever 99-102 (for 2 days), then eventually vomitting (6 times). IT IS SO STRESSFUL ISN'T IT? Whew! I think that one of the best things we did was put on a cool-mist humidifier every night, so at least she is getting some moisture in the air when she sleeps. Also, just try all kinds of techniques to get her hydrated, using all kinds of different cups (mama's cup always works for my child, in a glass to be specific!). Also, give her baths and allow her to drink water in the bathtub too from her sippy cup I mean. As my good friend, who is a prenatal nurse, said that urgent care doesn't know babies. You need to take your child to your pediatrician if she needs help. They always know children way better. My pediatrician said not to worry if she doesn't eat anything right away. Breastmilk (probably formula too) is all that they need for now. In fact breastmilk (and I am guessing formula) does have electrolites in it, so not to worry too much about dehydration, unless of course she has major diarrea, I think that is another story. Also, saline solution for her nose, as often as you can to get that snot outta there! If you do get antibiotics, make sure she eats a lot of yogert/asphidophalous for the good bacteria in her gut. And if it really gets bad you should interchange Tylenol with Motrin. I think Motrin helps with the pain a wee bit better. Yet, know that Motrin can hurt babies' tummies. Good luck! It too shall pass but it is SUPER STRESSFUL! I can empathize with ya!

Nothing is worse than a sick baby, I certainly hope she gets better soon. I think she should be drinking as much as you can get her to drink. Also it is important to feed her in different positions, not just always on the same side. As Im sure you know, baby's eustachian tubes (part of the ear) are much shorter than adults and even just feeding always on the same side, can cause an ear infection. It is important to know that almost all ear infections will clear up on their own and putting them on antibiotics is detrimental to the baby's health. A doctor automatically does it because this is what they have been trained to do, but antibiotics wipe out all of your baby's good bacteria, which help them fight off disease, including the ear infection. You can get homeopathic remedies from a health food store, garlic oil is quite effective, as is breast milk, but it sounds like you are bottle feeding. Bottle fed babies get more ear infections, so be prepared for this to happen again, especially since she was given antibiotics for her first one. Do some searches on the internet for natural treatments for ear infections. The internet is a wonderful too, use it often. I highly recommend a book called "How to Raise a Healthy Child In Spite of your Doctor" by Robert Mendelsohn. He was a top Pediatrician for a hospital in Philadelphia I believe. You can find it on ebay or amazon. It will really empower you as a parent and clear up many of the fears and mysteries of treating a sick child. My daughter got one ear infection right before she started teething and was pretty sick for a couple of days. I suspect it was a combination of both the teething and the fact that she had started to favor one side for feeding. So all of her milk was going on one side of her throat and one ear canal.
Don't be afraid of a fever. A fever also fights the bacteria. so if you run for the baby tylenol and the antibiotics, you are crippling her bodies own defenses. Just hold her a lot, let her sleep a lot, drink as often as she will and comfort her as best you can knowing that it will pass. She is probably teething. The fact that her body rejected the medicine was a good clue. Her congestion and runny nose is also her body's defense system trying to flush out the virus. Just hold her as upright as you can, as often as you can. I'm sure you have noticed when you are stuffy, how much easier it is to breath sitting up so your sinuses can drain. If you allow her body to fight off the ear infection by itself, chances are better that she wont get one again, because she would have formed her own antibodies against it. Good luck, I hope this helps. All the advice you received has been just that, advice. Trust your instincts and hers. Our bodies often know a lot better than we do what is good for them. I truly hope she feels better very soon.

Hi B.,
I understand how it is to be worried about your little one. one thing that helped my kids was the otter pop icees. They may be only sugar and frozen, but they add liquid to their little bodies. My little guy does not eat for days when he gets sick. I worry too, and he is sick right now with a horrible cough and a runny nose! Poor little ones. Nothing worse then when our babies are sick. I hope your little one is better soon!