My baby has asthma

[Joy and Ben]

Hi everyone
Ben has had continual colds and coughs since october (I returned to work then and he goes to a childminder). Doctors kept saying that these continual colds were normal and that he was just adjusting to the bugs at the child miinders and being around so many other children. I'm a teacher and he said I probably carry a lot of bugs home from school too.
Anyway, three weeks ago he came out in a rash and had a high temp, we rushed him to doctore who diagnosed a viral infection. After a couple of days the temp went down adn the rash started to fade, he then got a cold (he hadn't had one for about a week!!). Two days later, he was very grumpy and sounded quite wheezy, he always sounds very rattley with every cold but doctors said this was normal. By 10pm, he was really struggling to breathe and you could see each breathe was a real effort. We rushed him to local hospital where he was given nebrolizer, but only improved a small amount so admitted to larger hopsital. Paeditrician gave him steroids and ventolin inhaler and he seemed a lot better. We went home the next day and his cough and wheezing had gone after a couple of days. Tuesday night it happened again but not as bad. He responded to a lot of puffs of his ventolin (I hate to think how many the doctor gave him) so we didn't have to stay in. GP yesterday confirmed that he has asthma. We now have a brown preventor inhlaer to take twice a day and theh ventolin for when he seems wheezy.
Part of me is relieved that we now know what is wrong with Ben and can give him the medication and hopefully make him feel better, but this afternoon I 've had a complete wobble! Sat here in tears thinking its the end of the world.
Sorry about the long pst, just need to know how others have coped and any advice on what I can do to help him.

 

[Krystal]

That must have been scary for you

My little brother had Asthma when he was a baby and now it's totally disappeared! TBH I suspect Jack has Asthma too but just keeps getting put down to having a cold etc.

It's not the end of the world but I do understand it must be a worry for you

 

[Joy and Ben]

Thanks Sweet cheeks, I'm feeling a bit more realistic now. Think I probably needed a cry to get it out of my system.

Anyone got any practical advice on things I can do to reduce risks of attacks?

 

[LucyBee]

Hi Joy,

Don't worry yet. Nobody will diagnose asthma in under-2's. Until then, they call it a viral-induced wheeze.

I'm asthmatic so I'm paranoid Tom will be too. Like your LO, he's had back-to-back coughs and colds which always leave him with a wheezy chest.

A while back, he was admitted to hospital as he was struggling to breathe so much. He was diagnosed with bronchiolitis and was given 2-hourly nebulisers and steroids and we were sent home with puffers. He never really responded to the nebulisers and the puffers were counter-productive because he got so distressed when I gave them to him that he just ended up worse than when we started. In the end, my GP prescribed Alupent which is like a liquid form of Ventolin and opens the airways.

Now we just have to sit tight and hope hope hope that it's not asthma and you should do the same...there's every chance it won't develop in to asthma.

To help, you could buy a humidifier. They are brilliant and keep the air in his room moist which helps the breathing. Here's the one we got from John Lewis but I think you can get it from Argos too...

http://www.johnlewis.com/230407900/Product.aspx

Also, just keep an eye on his wheezing and if you see he's getting worse, jump on it straight away and get him to the doctors. It's easier to sort if you get it early.

Think positive! This might just be a little baby phase our boys are going through.

Lucyx

 

[Joy and Ben]

Let's hope it is just a phase. When we were in hospital the paeds told us they couldn't diagnose it until 18months -2 years, but my GP said that Ben's discharge notes say almost cetain he is asthmatic. So we are being treated as if he is and if it turns out not be the case then hooray!! He's responded quite well to the inhalers thankfully and the rattle and coughing is getting less, so hopefully we are over the worse.....until the next cold next week!!!