Baby with Allergies? What works?

Hi,

My 13 month old son has had a persistent cough for around 4 months now which is mainly bad at night (although getting more frequent during the day now). Gp suspects asthma but says until he is two years old then no tests can be done to decide either way. We were given Ventolin syrup to try but it made him very restless and so today we've been given an inhaler with a spacer and mask instead. Haven't used it yet but the syrup certainly didn't seem to make any difference so we're not particularly hopeful. We're wondering if he's allergic to dust, pollen, etc as I myself am so we've taken up his carpet, bought a new mattress with anti allergy properties, etc. I'm finding myself frustrated with the fact that the doctors can't offer anything other than to try Ventolin and see if it works to rule out asthma, but then nothing else until tests can be carried out when he's two. What about all the other things it could be? Just wondering if anyone else is or has been in a similar situation and whether they can offer any advice.

We're also considering having him allergy tested (any recommendations?) because of this and the fact that he seems to get a sore bottom from all the usual nappy creams except Metanium (but now I'm worried about the Titanium Dixide in this and would rather find an alternative). Can anyone also recommend a good alternative nappy cream? I've seen one from 'MyPure.com' and a few others online but without knowing what it is exactly that he's allergic to (if anything) in the usual creams it's hard to know what to go for. We tried using olive oil on his face when he was first born as he had very dry skin but that just made it much much worse... not sure if that bears any significance..?

Apologies for the long post and the multiple queries.. oh and the rambling!

Would love to hear from anyone in a similar situation.

Many thanks,

Pet xx

Hello.  I completely understand your frustrations with your GP and your child's condition. My son, William, had pnumonia at 5 1/2 months of age and was give albuterol to get rid of the cough.  While the majority of the cough went away, when the weather got cold and damp, it returned.  Then, any time his sister or anyone else in the house got a cold he got a HUGE cold and the cough never seemed to goa way.  When we mentioned it to his pediatrician, his  response  was to keep giving him the albuterol as needed and that they coulnt' test for asthma until he was 2.

I know for a fact this is  BS because he went to daycare with a baby who was on a nebulizer from the age of 8 weeks(she had SEVERE asthma), but I didn't argue, against my better judgement.  Anyway, my son just turned 2 on 12/28, and sure enough, when we went to see an allergy/asthma specialist, he was diagnosed with asthma!  I am SO mad.  I told the doctor that he's been on albuterol almost constantly since the pnumonia, and he said he should've seen him MUCH earlier.  Now he's on Singulair once a day(in the evening) and has a nebulizer to use if his cough gets really bad.  We were also told to use the albuterol if we're away from home and he starts coughing, but since starting the Singulair, he hasn't needed either the nebulizer or the albuterol!  I'm amazed at the difference.  Of course, the weather has been extremely warm for January(50-70 degees in MD!), so we haven't had to deal with the cold weather yet, and nobody has had a cold lately. He got blood drawn to see if he's allergic to anything(he had a huge rash in the summer, but again, they wouldn't do allergy testing until he was 2---WHY???), and we'll find out the results on the 23rd.

Good luck with your child.  I would call an allergy/asthma specialist and go in for a consult.  They might not actually do any testing, but they should be able to give you an idea if the child has asthma or not. 

Also, if you want to read a good book, read "Children with Asthma: A Handbook for Parents".  I borrowed it from our library and it is WONDERFUL.

Melissa

Feel free to email me if you want to talk.

Patti:

My son also had trouble breathing at birth---he was taken to the NICU for 4 hours after I had my C-Section and was on oxygen most of the time(nasal canula only, but still).  I didn't even think about that being related to the asthma.  He's still doing really well on the Singulair for the cough, but I'm dreading the cold weather we're supposed to get later this week.  Going to have to send the nebulizer and meds to the babysitter just to be safe.  Her son has asthma so she knows how to use it, but he's 9, so she needs the smaller mask for my son. 

Have a nice week.

Melissa

I'm a respiratory therapist & hope the following info will help your son. If you son experiences a lot of problems at night, dust mites may be the culprit causing his problems. I've seem people who show no allergies to dust mites, still have reactions to them.

Keep all clothing in a closet w/door shut.
Check humidity to make sure mold growth is controlled... this does not mean not to run a vaporizer as the vaporizer keeps secretions from becoming thick.
Wash bedding, washable pillows, and stuffed toys in hot water (130 degrees F) every week.
Use allergen-impermeable covers on pillows,mattresses, & boxsprings.
Install pull-down shades or vertical window blinds.
Use HEPA filters in heat/air conditioning units & vacuum cleaners.
Replace carpeting w/tile or hardwood flooring; use washable throw rugs. If you cannot remove carpet, simply make certain the carpet is cleaned w/allergen cleaners during regular intervals.
Wipe smooth furniture w/damp cloth every week.
Choose nonfabric upholstery like leather or vinyl; if cloth fabric is used on couch, Fabreeze now makes an allergen spray which helps a lot.
Don't let child sleep w/stuffed animal (if he does have a favorite stuffed animal he just can't sleep without, simply put it in the dryer for about 5 minutes to kill the dust mites each night).

Hope this helps.

Info meant for educational purposes only & not as medical advice.