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Very young child with asthma

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Posted 11/7/2006 5:16 AM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,
I am a new member. I have a 14 month old who has asthma. She started albuterol nebulizer when she was 4 months old because every time I took her to the Dr, they heard wheezing. When she was 9 months old she was started on pulmicort which helped a little. We saw an asthma/allergy specialist who discovered a bad sinus infection. He put her on antibiotics, singulair, nasonex and continued the pulmicort and albuterol. She was tested for allergies which she had none. Her asthma is only brought on by illness.  We had 4 months with out having to use any albuterol. The singulair and pulmicort were working so well. Then a few weeks ago she started having wheezing again. The albuterol worked and she was fine after a bad ear infection cleared up. Then one week ago she caught another cold and the wheezing and rapid breathing started all over again. She was given two doses of dexamethasone and did great for two days. Then Friday she woke up with a fever and her respirations were over 60. After a chest x-ray she was diagnosed with pneumonia and put on heavy antibiotics. Later that day she got very ill so we took a trip to the ER. She wasn't admitted but now she is on pulmicort 2x day, singulair 1x a day, augmentin, dexamethasone for 7 days, albuterol as needed, and nasonex 1x a day. I hate pumping so many drugs into her tiny body but seeing her work so hard to breathe is even worse! Does anyone else have a very young child without allergies but has bad asthma attacks brought on by illness? What do you do to keep them from becoming so ill so quickly? We have two other kids with no asthma issues so this is new for us. Thanks for any advice!

mom2jjk

Posted 11/7/2006 7:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi and welcome to Healingwell. I'm sorry to hear that your little one is having a such a rough time. It's never easy seeing our children sick. I can't offer much advice then what you are already doing for her. My son has had asthma since he was 4 but was constantly sick when he was younger so I know how you feel. Have you asked her doctor if maybe you should use a humidifier or dehumidifier? That may make her breathe a little easier. It's rough to try to keep them healthy especially with other children in the house but good hygiene is a must, make sure your other children wash their hands frequently, cover their mouths when they sneeze or cough. Use hand santizier every chance you get. Also in her bedroom, you can try using cheeseclothe over her vents to filter out anything debris or dust that comes from the furnace. Try to avoid too much public exposure. I hope that she gets this controlled soon.
Posted 11/8/2006 4:57 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the advice. I think I will try a humidifier. I am sure it won't hurt and will probably help. She has a baseboard heater so I am pretty sure there is not a filter anywhere on it. I have already become more diligent with the Lysol and hand sanitizer. I bought more bottles of both to have them even more available. I just really want to keep her out of the hospital. The steroid she is on right now can weaken her immune system so I need to be as careful with her as possible!

mom2jjk
Posted 11/9/2006 7:12 PM (GMT 0)
mom2jjk,

 Yes, I have a similiar situation with my 4 yr son. He first had a severe allergic reaction to an banana. And was in Children's hospital. Few months after that found out he is allergic to Mold, and has Asthma. He is also on Pulmicort in Nebulizer 2 times a day. 1 tablet of Singulair once a day. Nasonex, 2 times a day. I hated at first giving him so much medicine, but I have seen a great improvement with all this medicine. He was worse before he started taking all this asthma/allergie medication. Now I really came to realize to keep him stable I have to give him all this medication. He is doing well on it all.He hasn't had a bad asthma flare in months. So, I completely understand your feelings. Best wishes!! :-)

I just changed the color of your post but it was extremely hard to read and hard on the eyes.

Post Edited By Moderator (Red_34) : 11/9/2006 12:35:25 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/10/2006 8:39 AM (GMT 0)
Hello, I also have a child (almost one) with asthma. At about 4 months she was hospitalized and her asthma only acts up when she gets a cold. Something that I have found to help out a great deal is removing as many toxins from the home as possible. For example, any fragrances, dust of course is a big one and fabric softener. These things can make a difference. My child is also on many different kinds of medicine and I am trying anything and everything to prevent this. I am actually looking for a book on natural ways to help with asthma so if anyone knows of any, please let me know. It really is tough though when they are soo little and can't tell us how they are feeling. Hope this helps.
Posted 11/10/2006 4:50 PM (GMT 0)
My little one was tested for dust mites and it came back clear but can dust still be a factor in her asthma? That may sound like a stupid question but like I said I am new to all of this so I need all the help I can get! Are things like dust and strong fragrances always triggers in asthma or is it more individualized from person to person. My DD has never had any kind of a reaction to things in her environment except illness.

Thanks for all the input from everyone. I appreciate the time you have taken to answer my questions.
mom2jjk
Posted 11/12/2006 5:16 PM (GMT 0)
I hope I can answer some of your questions. My son (now 19) is asthmatic, but controlled. He was so severe during his younger yrs, that he was in and out of hospital. I found there wasn't a lot of info re:education on asthma mgt. I went back to 8 yrs ago and I have been a respiratory therapist and asthma educator for the past 6 yrs. The info I give you is meant for educational info only and in no way replaces MDs instructions. If you want to control your child's asthma, there are simple revenues to take. The first is to get an a/c & heater filter that is a HEPA filter (these can be found even at Wal-Mart. This will trap allergens and not release them into the air. The second thing to do is run a humidifier if your child has a cold. What this does is add moisture into the air which inturns keeps the secretions thin and allows child to expel them easier. Third: Don't use any harsh smelling cleaning products. The lysol wipes are not harsh smelling and does the job. There are now a lot of others on the market that does the job w/o the overwhelming smell. Fourth: If you have carpet, make certain your vaccum has a HEPA filter also or when you vacuum, you sent the dust mites into the air. Fifth: Even if your child is not allergic to dust mites and they have been diagnosed w/asthma, it would still be beneficial to have the pillow and mattress encased to prevent direct exposure to dust mites. Fabreeze now has a spray designed specifically for allergies. Next: If you have a pet inside, make certain the pet does not sleep in the room w/child. Watch what you bathe pet in also, as some pet care products may set off a person w/asthma. Next and BIGGEST THING YOU CAN DO: Do not allow your child around cig smoke or even visit someone who smokes in the house. Even if a child doesn't have asthma, by exposing them to areas where someone has smoked, you're exposing them to respiratory problems. I can go on forever re: asthma mgt, so if you have any specific questions, let me know. My son went from being classified severe to mild simply by knowing his triggers and sticking to an asthma plan. Good luck!
Posted 1/16/2007 8:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hi. I have a 2 year old son who was recently diagnosed with Asthma. I found a really good book at our local library. It's called "Children With Asthma: A Manual for Parents." Look for it, it's a great resource.
We go back next week to find out if he tested positive for any allergies. The singulair he's been taking 1x/day is a blessing, although he was a little congested this am. The dr gave us a nebulizer and said to use it only if he has a bad cough/wheeze and otherwise to stick with the liquid albuterol we were using before the diagnosis.
Posted 1/16/2007 10:27 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you. I will have to get that book. My daughter has also done well on singulair with pulmicort too until she gets a bad cold. Then it all goes down hill. She has never been on liquid albuterol, just the neb. Good luck with the allergy tests.

Melissa
Posted 2/7/2007 10:36 PM (GMT 0)
We are in the same boat - my 2.5 year old only has wheezing when she gets a cold (she is in daycare).  She never has problems any other time (exercise, cold, around our 3 dogs and one cat) - is this still asthma?  I'm at a loss as to what to do other than quit my job and never leave the house.

 

Posted 3/9/2007 10:59 PM (GMT 0)
Update on my little one! She had the CT scan and it came back normal except some of the little air sacs were collapsed. We saw the lung Dr today and she said everything points toward a diagnosis of severe asthma. She is only 18months but has had wheezing from 2 months on. They will do one more test to rule out Cystic Fibrosis but the Dr is not too concerned about that because my little one is growing well. I am happy to know there are no defects in her lungs. It still concerns me that she will most likely have more episodes where she will become very ill but I am learning to cope and help her through it. Her only real triggers are cold germs so it is hard to eliminate those! We kept her home all of February and that helped but she is our third child so we can't stay home forever. She will stay on the preventative drugs until she shows signs of improvement. The Dr gives her a 50/50 chance of improving so time will tell. We have had a very healthy, happy month with no albuterol or steroids and I can only pray it will continue!

mom2jjk

Posted 3/10/2007 5:17 AM (GMT 0)

I usually post in the fibro forum but seen your post and had to reply. I know what its like to have a young child with  asthma only brought on by illness. My son developed asthma just before his 5th b-day. I know it isnt nearly as young as your child but man was it ever hard. Everytime my son gets a cold I start to feel a sense of dread. I LOVE sommer vacations because its the one long stretch of time I know he will be symptom free. Then school starts up again and we start the vicious circle all over again with cold and flu season etc. My son was in the small percentage that singulair actually caused an increase in respiritory infections. He was also on advair 500 for about 1 1/2 years. He currently takes flovent but soon will be going off that when summer gets here. Although winter is a very hard time for him, the good news is that he has improved. With each cold he gets the doc explained his immune system is learning to fight them off and hopefully his body will not go into ashthma overdrive with each one. Sorry I wasnt much help but wanted you to know your truely not alone!!

Shelly

Posted 3/10/2007 5:30 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your reply. It is nice to know we are not alone. I know the feeling of dread everytime she gets a cold. Every once in a while she will actually tolerate a cold ok but most of the time she ends up on albuterol, steroids and usually a round of antibiotics before she is better. The Dr today said she will need to stay on singulair and pulmicort year round because her symptoms get so severe. Hopefully someday we will be able to take time off from them but not anytime soon! I am glad your son is improving and I hope and pray I can say the same thing someday.

mom2jjk

Posted 3/13/2007 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
Dear Mom2jjk: Sorry that it's been so long since I've been on the site. I'm a resp therapist & have worked w/little ones w/asthma for over 5 yrs. One thing that I've found is that little ones do not take deep breaths when asthma is causing problems. Go to your local party supply store & purchase a large bag of the party blowers (the ones that children blow into, made of paper, & extends and retracts.) Make it into a game by having them blow into it, hold it out to the count of 3 - 5 (depends on age) and then let go. What this does it clear the lungs of air trapping which will allow more oxygen to enter the lungs. Try this & let me know. This little exercise will also help rid the lungs of excretions. If your child starts coughing a lot, don't worry, this is the lungs expelling what shouldn't be in the lungs.
Posted 3/17/2007 4:35 AM (GMT 0)
My little one had the test today to rule out Cystic Fibrosis and it came back negative!  :-)  I am so relieved. The Dr didn't think she had it but I still let myself get worried. I am happy she only has asthma. I can't believe I am happy for that but being able to rule out a lot of other scary illnesses makes asthma seem much more manageable. Plus it helps that she is doing so good right now!

mom2jjk

Posted 3/21/2007 5:07 AM (GMT 0)
I have 3 children. My 9 year old son and 12 year old daughter both have asthma. My daughter has allergies and my son has no known allergies. Both of them have asthma flares only from respiratory infections. We had a very hard time with control management when they were younger. It was so bad that I pulled my son out of preschool because he spent more time off sick than he did in school. In kindergarten and first grade, he missed around 40 days each year. My daughter also was missing around 40 days of school a year. I started taking them to an asthma and allergy doctor but not much changed. I finally took them to a pulmonologist. The first couple visits, the doctor was stunned, he couldn't figure out my son at all. He even planned on using him as a case study at a convention so that he could get input from other doctors on how to control my sons asthma. The last time we were there, the doctor simply changed the dosage of his advair. This was two years ago. My son went from missing 40 days a year due to his asthma, to having missed maybe 5 in the past two years combined. My daughter also misses very little days due to her asthma. She is dealing with a nasty flare up with pneumonia now, but this is the first time in almost a year. I know I'm long winded, but I wanted to let you know that it does get easier. And finding the right combination of meds is the key. I have always hated giving all these meds to my kids, but, it is the only thing that is keeping them healthy. If you haven't yet, find a good pulmonologist. At least till they find the right combination of meds. That was the best thing I ever did. Life changed dramatically for us that last time we walked out of the pulmonologist office. Good luck to you, and trust me.....it will get easier. Especially after your daughter gets through the first couple years of school when kids catch every little bug.
Posted 3/21/2007 8:34 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you for your input. We did see a pulminologist at our local children's hospital and she was very thorough going over my daughter's history. She said she would see us again if ever we needed to but she also said we are in great hands with the asthma Dr we already see. She sends her patients to him when they outgrow the children's specialists. My daughter has had so many tests and procedures done and they all point to severe asthma. She takes pulmicort and singulair every day and does great until she catches a cold. I am hoping that since she is our third and is exposed to so many bugs already from the older two that by the time she starts school she will have built up enough immunity to stay healthy. I am also still hoping she will improve as she gets bigger. She has been quite healthy for the past six weeks and is so happy and fun right now. It is easy to forget the sick times when she is doing as well as she is right now.

mom2jjk

Posted 3/22/2007 4:04 AM (GMT 0)
pegleg,
I bought some party blowers for my daughter but she is having a hard time blowing on them. I think it is a coordination thing. Do you have any tricks to teach them how to do it? She has fun trying so I will keep it up.

mom2jjk
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