8 month old daughter just diagnosed

Hiya all,

My daughter has just been diagnosed by emergency GP yesterday and have been sent away with a blue inhaler and told to come back in a month!

Tara has had a permanent cough and cold for the last 6 weeks and after 2 doses of antibiotics was put on a inhaler yesterday. She is wheezy but plays, smiles etc. All this has happened since she started part-time nursery. She is on Soya milk as has a dairy intolerance, but doesn't suffer from excema and there is no other asthma sufferers in the family. She is being sick after her milk and sometimes a couple of hours later if she has been rolling around a lot, also her appetite has diminished, but not sure if that is teething related as her two top teeth are pushing through (have cut already)

As i haven't really been given anything to look out for, or changes to diet etc can anyone point me in the right direction.

Cheers Maddie N Tara xx

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hiya, sorry to hear your having such a horrid time. Someone correct me if im wrong but i didnt think children this young were usually formally diagnosed with asthma?

In the mean time i wouldnt wait for a month. Id go straight back to your regular GP and get an appointment pronto! If not only for a second opinion.

Sorry i couldnt be much help

x

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Thanks for reply

Thanks for replying Nikki - I am new to this game so can only go on what the docs tell me. Have had a horrible day today trying to get Tara to use the inhaler - she just holds her breath and then goes ape trying to wriggle and gets really upset so not sure how much she has actually taken, let alone waiting for 5 breaths in between!!! God knows how the nursery are going to manage tomorrow?

Am I right in thinking that most GP's have asthma nurses? I am going to ring tomorrow to see if there is any other support I can get, as feel a bit let down by the service I have had so far.

Maddie N Tara x

[KateMoss]

Hi Maddie,

let Tara play with the inhaler & spacer - pop stickers on it and even give teddy a dose! Though if she is crying etc she will be getting some in - not a nice way but effective.

Being with other children will increase the number of coughs & colds she will pick up but that is all part of delevoping the immune system so don't stop sending her.

Yes, most surgeries now have asthma nurses or clinics and can be very helpfull and often have a bit more time to chat than GPs etc

My nephew, one next week, had had numerous chest infections and was often sick with coughing, though sometimes I think he eats too much! (I now feed him slowly!) Teething on top of the infections are probably making her feel a bit grumpy! I would discuss it with your GP or the nurse or even the health visitor if you are still seeing them or have access to them ( Not sure when they stop coming etc)

There are a few parents here who may be able to help more, I am only an auntie so not with them 24/7

Take care

Kate

XXX

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Hi Maddie and Tara

I can only second what Nicki said - i don't think that a baby this young can be officially diagnosed with Asthma. I would certainly go back to GP or Asthma nurse asap. If Tara does have 'asthma' or similar then you need to be shown properly now to use the inhalers - how often you should give them and how long they want her to be on them and what to look out for!!

It's really hard initially - Ollie my son had broncillitus when he was a baby and we were given blue and brown inhalers - we weren't really shown how to use them - how often to use them or for how long. Then we didn't know any different !!!

I also spoke to Asthma nurse on this site - they were really helpful and gave me loads of info that helped me to be more assertive when talking to GP.

Initially giving the inhalers was reallly hard but with perserverance practice and patience it got a bit easier. I'm sure you're already doing it - but try to turn it into a game and try to stay calm and relaxed as they do pick up on your tension!!! It used to really upset me doing it - i used to feel really mean - i still do!! But it does get better!!!

Sorry not to have been of much practical help!! I hope that you get things sorted out soon.

Take care

Claire

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hiya, hope today is better for both of you.

Yes most doctors surgery's do have asthma nurses but it can be extremely difficult to get an appointment (or at least it is here!). They are fantastic though in showing how to use the inhalers properly, when to use them, what to do if your not sure etc.

I really would urge you to get a doctors appointment with a doctor who knows tara already, or if thats not possible one you know who is caring etc. Although salbutamol (the blue inhaler) is incredibly safe and cannot be used too much or harm in any serious way, i would be apprehensive in giving it for a whole month before being seen again as a formal diagnosis hasnt been made yet.

In regards to giving the medication, there's a really good thread thats being bumped up at the moment on tips how to give them. She wont like it to begin with but if you encourage her and show her how good she's being about it all im sure she'll get used to it soon enough.

xx

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my 2 eldest children both suffered frm asthma as children bt av grown out of it,5 yrs ago i ws diagnosed with asthma n im classed as sever/brittle.ive gt a 16 mnth old daughter and shes benn refered 2 a paediatric respiratory consultant as shes ad 2 courses of steroids in 2 months n a high dose,ive always bn told that they dont diagnose a child under the age of 1 with asthma???? bt a think gps give salbutamol out 2 ne1 with a slight cold lol. if i was u id ask for a second opinion cus the last thing you want is her to b treated for sumat she asnt got.

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hey maddie

gr8 name my dawta name maddie haha x my maddie as salbutamol n she screams bt its best that way then she gets the dose of slabutamol.ive let maddie play wit hers n shes startin 2 get use 2 it bt theres also another spacer which my son ac n its called an aerochamber n its gt teddied over it n its a bright colour.

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Young babies *can* be diagnosed with asthma, but usually only if there's particularly compelling evidence.

It's quite common for little ones to wheeze if they have a virus/cold, although this doesn't usually mean they have asthma. However the treatment can (confusingly) be the same - the blue reliever inhaler, salbutamol, can be used to provide useful symptomatic relief to wheezy children, whether or not they are asthmatic.

I would certainly make an appointment with your regular GP for a review, even if it's just to chat about what you've been told and discuss what happens next.

CathBear

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they wnt say my dawta is asthmatic cus of her age bt they say shes gt a v high chnace of aving it with my other 2 aving ad it and myself bn a sufferer also bcus i ad pred althru my pregnancy it cud av affected her adrenal glands so she wnt produce natural steroids

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Hi all,

Thanks for all your messages and advice - she is booked into see an asthma nurse in a week - i went to my local pharmacy and they have been really helpful, i have been letting Tara play with it and she makes funny breathing noises in it but when i put it over her face she just freezes and holds her breath - she was going really red this morning! She was better tonight though.

I will let you all know how she gets on next week - thanks again!

Oh is there anything i shouldn't give her - iv'e heard bananas aren't good??!!

Maddie N Tara xxxxxx

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I've been there

Hi Maddie,

I just wanted to drop you a quick note of support. I've posted another really long message on the board already under ""Child newly diagnosed and we're struggling"". Holly had chest problems from quite soon after birth and had her first chest infection at 8 weeks. Things really went down hill from when she was 5 months old when she had croup, followed by 2 chest infections, then pneumonia and then 2 further chest infections in the space of 4 months. She coughed until she was sick anything up to 10 times a day (I would love to say I was exaggerating but I'm not. I have NEVER cleaned up so much sick and done so much washing!) In February 2007 we started both a brown and blue inhaler and by April 2007 we hadn't seen much improvement even after having had 3 courses of oral steroids. In May we added an additional drug called Atrovent and things finally started to improve (if you've read my long post you'll know the happy ending so I won't go on).

We have no family history of asthma but the feeling is that hers was partly caused by a difficult end to my pregnancy and an early chest infection.

Holly is now 18 months old and things are so much better. She is very used to her inhaler (we had difficulties at first but passed it between me, daddy, teddy and her brother and her with each of us putting it over our mouths and taking breaths. Then when we had done that a few times each we used to just catch her out by giving her a puff and she soon got used to it. We have absolutely no problems now. She actually continues tapping on the inhaler until she feels she has had enough of the blue pump.) We are much more confident about what we are dealing with. When it first started we obviously erred on the side of caution all of the time and followed the instructions to the letter. If she was wheezing again within 4 hours of her having had her Salbutamol then off we went to A&E. We pretty much lived there for about 6 months. Now we are a bit more confident and are able to read her much more easily. We know that Holly can be wheezy but happy and then we're safe to sit it out and see what happens (we're very fortunate and live just 5 minutes from an excellent A&E). We know that if she's wheezy and grumpy we have a problem.

I'm thinking of you and hope your little one gets better soon.

Kind regards

Lianne