New to all this and finding it quite scary.

Since our daughter was brought home from the hospital she has had a persistent cough which worsened the older and more active she got, even keeping her awake at night. After an inital diagnosis of reflux we saw the paediatrician on Monday and left with Beclazone, Ventolin and an areochamber. My husband had asthma as a baby, into his teens and it has recently resurfaced again and his parents and brother also suffer. We were told what to do with everything although as hubby has it himself, I feel he butted in where I was trying to listen. The closest I've come to asthma is giving the kids I babysat for and my niece their inhalers (one old enough to know themselves, the other a regular reliever dose through areochamber). Now I'm doubting I will know when she should have the reliever. I know she has to have the preventer one puff morning and night but the instructions for the reliever are 2-6 puffs four hourly as required. When should I consider she needs the reliever? I have to impart all this information to the nursery tomorrow and I know they will ask.

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It is really daunting at first, I remember feeling very frustrated at not being sure of what I was doing. However my boys were all 2+ when given an inhaler, I have never had to deal with it as babies so I don't know if this will help but roughly how I do it is, if they are well with no symptoms, I only give the brown as instructed. If they have a cold and or mild asthma symptoms (cough, wheeze) I give 2xblue 2-4 times a day. if and when symptoms worsen I give anything between 2-10 puffs every 4 hours. If they need more I have learnt not to be afraid to give 10 puffs more often than 4 hourly, but I also get them checked out if it gets as often as 2-3 hourly. Having said that you are dealing with an infant and if you have been told to give a max of 6 puffs 4 hourly, I would get her checked out if and when you get to a point you feel she is needing more than that and the 6 puffs are not lasting 4 hours. Signs to watch out for are, coughing, wheezing, crackling, breathing faster than normal and using there tummy muscles to breath. You really have to trust your instinct and if in any doubt always see a dr, or straight to a&e if an emergency.

With any luck the nursery will know when to give the inhaler, I doubt she will be the first child they have had with asthma. I think again it would be 2x blue four hourly for mild symptoms but for me if she was needing any more I would want her at home. My younger 2 are still at home but my eldest often has 2 puffs at 12pm at school, if symptoms are present.

I hope that has helped a little and hopefully someone experienced in giving inhalers to a baby will reply to you.

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Thanks for your reply. I now feel more confident in knowing what to look for. I just didn't want to over or under dose her if you see what I mean. So far she is okay taking her inhaler with the infant spacer, until I think she tastes the medication. I'm guessing there must be something there as she will happily sit for a little while then whips her head away (currently hugging her tight to overcome this problem). She is fine when I let her play with the spacer. Nursery have been really good and assured me they know what to do so I am fine with her attending at the moment. If she has a particularly bad day I am sure that will all change.

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Wooo hoo! After just a few days, when we were told to expect not to notice any change for up to 6 weeks, our little girl's cough has all but gone. Only had a couple of doses of the ventolin. Detests taking the Beclazone and has near perfected the art of whipping head away when the spacer looms. Poor thing has to be held tight to get anything like a dose in but we shall persist. Daddy was attemtping to show her what to do last night. Quite funny watching a grown man with a baby spacer covered in teddies.

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Yay! Four successful regular doses of Beclazone without crying or fussing. Although Emily does lick the inside of her mask! Has a bit of a rough weekend esp last night where I had to load her up with Ventolin just to get her to sleep. Went through all the usual is it teething/hunger waking her but she just got herself in such a state and was soooo coughy I felt I had to give her the Ventolin and within about half an hour she had completely calmed down and curled up asleep on me. At 2am! Quite freaked out that she got as bad as she did and hubby couldn't be much help as he had to be up for work this morning. Luckily I'm still off work at the moment so had a long lie-in after they went to nursery.