Has anyone had any experience with asthmatic babies?

Question

My 4 month old was just diagnosed and I want to know what kinds of problems he may have.

Answer 1

I was an asthmatic baby (26 years old now) and I still have problems with it. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I remember being miserable during most of my youth. My mother used to cry everytime she had to give me this horrific liquid medicine that used to make me throw up. I remember being up late nights in my mother's lap while she tried to comfort me whenever my chest felt as if a ton of bricks was weighing it down. Until I was old enough to use an albuterol inhaler (12 years old), I was a wreck. I missed a lot of school, I was hospitalized a lot, and of course I was always sick, and wheezing, and couldn't play much. Once I got on the inhaler, I was fine but it took 12 years for me to be a "normal" child. However, health care for asthmatic children has come leaps and bounds since I was a child. Now they have tablets and liquid albuterol for kids, which is for me the most effective asthma medication. I have a coworker with an 18 month child whose been diagnosed with asthma and numerous food allergies. He is a very happy baby and his medications seem to be working well for him. They use a humidifier to help him breath better and they have learned what triggers his attacks. It is a disease you and the child can live with and he (or she) can have a happy childhood. The key to asthma is preventing an attack and when one does occur KEEP THE CHILD CALM. Learn how to do that, and your child will be fine. Until you do though, expect late nights. I don't know why, but everyone I know with asthma always had problems at night, especially when the seasons changed. Anyway, good luck to you and your baby.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

Depending what you already experienced, it can get better, and it can get a whole lot worse.
My son was diagnosed when he learned to crawl and he would wheeze. We have spent the last 4 Fall seasons about 3-4 days each year in Children's Hospital. Most of all, if you've identified the main "trigger" eliminate it as much as possible ie) cat or dog - has to go
Always remain faithful to the effectiveness of the medicine (inhalers etc)
Asthma should not interfere with work or play so long as it is controlled. Join an Asthma group (AAIA here in Canada) they are a wealth of information and comfort.

Answer 4

My son has been asthmatic since 9 mo's, he is 17 now, you can have a wide variety of problems, sometimes alot of respiratory infections, sometimes sinus infections will cause a normal baby no problem but an asthmatic baby will come down with an infection that will require steroids.

Answer 5

When my daughter was about one she developed baby asthma. We took her to see a specialist and he prescribed a child's Ventolin inhaler. She soon got used to it and had this therapy for about 2 years. As she grew older she seemed to grow out of the asthma and by the time she started school she was clear of it. She is now 22 and has had no recurrence of it although the specialist did warn us that she might develop it again in later life.You don't say whether your doctor has prescribed any medication but whatever treatment has been prescribed i suggest that you administer it and just hope that it is the same scenario as we had and he grows out of it. Thd classic symptom of dark circles around the eyes and shortness of breath can both be eliminated. Your child should sleep better and be less crabby because of better sleep patterns. I hope that this helps but if you Google "baby asthma" you might get a site that will give you more help. Good luck.