My 7 week old....?

Question

Hi, I have 2 questions, I have a 7 week old and a 2 year old. My 2 year old has a cold and so do I. I think my 7 week old is getting a cold too. He coughs alot and his nose is stuffy and he rarely will eat. What should I do. And also is it normal for him to have trouble making a bowel movement? He pushes so hard for a while and he cries and cries til it is out. Please give me any information you can.

Answer 1

If he is getting a cold and starting to not eat call the doctor now. Also keep an eye out for RSV it is the season. Wheezing and chest retractions are the worst signs. As to constipation it is possible if you are bottle feeding but a lot of babies just have to push so hard because they are learning which muscles to use. The real sign for the constipation is hard stools. Good luck hope everything works out for you.

Answer 2

Take him to the doctor. If his nose is stuffy you may have to prop him up to sleep for a few days, so he isn't lying flat on his back. If he is not eating than you should make sure he see's a doctor right away, so that he doesn't get dehydrated, that can be very dangerous for a baby. Some babies do have a little trouble getting their bowel movements out, but that is probably due to not eating enough. Go to a doctor now!

AND DO NOT LISTEN TO PEOPLE WHO TELL YOU TO GIVE HIM WATER OR SYRUP OR ANYTHING STUPID LIKE THAT. LET THE DOCTOR TELL YOU WHAT TO GIVE HIM IF HE IS DEHYDRATED

If he has 6 heavy wet diapers in a 24 hour period than he is probably ok.

Answer 3

Give him a warm bath for the stuffy nose. A light eucalyptus oil rub down will also help to alleviate the stuffiness. For Constipation a great option is to massage his little belly. Very gently make a "U" along his belly with your index finger, bringing your finger all the way down below his belly button. This will aid his digestion.
You should also consult your doctor like others have said. Just so that they are aware of his current situation. That way if it gets worse they know exactly what the progression of the illness has been like.
Best of Luck!

Answer 4

There really isn't much you can do about the cold. The germs are already in the house and the baby has already been exposed to it. As far as the bm and crying. He is constipated and needs water, especially if he is on formula. Make sure he isn't on an iron rich formula as it really isn't necessary (unless recommended by the doc) and the extra iron will cause constipation.
Try a little water, but don't give too much. Call your doc and ask the nurse, she should be able to give her recommendation just over the phone.

Answer 5

If your little one gets a cold, there is nothing you can really do.. The dr. might suggest giving him a little tylenol if he gets a fever, they really do not like to put little ones on antibiotics, because it's better if they fight it off.. um I would not worry too much about him not eating as long as he is taking in 8 ounces during a 12 hour period, and as long as he is not running a fever... 2nd question.. he appears to be constipated, I see someone mentioned caro syrup, (dark syrup) and also try a little apple juice in with the milk, trust me it wont hurt the baby, I had to do this with my son around the same age. The sugar helps to loosen the stools.. or even try giving him apple juice with out milk, heated up a little bit but I doubt he will like it that way.. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 6

When my daughter was born alls she did was cough and sneeze for weeks but the doctor said it was normal and she would not eat a whole lot either. My daughter is 6 months and she has trouble going to the bathroom still because of the iron in her formula the doctor told me to give her prune juice so why don't u got out and but a bottle of baby prune juice and water it down a little in a bottle and give it to it.

Answer 7

You should definately take the 7 week old to the dr., his immune system isn't very strong yet. As far as the trouble with his bowel movements, he sounds constipated. Talk to the dr. about that too. The same thing happened to my son, for a while we had to put mylanta & karo syrup in his bottle.

Answer 8

If your baby is mucasy it can affect his eating. Try running a really hot bath and take him into the bathroom so that the steam can loosen the mucas making it easier for him to breathe. With regards to the bowel movements, have you tried giving him some cooled boiled water inbetween feeds? I found that this helped my son.

Answer 9

crying when passing a motion is quite normal for a young child, if he is bottle fed give him a couple of ounces of cooled boiled water to ease constipation. as for the cold, take him straight to your GP because what takes a week to develop in an adult could develop in a baby in an hour. and take my advice if ur doctor says everything is fine wait 24 hours if he is still ill take him back if he gets seriously worse take him to A&E. when my son was 4 months old he had what i though was a cold, we took him to the doctor, doctor confirmed a virus, he was still ill 24 hours after i took him back to a doctor a different doctor said it was a virus, the next day i was really worried he was still not well i took him to A&E and they put him straight on oxygen saying his right lung was collapsing. he then developed pneumonia and was on oxygen for a week, after he was discharged he developed asthma. that is all because 2 doctors failed to check my baby properly.

Answer 10

My daughter Hope has a problem with her bowel movements. I had to go to a doctor. She would scream when she tried to go and sometimes i would have to pull it out of her because it would only partially come out. I was told to mix some prune juice with water or another juice and give it to her. I really helps. Be careful because it can give them diarrhea.