I have a 22 Month old daughter who is always sick, what do I do?

Question

My daughter was born very healthy no problems. Until November of 2006. She went to the hospital ICU for a couple days. She was sick would not drink or eat... She got the roto virus. She lost 3 pounds during this. Now she has been sick since January with cold after cold. I took her to the doctor yesterday. They did not say much. She has a pedisure a day. She only weights 18.12 and she is almost 2. Should I worry... They said they may test her for IBS... A baby with IBS???

Answer 1

There's all kinds of things you can do;

You might try to replenish her intestinal bacteria with live yogurt.

Sometimes parents respond to colds in their kids by trying to keep them warm, but there is such a thing as too warm.

Also, if your propane or natural gas heater is putting out carbon monoxide, the baby might be feeling the effects worse than you.

And finally, the baby might not be getting enough sunlight in the winter.

Answer 2

I guess it's possible for a baby to have IBS, but reflux is more common and can make eating uncomfortable. It sounds like she contacted RSV, that can lead to more serious colds than babies who don't have it get. My nephews both got RSV as babies, and they were 4 or 5 years old before they stopped having a lot of sickness, especially during cold and flu season. If you've had the same Dr. the whole time then it couldn't hurt to look for a different Dr. to at least get a second opinion. And do internet research on any condition they suggest to you she might have. As for her weight, don't worry too much about it unless she's too tall to weigh that, the Dr. can calculate her BMI to decide that, my daughter was healthy and only weighed about 20 pounds when she turned 2, when she was 6 she only weighed 30 pounds. The Dr.'s went by her BMI and that was okay. I wish you and your little one luck, it has to be horrible for you to see your baby so sick.

Answer 3

That sounds a lot like my daughter who is now 3yo. She was extremely healthy, ate well, was growing "like a weed." At 9mo, she got a cold and I took her to the pediatrician. No worries. She got checked, her temp was alright, Tylenol and rest was the diagnosis. Two days later, her temp skyrocketed and I drove straight down there. When we got to the office I said she needed to be seen immediately, I couldn't get her temp down from 101*. They took it and her temp was 105*. They gave her Tylenol and sent us to the ER. Once there, she was put on an IV and blood tests were ordered. When it came back, they found she had Neutropenia. It's a blood disorder like Leukemia. Her body doesn't make part of the white blood cells (the ones that fight infection) called Neutrophils. She had to be seen at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and they put her on Neupogen (20cc/day) by injection. Luckily she responded to the treatment because the next step was bone marrow testing and possibly trying to find matches. Because her body didn't make that important part of the infection-fighting cells, she was sick constantly and we had to take her to the doctor or hospital for a whole slew of things because if she got too sick there was a chance she couldn't recover. Everything is under control now, she's 3yo and I only have to give injections 2x/week. It took a little over 2 years, but things seem to finally be kicking in in her bone marrow.

Would it be possible for you to request a blood panel for her? I've never heard of an infant with IBS, but it's possible, I suppose. Good luck! And, as the mother of a sick baby, I hope everything works out fine!!!

Answer 4

Honey, since you are this concerned about her, they are probably doing tests to rule things out to find out what the problem is. At least you have people caring enough to listen to your concerns and do what they need to do to rule out some problems...it could be worse, they could just send you home and tell you that you are being overanxious and that children get colds.

Perhaps she just has a weakened immune system because of what happened last year. Don't worry, sweetie, the doctors will sort your daughter out.

Be glad that you have doctors willing to help you :)

Answer 5

Have your house checked for mold. My son stayed sick his whole first year. The doctor said he probably had asthma (but would not label him since he was so young). I found out that my house had nasty black mold behind the bathtub backsplash. We moved and he has not been sick like that since. I mean he gets the occasional cold or something just like the other 3 of my kids but not continuously sick with respiratory stuff. He was on breathing treatments almost his whole first year. His respiratory issues cleared up within 2-3 weeks of moving.

Answer 6

Ask that she be seen by an ENT. Infections can get stuck in the sinus cavity and keep reinfecting the body. This happened to me and I was sick off and on for 6 yrs. Does she have other problems besided being sick? Also, if you haven't taken her to a dietician yet try that. They can recommend high cal foods to keep her weight up.

Answer 7

I would get a second opinion, most kids are picky eaters and she may just be a small child. When my son was 2 he started having problems with his tonsels, we thought he just didn't want to eat and it was a phase, turns out his tonsils were so big they were blocking his throat and being irritated everytime he swallowed. I would get a second or even 3 opinion before you do anything else.

Answer 8

You may think I am a nut, but really if you think about it --what can it hurt? Try taking her to a chiropractor. It has been known to help with ear infections and other chronic illness.

Also add garlic to her diet.

Answer 9

Does your daughter go to Childcare? Is she in contact with other kids regularaly?

Answer 10

well be careful about what you do if you do let them bring her in.you should be a bit worried if she might have ibs. so be on your toes.