my son is three and suffers from reoccuring chest infections and is constantly on antibiotics why could this b

Answer 1

I would have him assessed by your paediatrician to rule our any underlying conditions.

Asthma could certainly be a triggering factor, and house dust, smoke and certain foods etc also trigger asthmatic symptoms.
Especially if there is a family history of asthma.

Answer 2

Recurring 'chest infections' are as rare as hens teeth, except in cystic fibrosis. Asthma is an extremely common problem in children between 2 and 6 years and causes recurrent chestiness. None of these episodes are bacterial, nor are they ever affected or improved by antibiotics, this being inappropriate management.

I have neither seen nor examined your child so the comments above are based solely on statistical probability.

Let me paint a picture for you, if it rings any bells with you ask your doctor to refer your child to see a paediatric respiratory physician. Remember i will be asking a series of questions, but I will not be receiving any answers.

Is there any family history of asthma, hay fever or eczema (all conditions that occur in the same individuals) or has your son ever had eczema?

Is the following true of your son, every time he gets a cold he gets a cough? Is it worse between 7pm and 7 am? does it peak at 3-4 am causing him to wake?

Does it occur every 6-7 weeks on average and does it last about the same number of days each time.

Have you received many courses of amoxicillin which neither affect the cough or shorten its duration.

Has he ever got wheeze or breathlessness with an episode. (Not essential to validate the diagnosis.)

Are there times when your son does not seem to have a cold, but he still gets chesty?

These might include occasional overnight or early morning cough, cough when he laughs or cries,cough when he runs or cough when it is very cold or he changes from one environment to another? (indoors to outdoors or visa versa).

Just as there is no definitive test for asthma there is no test to exclude asthma!

If when you think about it and there are a lot of yes answers,chat to you GP again about the diagnosis. He should perhaps have also had ONE chest x-ray to exclude rarities.

Answer 3

My son has been like that since he was five. and is now nine. He was diagnosed with asthma three years ago and still has chest infections at least twice to three times a year. ask your doctor to do a check on him for asthma or maybe request a chest xray. The doctor really needs to do tests before anything can be said.

Answer 4

he might have undiagnosed allergies, his immune system might be weak, there are numerous possibilities.On average, a healthy three-year-old child suffers from 6–10 colds per year. URTIs are usually mild, viral, and self-limiting; however, the symptoms can cause fever and make children irritable, lethargic, and uncomfortable. There are certain treatments based on certain bacteria that can help them improve their lung's response to chest infections. I gave my preemie girl a treatment called Broncho-Vaxom, and it did help her a lot. Talk it over with your pediatrician.

Answer 5

it could be due to a weak immune system. anti-biotics only weaken the immune system as anti-biotica not only kill the bad bacteria but also the good ones..This can be counterattcked by replacing the good bacteria by probiotics with a supplement called Acidophillus.& also Echinecea.
Please keep this site in mind for referral on natural & safe remedies, you can type in anyword in search & it'll give you a list of articles/results. they have a section called KidZone & Parents & Kids which is useful. Also the Q&A section at the end is very helpful.
There's also a book called What Really Works for Kids by Susn Clark.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Really-Works-Susan-Clark/dp/0593049195/ref=sr_1_2/026-4868319-8881264?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174775984&sr=1-2
The 2nd link is also very relevant to your question.

PS> dairy is supposed to adversly effect the respiratory system, producing phlem & catarh.

Answer 6

Too many antibiotics, themselves, could have a harmful effect, in a vicious cycle. A tolerance for them could be built up, and the immune system might become affected or compromised.

They should be used only when absolutely necessary.

Answer 7

My daughter is 3 and a half and is the same. The doctors think she might have asthma,but she's too young to test. She uses an inhaler and it really does seem to help when she gets bad. Definitely needs to be considered.

Answer 8

I would take him further than that particular GP.
Clearly anti-biotics long-term are not a good thing.
You need to be referred to someone who can actually look for the cause of the problem.
Demand this, if you have to.
All the best.

Answer 9

This could be due to a multitude of causes:

1. cystic fibrosis.
2. immunodeficieny
3. lung anomalies (e.g. lung sequestration...)
4. foriegn body obstruction.
5. yellow nail syndrome.

and many other causes...

in short seek a good pediatrician...

Answer 10

Could be asthma.. take him to the doctor again and ask for a peak flow test