my 6 month old and his doctor?

Question

my 6 month old son has a cold. it started out kinda tiny and has become a runny nose mess. he is running a very low grade fever, and can barely drink his bottle since his nose is so stuffy. i've called his doctor and he told me to put vapor rub under his nose. i know that this is acceptable, but i really want to take him in. i plan on calling (again) tomorrow, but the thing is, the last time i brought him in for a cold the doc didn't do anything. i was informed over the weekend by a family member who uses the same pediatrician that this guy doesn't "do medicine." my problem with this is my son's cold is not getting better. so, my question is, what should i do tomorrow if he refuses to treat my son? i know that i am not a doctor, but i can tell when my little boy is sick. would i be out of place to politely insist on medicine? for now, i'm giving him johnson's vapor baths, using saline drops and infant tylenol. i am not a big drug supporter, but there come a time for them, right?

i plan on changing his doctor after my son gets his 6 month shots on the 14th if there is any trouble.

hey pinkie: mothers like me? you mean mothers that care about their baby and worry about their health? he has green snot gushing out of his nose, a fever, a cough, he isn't eating nor sleeping well. so don't treat me like i am trying to over-medicate my son. i am okay with a "common cold", but i can tell that this is developing into much more. please do not spread your hateful, negative energy around here.

about the vapor rub: the doctor told me to do that. i even asked if it would harm my baby, but he said it was fine. he only gets a teeny dab under each nostril.

Answer 1

Both of my boys (4yrs and 2yrs) have had cold off and on since they were born, the oldest especially b/c he was sickly from the get go the whole first year. contrary to what some people are saying on here YES he can use some medicines to help your child other than what he has told you to do and what you are doing b/c it could turn in to bronciolitis if it hasn't already b/c everytime my children got a cold that's what happened and we always knew they were just that type.

He could be doing breathing treatments that you do with a nebulizer with a pediatric mask for infants using Xopenex or albuterol in mix with pumlicort to help out with his breathing. and that alone would do wonders. he could also prescribe an antihistimine which would clear things up alot quicker. this was the combo used on my children. and i stand by it totally. come to find out they weren't just getting "colds" all the time. it turned out to be really bad allergies most of the time and yet they had all the same symptoms as a cold and you know what they haven't had a cold or allergy symptoms in a year (granted my oldest b/c he is severely allergic to a lot of stuff like dust, grass, cats, trees, peanuts, weeds, etc. HAS to take medicine every night)!!!! this combo works on symptoms of colds and allergies. anytime the little starts showing signs i give him benedryl and he's fine and dandy and that's great. but then again i'm lucky that we have a pediatrician that also has a degree in a speciality such as breathing difficulties and such. and colds he does take seriously when it comes to infants and toddlers.

they get a cold they automatically start breathing treatments and antihistimines for colds.

you TRULY need to find another doctor who cares about your child and does what will help him the most. and if medicine will help he needs to give it b/c medicine can help that kind of cold. i DO agree with the vapor rub and saline though to go along with it.

Answer 2

Thursday is only 4 days away, so use what you learned from past visits to give the baby comfort. On not finishing the bottle all the time, this is not abnormal. It could just be that he's not all that hungry at one meal or another. It could also mean he's got a cold and the phlegm makes him less interested in the milk. If he's not a lot more lethargic than at the other three episodes, I wouldn't worry. If he needs to be seen sooner than Thursday, he should be more lethargic than on prior visits, or look sicker. Give him lots of fluids... not milk, but diluted juices to give him more water, so if he's got phlegm, it'll help break it up. Use what the doctor told you on prior visits, unless he looks significantly worse than on prior visits for similar symptoms. Part of these mommy scares is learning how to recognize "this is what he's had before, so I know how to take care of him without having to run to the doctor". It's a learning process. On the nose drops... that's my only concern. Commercial nose drops CAN have a rebound effect and you can make saline nose drops at home to use that won't have the rebound effect. You can get the ratio of salt to water from your Pediatrician's (or GP's) nurse by phone. The Vicks vaporizer is a great idea. So, if he looks about as he did on the other times, I'd wait for Thursday. If he looks enough worse, I'd call and talk to the nurse to see if the baby should be seen.

Answer 3

Try breastmilk up the nose. I know it sounds weird, but it works better than saline drops and has immunological properties to it. I wouldn't expect the congestion to completely go away for at least 7-10 days, and if it hangs on longer than 10 days, that's when I'd take him to the doctor and ask. However, even if it hangs on that long, sometimes babies get one cold after another, especially if they are on formula or in daycare around other kids. Cold medications are generally not given to babies under 9 months because of their underdeveloped respiratory systems (among other reasons). Don't forget to keep him elevated when he sleeps and run a cool mist vaporizer. Hope he feels better soon!

Answer 4

When my kids were that age and got common colds (which is what this sounds like) I'd give them infant tylenol (which helped with the fever but also helped with the aches and pains that go with it), take them in the bathroom and turn the shower on full blast with hot water and get the bathroom really steamy and sit in there with them for a few minutes at a time (take breaks from it so he doesn''t get over heated) and just got some tissue and let their nose run (without suctioning) I'm telling you if you just let all that snot run out the colds last about 2-3 days vs the 7-11 days they normally would. It's messy and nasty but it works. Oh and when I could I'd sleep in a recliner with them and hold them a little more upright so they could breathe better (put a towel on you though so if his nose runs it won't get all over you). That also kept them calmer. It was hell on my back but got them through it faster.

Also one thing to keep in mind...your son is getting to the point he should be starting to teethe. Colds are common during that time so go ahead and be prepared with baby orajel and teething rings (also wash cloths work great for teething)

If you really don't like your dr change asap. There's nothing worse than having a dr you don't trust.

Good luck and hope your baby gets better soon! ;-)

Answer 5

I hope you mean the infant vaporub because the standard vaporub contains camphor which is highly toxic and should never be used on infants let alone near his mouth were it can be swallowed.

Unless there is evidence of an infection (green snot or ear infection) I'm not sure what you expect the doctor to do? Antibiotics will do absolutely nothing for a virus. There are some decongestants you could consider but those are all available without a prescription. Decongestants may treat the symptom(and there is some evidence that they don't actually work) but they won't make your son better any faster. And of course there are risks to using medication.

Ultimately though if you are unhappy with the pediatrician you should switch, you wouldn't hire a plumber whose work you weren't happy with the first time -so why would you use a doctor you aren't happy with. Health is much more important than plumbing. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with what this doctor is doing, but not every doctor and every patient work well together.

Answer 6

I felt the same way when Noah was sick...but, guess what??? The doctor was correct, it was a cold and it finally took care of itself (without medicine). Noah was just a 'baby' (2mths) and was so "stuffy". He could hardly eat also! Of course, like you, I was worried sick. I did the saline, Tylenol, and the humidifier. Eventually, about 4-5wks later, Noah was better! So, babies get sick and they get sick OFTEN. Tell your doctor that you are concerned and ask HIM why he isn't prescribing medication. He will explain the difference between a bacterial infection and a viral infection, etc. ***Check your vapor rub, I didn't think newborns were supposed to have it applied to them. Read the bottle***

Answer 7

With a common cold the most medicane a dr will recommand is baby tylenol or motrin. YOu can go grab some at your pharmacy. I have a little sister and thats the only thing the dr will prescribe for a cold.

Answer 8

Hey Ashley, what got Pinlkie's panties in a bunch? Must not have kids...or we hope not! Any whooo... I understand the helpless feeling us mommies have when our babies are ill. They just look at us for some form of relief. Since your baby is seemingly getting sicker, take him to the emergency clinic or hospital . I had trouble at times with the way doctors shrug their shoulders like their hands are tied. But they aren't up all night with a child who can barely breath or is vomiting. Docs aren't God's and do err. Your the mommy, do what your gut instinct tells you. It's better to overreact to your child's illness than to underreact, right? Here that Pinkie? Good!

Answer 9

Try suctioning his nose a lot. The medications will only prolong the cold by hindering the body from healing itself. There is really nothing you can do for a cold but let it run its course. Good luck!

Answer 10

there ARE no meds a dr can give you for a cold. Antibiotics are not for colds, they are caused by viruses. You need to use a humidifier, vapor rub and saline. If he starts to have a fever over 101 or starts to have alot of coughing and wheezing then he may have somehting more serious.

I know its hard to see your baby sick, but there is nothing that a dr can do to help a cold.