My son is 11 months old and has what we believe is rotavirus. No we haven't been officially tested, but the diarrhea diapers are horrendous smelling, which is what I always hear from moms that have had it. He began with vomitting on Sunday. Monday he was keeping food down, but had 4 diarrhea diapers. His appetite is a little down, but he is eating bananas, rice cakes, toast, applesauce, and drinking about 20 oz of pedialyte a day. He is off of formula because he decided a month ago that he HATED it and refused to take it in any form. He has been on soy milk since then, but he hasn't had any soy milk since Saturday since we are trying to keep his fluid intake up and he drinks water and pedialyte better than milk anyway. He is happy and playful, though maybe a little quieter and fussier than his normal. He is napping well and sleeping decently at night. I know dehydration is the biggest danger with this virus, but I am struggling to know whether that's a concern for HIM or not. His diapers are not hugely wet, but he has had 3 wets (meaning i can feel some heaviness and smell pee at the fromt of his diaper) since waking up today (its now 3pm). He still crawls around and does his thing. I would guess that if he was dehydrated he would not have the energy to be crawling around and playing and smiling. Or is that a bad assumption? Could he be dehydrated and still be happy and playing?
He eats and then immediately we hear him fill the pants. It's an AWFUL smell! I hear some kids have 10 or more diapers a day with this bug. We seem to be on a lower end, with 4-5.
I know it could go on for days, even weeks, which I am praying against! It's nasty!
Some drs say BRAT diet, others say its no use. I am already giving a probiotic powder twice a day...should I increase it? Just want to get rid of this diarrhea! Poor baby hates diaper changes anyway...he hates them even more now!
Please help give me some advice! I am a panic kinda mom, and I just need reassurance that I am doing all the right things and that I don't need to rush him to the hospital. He sure doesnt act like he feels awful!
Edited to add:
I called the dr office and they said of it continued past 7 days then they want to see him or if he has a fever come up or shows signs of dehydration. It's the wet diaper thing that makes it hard to tell. It's wet, but like just one pee wet, not full on soaked.
Our insurance is a high deductible and I already have a balance at the peds office so I try to avoid going unless its necessary. Trust me, if it was just a copay, I'd gladly pay it for the peace of mind alone!
if he isnt showing signs of dehydration if you take him to the ped they will just say its a virus then you are out the $$ although if he does get dehydrated you are looking at a hospital bill. I would push more pedialite and see how he does in the next day. if there is a decrease in the amount of the wet diaper then def take him in.
You can check for dehydration by grasping his skin on the back of the hand or abdomen between two fingers (don't need to pinch him too hard, just pull the skin up). Hold for a few seconds and then let go. It should go back quickly, but it stays up and returns slowly to normal then he is dehydrated.
I would take him to the doctor.
My oldest had what we think "rotavirus" when she was a little over a year. Back in 2006 they didn't have the vaccine for rotavirus. My second was born in 2007 at the time they came out with the vaccine. She had her vaccines for rotavirus. The oldest was too old and couldn't get it as what my doctor said. Anyway my oldest was throwing up so much and had diarrhea too and the fever. I brought her in to the doctor along with the diarrhea diaper that in put in a ziplock bag.They check it and they said it was a "virus." I asked her if she thinks it the rotavirus(since she never got the vaccine) she said it could been. Her and her sister were 14 months apart and she would drink her bottles. Her little sister NEVER got what she had. Makes you wonder. My half brother who was about 10 or 11 and had rotavirus. He had all the same symptoms and he was drinking. My mom was worried because he looked bad. She packed him into the ER during the night and he was dehydrated. They had him in the hospital for a day or two. Kids can tend to dehydrate so fast and this was a older child. I would make a appointment with the doctor. Better be safe than sorry. Hope he starts to feel better!
Dont wait 7 days!
Push the pedalyte and take him to his ped and have him tested. They will test the "messy" diaper. So if nothing else take a poopy diaper in with you just in case he doesn't have a messy one while there.
My son was fussy but still acted the same, just a little slower... you could tell he didn't feel good. I took him to the Dr and they told me that it was just the flu. I explained this has been going on for 3 days and he isn't getting better. They were going to send him home and write it off as the flu. I got mad and told them they need to do more than take his temp ( it was normal, he never had a fever) and weigh him. Well they wouldn't and sent him home.
2 days later I went back with him and again they were going to write it off as a bad case of the flu. I demanded they do something else. I actually got into a yelling match with the Dr. I made them call in his regular ped ( she was out both times we went) and I wanted her to look at him. After a half hour of going back and forth they called her in. She took one look at him and was honestly pissed they were going to send him home. She had him tested for the rotavirus and it came back positive. In the mean time she hooked him up to an IV because he was so dehydrated. I felt horrible I didn't realize he was dehydrated.
I thank God every day for my bullheadedness and demanded more for my son. After she admitted my son to the hospital she came up that afternoon and said had I went home with Devyn he wouldn't have made it to the morning. He was 80% dehydrated and his kidneys were actually starting to shut down on him. In the two days between seeing Dr's he lost 7lbs. He had an endless cup of water and drank it.. I was always refilling it. It was just coming out of him faster than his body was absorbing it. Plus it didn't have the electrolites in it that he needed.
Just be careful with this virus... it scares me when I hear of kids getting it after our experience with it!
I'd cut off all food for 24 hours and push more liquids. You can make jello with pedialyte instead of water if you feel like you have to feed him something. Also, maybe try unflavored pedialyte because the flavored stuff used sorbitol (Splenda) and that gives some people diarrhea.
Since we only carry unflavored pedialyte at my hospital, when we come across a kiddo who won't drink it, we either add a small amount of powdered crystal light or melt a Popsicle in it.
Good luck.
Just wondering if he got the rotavirus vaccine? Take him to ped. Better to be safe than sorry.
I'd take him in to the pediatrician. Definitely the best starting point. Our oldest had rotavirus when he was two and he was basically fine. He just played at home, but had those horrendous diapers about 10-15 x a day. By the end of the first week, we had to do special bath soaks because his bottom was so red and awful. He had rotavirus for two weeks.
The key thing, you're right, is watching for dehydration. Diet won't make any difference, although our doctor still advised us to use the BRAT diet.
I think you're doing great except what protein is he getting??? Maybe some scarmbled egg???
You're probably fine as long as he keeps wetting diapers and isn't lethargic at all..........
It's too bad he doesn't do formula anymore. When my daughter had the rotavirus, we were advised to help with it by giving her Similac AD (for anti-diarreal). It looks like now it's called Similac Extra Care and we found it at Walgreens. She didn't love the pre-mixed formula, and I'm not sure it helped, but I knew she was getting nutrition and it couldn't hurt. http://similac.com/baby-formula/similac-expert-care-diarrhea
