My 23 month old son has had us up most of the nite. He woke us crying on 3 seperate occasions and when we went to get him, it sounded like he was having a difficult time breathing. We ended up putting some Vicks on his chest and he went back to sleep. My hubby thinks it's just congestion. I think it sounds like something more serious.
To me, it sounded like he was struggling to breath, although it got better once he relaxed.
Any advice???? I told my hubby I'm calling the Dr if he is like that today.
I can't thank everyone enough for taking the time to respond!!
He was very congested yesterday and had a fever and runny nose. We used Vick's and ended up giving him Delsym last nite. We also put a cool mist humidifier in his room. Then we crossed our fingers. He slept through the nite and has played like a bandit today. He has been coughing today, but it sounds like it's congestion that is breaking up and his nose isn't quite as runny.
I'm still keeping my eye on him, but I think he is feeling better. Thanks again for the great ideas. They all played a roll in making him feel better!!
I agree. I know that it's hard to be hounded for medical bills. I'm being hounded now for bills that I'm making WEEKLY payments on and they still call me to bug me about it. BUT, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Suzi
I had this happen with my son at about the same age and we ended up in the emergency room because I was scared witless. They ended up giving us some Albuterol because his lungs were so congested. I have to say, it worked like a charm. They won't let him take it for very long...maybe a few days because it's a steroid but boy did it help with the breathing and I didn't worry so much about him possibly stopping breathing.
I agree... see a doctor. But in them meantime, use a vaporizor when he sleeps. Also, if it gets bad in the night (croupy) take him in a steamy bathroom. Run the hot water to get the room really steamy.
My son had Bronchiolitis (sp?) when he was little. It sounds like your description. When we carried him outside to take him to the ER, his breathing was fine! We felt like hypochondriacs taking him in then, but he was sick. They gave him some antibiotics and within 24 hours, he acted fine.
J.,
If your gut says something's wrong, listen to it. Call the doctor.
Hi J. - Is his tummy pulling in enough that you can see his ribs between breaths? That means he's not getting enough air and is struggling to breathe. And also I'm assuming he's not blue around the mouth or fingertips (which is another sign of not getting enough oxygen)? Anyway, my daughter had pneumonia 4 or 5 times and was hospitalized with RSV all before she was 2 - trust me, it's scary! I think it's always better to be safe than sorry, so trust YOUR instincts and take him in if he seems bad. The somewhat good thing about it is that they never make kids who can't breathe wait. They'll see him immediately and get treatment started right away. Good luck!
What does it sound like? Is it accompanied with a raspy or hoarse cough? Is it worse when he's laying down?
Our daughter just got over croup. It is always worse at night, especially when they lay down. Trouble breathing, raspy and hoarse cough, wheezy breathing. She had to have a steroid shot to help her breathe, and we had to monitor her closely. The doc told us to take her straight to the ER if her breathing got like that overnight again.
Take him into the doc to be sure. Croup should not go untreated.
With asthma on the rise, and the weather changing, etc I would say get it checked out. Better safe than sorry. My then young son had croup and had to be hospitalized. I was ready to just let him ride it through thinking it's just a cold, and I didn't want to bother the dr after hours. But the dr listened to his breathing over the phone and told me to get him to ER. His stomach did cave in, and they ended up keeping him overnight in like a 'plastic bubble' to give him treatments to open his breathing passage.
I later asked the nurse was this THAT serious, could my baby have died?? And she told me yes.
So bills will always be there, but if we ignore something that turns out serious, we will never forgive ourselves. If he doesn't get better get him checked out for your own peace of mind.
God bless your family and your new expected one!
If he was coughing, did he sound like he was barking (like a seal)? That could be croup and it always seems to hit at night. We would go in the bathroom, shut the doors and turn the shower on full steam - HOT - let the bathroom get steamed up - that helps. Vaporizer in the room helps, too.
I would have him checked out by the dr (and tested for RSV). RSV season is upon us and it can be very serious in the little guys. Not only that, but if your older child does have RSV and you gave birth to your second child, it could be VERY serious for the newborn.. trust me!! My daughter (now 5) came down w/ croup symptoms the day my son was born. Eight days later, my newborn tested positive for RSV and was admitted to Children's Mercy. At the time of his admission, he was doing fine, but 12 hours later, a code blue was called. He spent 33 days in the hospital, most of which was in PICU on a vent. It was the scariest experience in my life.
Should your 2 yr old have RSV, I would recommend cleaning your house very well to make sure the virus is not there when you bring your newborn home. The virus can live on surfaces for up to 12 hours and is extremely easy to spread within households (my husband and I both got RSV while my son was in the hospital).
Best of luck to you and your family!
my 16 month old a pnemonia in the middle of november, doctor put her in because her o2 levels were low. they put her on pomicort and aburtal(SP).we thought she had ear infection boy were we wrong! Took her back last week they put her back on both medicines twice a day and if she needs the asthma one more can give.
It could be croup or something else get it checked out!
J.,
I would definately call the dr. He could have fluid in his lungs which can be serious. They may want him to do a breathting treatment. I know all three of my kids have issues in the cold weather months and have to do them to help open up there bronc. tubes.
But I would definately take him in and at least have him checked to be safe.
Go with your gut instinct, it is more often right. Whooping cough has been going around as well as other germs. I'd probably take him to pediatrician, especially if happens again tonight. Also run a vaporizer cool mist(humidifier in his room at night) that will help, especially if it is just congestion. hope he gets better quick for you.
Good Morning J., I hope your little man is better. You might try a cool mist vaporizer, turn it away from his bed though. I put baby Vicks on our gr son's pj's or undershirt, not on his skin, he can still breath it. The baby Vicks isn't as harsh or strong smell but works well on little ones. Also Hot steamy Bathroom helps alot. I had to do that with our youngest years ago. We left in the middle of the night to drive back from Ok to ks when he was having trouble breathing. Took me 5 Dark long hours of driving to make it home listening to him try and breathe. Took him right to bathroom steamed it up and we sat there for a good 30 minutes. While my hubby took care of the eldest. Croup. UGH
God Bless you always. Wishing you a Wonderful, safe, Glorious Delivery for your new little Angel and You.
God Bless
K. Nana of 5
definately take him to the doctor. Asthma attacks can be serious, even deadly and very hard to know the difference in little ones until you have had a child with asthma for a while and know the difference. Vicks vapo-rub can be harmful for asthma as well as it traps all the congestion in the lungs and coughing is good to keep it all loosened up. I have 3 kids and all 3 of them have had breathing like asthma symptoms at times. One of them had breathing problems from the time he was 3 months old until he outgrew it at around age 13. Other 2 kids had problems when we lived in Georgia and all 3 of them went to the doctor often for breathing problems while we lived there for 3 years. Sometimes it is triggered by allergies and pollen in the air. Since we moved here they don't have many breathing problems and occasionally in the fall may need to use the nebulizer but seem to be more healthy since we moved here. Sometimes kids may get wheezing with a bad cold and would still use similar meds like Asthma but doesn't mean they have asthma but you want to make sure as Asthma attacks can happen suddenly and can be very scary and dangerous to your little ones lungs. I have been in ER in the middle of the night because of an asthma attack.
J....this kinda sounds like what my son had when he was about 4months old he was diagnised with RSV. We took him to the dr on a Friday and they said that if it got bad enough to take him to the er over the weekend thankfully we didnt have to. But Id take him to the er since its the weekend if I were you, Better safe than sorry. Good luck
Sorry your little guy isn't feeling good. I have done the hot shower/steam room with my daughter before. And the vaporizer in the room. It might sound strange, but at the gym where my gril goes, there has been a lot of the croppy cough going on. One mother there suggested, and it has personally worked for us, is to take Vicks rub on the child's feet, put on socks, and put them to bed. It seems to draw the problem out, kind of like a detox effect. She woke up with no cough the next morning. She is 10, but we have the baby Vicks on hand since she doesn't like the over powering smell from the regular Vicks, it worked great on her.
Have an awesome Christmas. What a wonderful time of the year to celbrate the birth of a new child! Congrats and best wishes.
It could be asthma that is brought on by a cold that he has. I would take him to the doctor. They can give him a rescue inhaler called Pro Aire. If he was coughing alot that can make the asthma symptoms worse causing his airway to constrict. Either way I would definantly take him. Mom always knows best and follow your intuiton - even if your hubby thinks differently. Better to overreact than under. Hope you kiddo feels better soon. E.
