Whenever a child under a year old is diagnosed with pneumonia is it always done with an xray? If so is there usually a follow up xray done at some point? Here is the premise to my questions:
Last October my 9 month old (at the time) son came down with the flu and pneumonia, it was the weekend when he was sick so I took him to Care Now, after he tested positive for the flu they did an xray that showed pneumonia. The doctor wanted me to bring him back there for followup, however I couldn't afford to take him back because it is so expensive for a minor emergency visit. So they told me to follow up with his pediatrician and come back for an xray in a month to make sure the pneumonia was gone. We saw his pediatrician the following day she said he was fine and his lungs sounded clear (she never mentioned getting a follow up xray done). 6 weeks later (in December) my son got a cold that turned into an ear infection, I asked the doctor if he could still have pneumonia and she said his lungs sounded clear so no and prescriped some antiobitics, he was well within 2 weeks. Then a month after (January) he came down with bronchiolitis and another ear infection, he was given an antiobitic and breathing treatment to help with wheezing while sick. He is now well. My concern is, should his doctor have sent him in for a follow up xray? Does he still need one? Could the pneumonia be lingering and causing his illnesses in December and January? I have asked a couple of nurses and have gotten mixed answers. Also are xrays safe for babies?
I was told with RSV, (which is similiar to pneumonia and bronch.) that once they have it, they are more likely to get bronchial infections again.
His pneumonia is gone or he would have had more serious problems between visits. Listening to his chest and observing his breathing and other symptoms after treatment for pneumonia is a good indicator and an x-ray is not always indicated. It doesn't mean he couldn't get it again so don't freak out and blame yourself if his bronchiolits were to turn into pneumonia. You can take a deep breath and stop the "everything is my fault" blame game that mama's play. By the way thats the game people with stuff to sell like special vitimins, ect. are counting on. My first had terrible allergies and was sick every 3 weeks or so with tubes at 5 months. People would say why don't you brest feed him. I did, for 19 months! Everybody thinks they know best when your little one is sick all the time.
You seem like you are taking him to the doc when he needs it and love him to bits. You are doing great! Really!!
B.
I would most definitely get the follow up x ray. It is safer to get the x ray and know for sure than not to!! What does your gut tell you to do? Follow up follow up follow up!!!
My daughter had pneumonia last year that went undetected during 3 seperate office visits,by 3 different doctors. It wasn't until she woke up from her nap and her lips and area around her mouth turned blue was it detected. I went to my local pediatric emergency care center and asked to please have her xrayed,. Told them I really felt she had pneumonia. They were like sure, ok, but it's probably not pneumonia. Maybe her room was cold(yeah,ok). They listened to her chest. Lungs sound ok, but they xrayed her anyway. Sure enough, she had an advanced case of pneumonia. It took a while to clear up, but yes, you bet we followed up with xrays to make sure. Please have them xray him. If this has been going on for a while, his pneumonia could be more advanced in which case it is sometimes so tight they can't hear air pass through it(which is what makes the crackling sound they hear w/pneumonia). Good luck, feel free to PM me with any questions or concerns.
My little boy who is 3 had pheumonia in December the week before Christmas. His was detected by x-ray at Children's ER (we took him cause he was very dehydrated and couldn't keep fluids in). It took them a while to figure out what was wrong because they kept listening to his lungs and couldn't hear much crackling/wheezing. Then they did the x-ray and saw the fluid. He stayed there 3 days and upon his release we were told to follow up with our pedi. After the holidays we followed up with our pedi and she listened to his lungs and had a hard time hearing anything in his chest. She said it is hard to hear the fluid in children's lungs because they don't know how to take a big, deep breath in like we adults do. She sent him for an x-ray to be on the safe side, which thankfully showed everything was all clear. Like the other posts suggest, I'd ask for an x-ray just to be sure.
Sometimes it is diagnosed with x ray but can also be diagnosed without. He is probably just getting sick because that is what they do until they are much older. They have to catch all those bugs at one time to develop immunity that will come later. BUT, if it were my child I would tell the pedi that care now requested a follow up x ray and you would like to go ahead and get one just to be sure it looks good. They will most likely humor you since it is just an x ray.
I typed a long post and it got lost....but bottom line is that one of my kids has had a lot of breathing issues and the pedi never does a chest xray...but one time when we had an after hours emergency we went to a place like a Care Now and they did do one...and it was not Pneumonia. So, I think those places may just do xrays as a standard protocol.
I agree that it is not normal to be that sick. With a child that young, I would strongly encourage you to have continuous care with ONE provider - stop going to the minor emergency clinic. If you don't trust your pediatrician, get a new one - preferably one with a sick clinic on weekends. You need all of the child's records and history in the same location. Plus, these Care Now places are required to write you prescriptions for whatever you come in for and they are required to encourage follow-up visits - it generates income, and that is all those places are interested in. You need a pediatrician that you can call - even on the weekend - and be told whether or not to take your child to the emergency room. Otherwise - stay away from these places - they are FILLED with germs.
I would also limit this child's exposure to older children and any other germs - such as smoke, extreme hot or cold, etc. until this baby gets better. I guarantee you that a good provider can hear the pneumonia in a baby without an xray - so I wouldn't worry about that. But I would made certain that you are in the hands of a good provider.
First of all the flu is caused by a virus and can cause viral pneumonia. A VIRUS DOES NOT RESPOND TO AN ANTIBIOTIC. What's most likely been going on here is that when your son came down with the flu (a self-limiting virus that goes away on its own without intervention) was given an antibiotic (which means anti-life). The antibiotic wiped out all his good bacteria and made him more prone to a bacterial infection or continued infections. What has happened is your son's immune system was wiped out and just by being around other kids, and other people, he wasn't able to fight off viruses and bacteria he usually comes in contact with. Unless it is undeniably determined that your child has a BACTERIAL infection, question your doctors prescription of an antibiotic. You have the right as a parent to ask for a culture. Not only will this show the necessity of an antibiotic, but will also tell the doctor the best antibiotic for the strain he is suffering from. As a parent, you also have to be OK with doing nothing. A prescription isn't always the best prescription! Here are a couple of articles you may want to peruse.
http://parenting.ivillage.com/tp/tphealth/0,,r68f,00.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/antibiotics/FL00075
I hope this helps. So many parents are in the same boat you are. It's sad to see that many pedi's are not following their own guidelines and causing these poor babies to become sicker and sicker. I have a 4 1/2 year old, and a 6 month old. Neither of them have ever had an ear infection nor have ever been given antibiotics. It's not luck, its being informed and questioning everything before something is done to my children. It's hard and you get a lot of looks, but its worth it. When, if the day ever comes that one of my children needs an antibiotic, I can be certain that it will work effectively and get the job done with minimal damage because he would only be given one when its absolutely needed.
In Dec. my dd was coughing so hard (mostly at night) that she was gaging. I gave it 1.5-2 days and took her to ped as the cough got worse. Of course while at the dr office she is full of energy and hardly coughing. The dr barely touched her. Told me she probably had a small cold from school and she could return to school. That was on Thursday (mid day) on Monday morning we took her to an urgent care center because I couldn't get a new pedi being the end of the year and she got worse over the weekend. She had pneumonia to.
As for the comment below, it is not standard. I took ds in 2 or 3 days after sis and they did not xray him, just said he had broncitus. And sometimes pneumonia is contagious.
Her new ped wants to do a fallow exray and it's been over a month. She is 4 and was a two month premiee, but the dr said suggested w/little ones espcially in winter.
B. C.
It is definitely not normal for a baby to be sick that often. Those are serious illnesses.
If you would like help with nutrition or supplements let me know.
Victoria
