Breathing Issues in 11 month old

[LauraLu]

I'll try to keep this short.

I took my son in to the pediatrician this afternoon for a number of things - fever since Sunday (it's now Wednesday), diarrhea, wheezing (started yesterday), and just general fatigue.

They measured his oxygen saturation level, and the reading was 93%. The nurse told me that a normal reading should be above 97%.

When the doctor came in, she examined his mouth and ears and listened to his lungs. She said that his ears looked great and he just had a cold. I asked about the wheezing and she said it wasn't in his lungs - that doesn't make sense to me though? Where else does mucus go to cause such a rattling sound?

The reason I am writing is to ask about oxygen levels. Isn't 93% on the low side? When I took Benjamin in last month, he was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection and an ear infection. He was also given a diagnosis of asthma. AND, he was given a breathing treatment in the doctor's office. (This was a different doctor).

Am I over-reacting? Should I just listen to the doctor? Anyone have a medical background or have previous experience with this?

 

[going_crazy]

Yes, I would say 93% is on the low side for a healthy baby - they should be 97% and above. I would say get a second opinion...... Maybe your LO needs some salbutomol?

Hope your LO feels better soon x

Forgot to add.... Wheezing is often in the back of the throat, not on the lungs x

 

[LauraLu]

Yes, I would say 93% is on the low side for a healthy baby - they should be 97% and above. I would say get a second opinion...... Maybe your LO needs some salbutomol?

Hope your LO feels better soon x

Forgot to add.... Wheezing is often in the back of the throat, not on the lungs x

Thank you SO much for replying. I hate feeling as though it's just "me". It definitely bothered me when I left the office.

Last month the doctor prescibed Albuterol to help with coughing and breathing. I think I may just give him that again?

 

[going_crazy]

You could try this again if it was prescribed for him for his coughing etc BUT be careful as it may help short term and could cover an underlying illness.

I really would ask for him to be checked again, or at least have his sats monitored again? xx

 

[LauraLu]

You could try this again if it was prescribed for him for his coughing etc BUT be careful as it may help short term and could cover an underlying illness.

I really would ask for him to be checked again, or at least have his sats monitored again? xx

I agree with you. Thank you.

His normal pediatrician does not work Wednesdays, so I'm going to call tomorrow and leave a message for him.

I think in the mean time, I'm going to run the humidifier in his room and just give lots of extra cuddles.

 

[austinsmom]

my son had the EXACT same symptoms/vitals at when he was 10 months old. he was hospitalized for RSV (had a fever of 103). He got an antibiotic shot in the hospital, and was sent home after a night on oxygen with albuterol treatments. they wanted to monitor him for pnuemonia (as the lungs conditions can change very quickly)
i would get a second opinion. even go to the ER if LO has a high fever/lathargic.

 

[LauraLu]

my son had the EXACT same symptoms/vitals at when he was 10 months old. he was hospitalized for RSV (had a fever of 103). He got an antibiotic shot in the hospital, and was sent home after a night on oxygen with albuterol treatments. they wanted to monitor him for pnuemonia (as the lungs conditions can change very quickly)
i would get a second opinion. even go to the ER if LO has a high fever/lathargic.

Thank you very much for posting this!

Ben is currently is fever-free at the moment. Tonight has been the first night that his temp has been below 100. When we went to the doctor's today, it was 98.0. I also gave him Tylenol about two hours before the appt too.

I did go out and buy the Johnson & Johnson's Soothing Baby Vapor Bath. I let him play in the tub for a good 15 minutes and he was very happy with that. I also put Vicks Vapo Rub on his chest.

I just feel so badly for him b/c he wants nothing to do with any kind of food or his bottles. He's had a total of 14 oz of formula today, and he usually drinks up to 25 oz still. He did let me feed him so oatmeal, but it was a struggle....

Here's praying he wakes up a new man. He's just been SO cranky, irritable, and cries at the drop of a hat.

 

[prdlyexpectng]

not trying to scare you at all because most likely it's not this, but.. a low oxygen saturation (93% is lower than a healthy baby should be, even with a cold) could mean some sort of congenital heart issue. my baby was born with a SEVERE defect which caused his levels to run around 50% (horrible!) but after they repaired it its now always 98-100%. im definitely not saying ur baby has a severe heart defect like mine had (because if it was anything serious his oxygen sats would be lower and you wouldve noticed long ago) but you might want to inquire about that low oxygen level. it could be something as simple as RSV, or some insignificant heart defect like an ASD (which a lot of people are born with, its a itty bitty hole in the heart that closes during the 2-4 year old age group)

not trying to scare you at all! because i guarantee its something totally common, just letting u know

 

[LauraLu]

not trying to scare you at all because most likely it's not this, but.. a low oxygen saturation (93% is lower than a healthy baby should be, even with a cold) could mean some sort of congenital heart issue. my baby was born with a SEVERE defect which caused his levels to run around 50% (horrible!) but after they repaired it its now always 98-100%. im definitely not saying ur baby has a severe heart defect like mine had (because if it was anything serious his oxygen sats would be lower and you wouldve noticed long ago) but you might want to inquire about that low oxygen level. it could be something as simple as RSV, or some insignificant heart defect like an ASD (which a lot of people are born with, its a itty bitty hole in the heart that closes during the 2-4 year old age group)

not trying to scare you at all! because i guarantee its something totally common, just letting u know

Thank you very much for sharing and giving me insight. Don't worry about scaring me - I thinks it's much better to be informed rather than in the dark. I appreciate your advice.

Could they detect your baby's heart problem via ultrasound? I know that when I had my 20 week scan, the technician said everything looked great. I know it's not always crystal clear. Just wondering.

His breathing problems didn't really start until last month. The very thought of even asthma scares me to death! My younger brother had this as a child (has since out grown it). He was always doing breathing treatments...I hated to watch.

I'm so glad your little one is doing well now!!! xo

 

[prdlyexpectng]

not trying to scare you at all because most likely it's not this, but.. a low oxygen saturation (93% is lower than a healthy baby should be, even with a cold) could mean some sort of congenital heart issue. my baby was born with a SEVERE defect which caused his levels to run around 50% (horrible!) but after they repaired it its now always 98-100%. im definitely not saying ur baby has a severe heart defect like mine had (because if it was anything serious his oxygen sats would be lower and you wouldve noticed long ago) but you might want to inquire about that low oxygen level. it could be something as simple as RSV, or some insignificant heart defect like an ASD (which a lot of people are born with, its a itty bitty hole in the heart that closes during the 2-4 year old age group)

not trying to scare you at all! because i guarantee its something totally common, just letting u know

Thank you very much for sharing and giving me insight. Don't worry about scaring me - I thinks it's much better to be informed rather than in the dark. I appreciate your advice.

Could they detect your baby's heart problem via ultrasound? I know that when I had my 20 week scan, the technician said everything looked great. I know it's not always crystal clear. Just wondering.

His breathing problems didn't really start until last month. The very thought of even asthma scares me to death! My younger brother had this as a child (has since out grown it). He was always doing breathing treatments...I hated to watch.

I'm so glad your little one is doing well now!!! xo

thank you im glad he's doing well too!

im glad you didnt get offended or mad that i told you that, because i almost regretted it as soon as i posted it!

i had an ultrasound too at 20 weeks, it was a very detailed one and they gave my bubs a clean bill of health i actually remember specifically them saying "his heart looks perfect."

but enough about my LO, he is fine and thats all that matters!

what kinds of breathing issues are you noticing? does he seem to breathe worse during feeding? if you are truly concerned (which you have every right to since youre a mommy ) just make a list of symptoms to bring to your pediatrician... ie, breathing a little harder during feeding, not eating well, etc. of course babies totally have their off days and to be honest the only thing i would be a bit concerned about is the oxygen level. i would just ask about it at your next appointment, or maybe just ring another pediatrician.

hope your baby feels better soon hun!

 

[LauraLu]

prdlyexpectng ~ Thanks for sharing your ultrasound info. When did you/doctor's notice your baby's heart defect? Was it immediately after birth or down the road a bit?

He mainly has problems breathing when he's taking his bottle, poor little guy. I know that's why he doesn't want it. For the last two nights, he's been snoring. I swear I've been in and out of his room all night. I'd like to put him in my room, but he's a creature of habit and loves his crib. And I know the darn crib won't fit unless we take it down (not doing that!).

As of now, he is peacefully sleeping. He and his older sister share a room, and she has been the only one to get him to laugh and/or smile. Bless her little heart. I couldn't put him down until it was Madeline's bedtime too. He needed to have her in the room with him.

Can't wait for this to end so we can all start gearing up for Christmas!

 

[prdlyexpectng]

lauralu- i was actually the one who noticed something wasn't right with my baby an hour after he was born. he felt cooler than normal, and he looked a little blue! so a nurse ran his puls ox and it was 50% then long story short, got transferred to 2 different hospitals within the next few hours (i was following with hubby, not pleasant right after birth lol) and he had open heart bypass surgery the next morning, recovered for a week and 5 days, came home, and now his heart function is 100% normal. it wasn't actually his heart, it was his veins going from his lungs to his heart (instead of veins going into right side of heart, they were going into left side of heart. right side-oxygen rich blood, left side-oxygen poor blood). this is such a rare heart defect though, 1 in 15,000. it's called TAPVR (total anomalous pulmonary venous return).

on another note, one of my friends gave birth to a baby with an ASD (atrial septal defect, the small hole in the heart) and doctors only noticed a year later when she complained of him being more fatigued than usual and doctor noticed a small murmur. a year later it closed on his own and that was that.

awww i hope ur little one feels better, he sounds awfully congested! the congestion could be coming from his sinus? have you tried some saline spray? you can either get it prescribed or you can get it from Walgreens or CVS or even any store that has a pharmacy. let me know how your little one's feeling! sicky babies are no fun

 

[stick2000]

hi, keep an eye on your little one. If oxygen sats dip below 92% then supplemental oxygen is generally needed. Signs that little one is working harder to breathe include nasal flaring, chest recession and what looks like tugging of skin on the side of neck when breathing. Kids can get better and deteriorate very quickly. Take little one to the hospital if your worried.

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

anytime Ellie goes to into hospital her oxygen levels are always above 95% where did they have the probe to take the reading x