Nebulizer question - anyone had to use them on an infant?

[auntcarrie]

Hi there -

My little Lauren had a terrible cold about a month ago, just before she started daycare and when I went back to work. It was a ton of congestion and coughing up mucus, she was tired and didn't eat much for over a week. Finally saw the Doc and even though it was not an ear infection, he said it was most likely another "secondary" infection and they put her on antibiotics. It worked great - within 48 hours her appetite came back and within 4 days her cough was gone and she was sleeping much better at night.

So after the antibiotics she did great, although I never thought she was 100% back to normal - she still sounded a bit congested from time to time (not all the time). She was always a little congested, even since birth, which I read was normal for some babies.

Late last week she started coughing again and had a runny nose over the weekend and a little difficulty breathing - nothing major just took some time for her to catch her breath after a coughing fit. My sister-in-law and father-in-law both convinced me to take her to the doctor's on Monday and sure enough, the doctor was concerned about her breathing as well and put her on a nebulizer. So far it seems to be working, she is still coughing but did much better last night sleeping.

So I have 1000 questions now about nebulizer and thought I'd stop here first, before I call the Dr tomorrow AM.

Has anyone else had to use a nebulizer on a baby? Did it work? Did the breathing issues clear up quickly?

Should I be concerned that she is using this and is so young? She is just 4 months...

Should I be concerned that it could be asthma? The doctor did throw around that word, and honestly I dismissed it but then did some reading last night from my medical reference book and it does sound similar to what Lady Lauren is going thru.

Thanks in advance!

 

[knitbit]

My oldest came down with RSV at 10 months and we used the nebulizer to deliver albuterol when he'd get a cold. Almost anything he caught until he was three cause him to start wheezing. It helped a lot. He essentially had asthma from that initial lung infection. We did treat him with singulair for about a year to give his body a chance to get past it. He eventually grew out of it and now at 5.5 has no issues.

The nebulizer is great. If all you are giving is albuterol, then there are really no worries. She might get a little hyper from it, although we never had a problem. You do want to give her some water afterwards to rinse it out of her mouth. Since she's so young, you just might want to wipe her gums with a damp cloth instead.

Don't worry too much about the asthma label. Many kids grow out of it as long as you stay on top of it. Just keep an eye out and watch for any wheezing or deep breathing. Keeping the air humid helps, too.

 

[lizziedripping]

Hi Carrie. Sorry to hear Lauren hasn't been well

Before Knitbit mentioned it, I was gonna say it sounds as though Lauren has had RSV. It is a very common cold virus caught by most infants by the time they are 2. Most kids and adults experience it as a mild cold, but some (especially those under 6mths) are badly affected, and go on to develop bronchiolitis. This can cause anything from a mild wheeze, to full-blown chesty cough and difficulty breathing. It is the most common reason for hospital admissions (for oxygen support) in babies during winter months.

Lauren has come through it, but been left with the typical wheeze and chestiness common in some babies after RSV infection. It isn't unusual for infants to need nebulising as a result, and it can leave them with a childhood asthma which they do grow out of by the time they are 5yrs old or thereabouts Asthma isn't a foregone conclusion however, but cautious doctors do tend to diagnose it when in fact it may just be that she is still mucousy and congested from that initial infection.

You may find that she is chesty with every cold she gets from now on - partly due to the RSV, and partly because she is probably prone to chestiness anyway, and that is the reason she was affected by RSV in the first place. No one is really sure why some kids are affected and some aren't (as you have seen with your own kids).

It may well be that Lauren needs help from the nebulizer due to some short term narrowing of her airways, BUT I can understand your concerns given her age. She will grow out of this problem hun once she, and her lungs have grown and her immune system matured, but in the meantime she may well suffer with chestiness with each cold she has.

There are things you can do which I have found work wonders to minimise congestion in babies. You can get humidifiers which work brilliantly to clear congestion before it has a chance to settle, lie her on a slightly raised mattress and use vaporub recommended for babies. Ultimately this isn't going to address the core issue, but it can help to avoid wheezing and the need for nebulizing.

Ok - two things. First, I apologise if I have gabbled on about things you are already aware of - please feel free to 'filter at will' lol, and second, I am not an expert and naturally bow to the extensive and superior knowledge of your Doctor Just some thoughts before you speak with him, and maybe ideas for questions you might have. Definitely sounds like RSV tho (as Knitbit said), and all Lauren's symptoms since are in keeping with its after effects.

Hope you get her sorted

 

[auntcarrie]

Thanks to both of you - I appreciate it and both your answers were very helpful! Hoping Lauren will be better shortly.