Premature baby with cold

[premmiemum123]

I can't believe it, my little one has only been home one week and she now has a cold. She is still feeding but sneezing, blocked nose, snotty and grumpy. No fever thank god. Any tips please for dealing with a prem baby with a cold. She is now term 40+2 but not sure I can treat as a term baby as she was prem 26 +3...

AM really scared it will develop into RSV, am considering booking a GP appointment just to be on the safe side even though LO is not really ill...any thoughts?

Thank you in advance...xx

 

[prem2pram]

If you're worried it's always best to speak to your gp, give them a ring as at least they can help put your mind at rest if nothing else.

 

[MandaAnda]

Treat her as her corrected age - she's just term now, so treat her as that. But do get in touch with your GP or HV if you're worried.

 

[bumpsmum]

hope she feels better soon, Id suggest going by her corrected age if by tomo still snuffly maybe pop to GP, hmmm maybe try putting a bit of vapa rub on a bib or cloth and hang it in baby's moses basket etc for a bit before bed and take it away so the smell lingers but not too strong this should help with the stuffy nose, Matthew had a bad cold a while ago and this helped as does lots of rest and cuddles x

 

[Gabrielle]

Awe sorry to hear this. My preemie was 7 weeks early and now is 8 weeks. At two weeks old he got out of NICU.....just to return 4 days later with an Upper respirtory infection.. He had a fever and a cold. Had to have a Spinal tap, blood cultures and stay in for 5 days on iv antibotics.

Then......two weeks later he was admitted with an ear infection, come to find out it was pneumonia! He was there again for 6 days on iv antibotics then had 10 days of IV injections.

Now again two weeks later he has a cold, bronchotis and diareehea. We're doing our best to keep him home.

Hang in there and be prepared for illnesses, its so common, specially with Winter on its way..

I've had 3 preemies and my other two werent ever this sick in a matter of weeks.

Good luck hun and call if you think you should.

Treat with tyenol, .6ml, nasal saline drops and lots of suctioning......maybe try a vapozior in their room as well. HUGS to you and bubs.!

 

[premmiemum123]

Thanks Gabrielle. I took my LO to the doctors and he said she just had the snuffles and that she would get many more like this when I start going to the clinics. I was relieved.

Am so sorry to hear your LO has been poorly, I hope he is recovering well from the pneumonia. Our babies are so vulnerable we have to protect them yet sometimes it is hard.

My doctor suggested Olbas and saline drops, have bought some and they seem to be helping. Poor girl is zonked out at the moment, this cold has zapped her energy...

Thank you for the advice and let me know how your LO is doing...big hugs...xx

 

[Dona]

I know how you are feeling as Archie has the snuffles too and a cough. I am taking him to the dr's tomorrow. So far I have been using the saline drops, vapor rub and calpol plug in along with the medicine. We have also propped his cot up.

Its never an easy time with any baby having a cold...but I just worry in case it goes into his chest.

xxx

 

[premmiemum123]

Hi Dona, I hope Archie gets better soon. The turn in the weather is causing the sniffles so I am told by my SCBU unit. I went to the doctors in the end and he confirmed Emily had the snuffles, he had a mini pop at me (he's not very tactful) saying once i go to the clinics she will get lots of colds, apparently there are 200 strains of the cold virus, great only another 199 to go! LOL!

I gave Emily Calpol, the full dose even though she is under 4kg, Olbas which I put two drops on her babygrow near her nappy area (which has probably ruined them but they look ok) and kept her upright in her bouncer during the day and in her Moses Basket at night (which is tilted at 30 degrees anyway due to her reflux ). She is still snuffly but I think that is due to the atmosphere being dry in our home and quite dusty, we live in a old house by a main road and it needs dusting daily.
I tried one of those aspirators to try and get the offending snot etc, but the nozzle would not fit up her tiny nostrils and I did not want to force it up there, poor love, she looked at me as if to say 'What the hell are you doing to me mummy'. So I gave up on that one.

I think there is only so much we can do for the poor little mites, you just have to ride it out and make sure they are ok.
I know what you mean about worrying about it going to their chests, I asked my doctor if Emily had RSV and he said no, he said the first signs of RSV are that they are not feeding and a high temperature. Emily was feeding well with low temperature so phew.
Our babies are so precious that we are going to worry throughout their life, I know I wrap Emily up in cotton wool, her Daddy keeps telling me that, but I don't care she deserves to be protected after everything she has gone through.

Hope Archie is ok, let me know how you get on. I am sure he will be fine, he is a strong wee man....xx

 

[nkbapbt]

Awe no two more sick preemies! Lakai is ill right now too, we had to go to the hospital and now he has puffers to take.

I sure hope everyone's babes are feeling much better really soon!

 

[premmiemum123]

Sorry to hear about Lakai. It is horrible when our babies get colds as you can't help but panic. I hope your little man is better soon.
Is Lakai asthmatic?
Emily is better but still snuffly which is making bottle feeding hard for her. I have to keep taking the bottle out of her mouth so she can breathe, otherwise she carries on until she turns dusky. Am dreading the next cold. I felt bad that she caught the cold two weeks after being discharged, I felt I had failed to protect her as a mother. Obviously now I am OTT, anyone with a hint of a cold is banned from seeing her, even if they are recovering from a cold, it is not worth the risk.

 

[nkbapbt]

Thanks. No he isn't but he has BPD (pretty much his lungs are not very healthy from being ventilated for so long) and when he gets sick (this is his first time!) the stuffiness upsets his lungs and makes breathing really hard for him. So they gave us puffers to open his airways just in case. It's not a forever thing, but it's working for us for now. So that's good!

The crappy thing I've learned? We are most infectious before we even know we are sick...how awful is that for an OCD germ freak like a preemie mom? I think really good hand washing, carry hand sani with you every where and avoid overly crowded places during flu and RSV season are a must.

We are going into full fall/winter (flu season) lock down until Lakai is over two pretty much. It sucks, but we just feel we need to be very careful with his lungs and the rest of him!

I hope Emily feel 100% really soon. That's scary she is going dusky during feeds! Yikes.

Have you tried a vaporizer to loose up her stuffy nose? It really worked for Lakai.

 

[bumpsmum]

must be the change in the weather, Matthew also has the start of the sniffles and a little cough so were staying in today. Hope all the babies feel better soon x