Need Some Advise for Sick 16 Month Old...

Hi,

When my son was a baby, I put him in day care at 3 months old and he was sick from that point on constantly until around 18 m - 2 yrs old. He had one ear infection after another. Ask them to put him on a different antibiotic next time, there are better ones out there. We had to have the ear tubes put into his ears at about 18 months and then things were much better. It is common for kids to be sick for at least the 1st year they are in a day care or school setting, they are building up their immune system. There are also stomach viruses going around. Hang in there, it is rough to have them constantly sick!!!

Hi!

My son was put in daycare starting at 6 months of age, before that he'd been going to a friends home where she watched him there and he had never been sick. From the first week he was in daycare until he was taken out when he was 2 he was ALWAYS SICK! He has had more ear infections than I can even count. I was new to Florida and had no family here to help, so daycare was my only option. As soon as I was able to take him out of daycare he has been sick only once.

The only thing I can really suggest (and the only thing that worked for us) is try to find someone that can come to your home and watch him OR a stay-at-home mom who watches children in her home, but I would only do that if it was LESS than 5 children because there are still germs and the fewer children the better! You should be able to find something like that for the same or less than what you're paying for daycare, i've found prices to be pretty competitive and thus reasonable! Good luck!! I know it's rough, I never thought I would make it, and I felt so awful for my poor baby, it's hard to see them sick and miserable.

I used to work in a daycare. There was never a day when I wasn't sick myself. Daycares are not the cleanest places. Have you tried to give him some danactive? Some doctors suggest putting it in with baby formula (for the ones who are still on it) to help with thier immune system. So I am sure it would not hurt your son to mix it with his milk. Hope this helps.

First off... the first time my son was on ammox, he was sick all the time. What I found helped him was that I gave him something to eat, or even a milk bottle first, then gave him the meds. That way, he's not taking it on an empty stomach. That antibiotic does have stomach side effects. If you have tried that and it doesn't work, just ask the MD to give you something that is more easy on the tummy. My bestfriend's daughter had stomach problems with ammox, and her MD switched her to something less irritating... and she was great. It may mean that he is on the meds longer, but whatever gets the job done.

Hope this helps, and I hope things get better.

I feel you. I know exactly what you are talking. I don't have any advice about the antibiotic ordeal, but I was told for about the first 2 months or so that your child will be sick because his body have to get immuzied to all the germs that are associated in those places.It do get better. My son stayed sick with a cold, and a running nose. for about 2 months when he first started going to the daycare

Hey J.,
The same thing happened to my daughter, Emily (16 mos). She was on amoxicillin for an ear infection and then the diarrhea started. I thought it was because of the medicine, but it turns out she had rotavirus. Basically that meant 5 days of constant, watery, foul-smelling diarrhea. I think I changed her diaper every 20 minutes! Vomiting is a symptom, too, although we didn't have much of that. Unfortunately, there is nothing the doctor can do for it. It just has to run its course. It is common this time of year in daycare. Our pediatrician agreed that we should stop the amoxicillin while Emily had the virus in case it was aggravating the diarrhea. You might ask about that. Good luck! I hope your son feels better soon!
J. :)

Hi Jeniffer. I know what you are going through. It seemed as if my daughter was always sick growing up. Unfortunately, once she started daycare she was sick almost every week. (HONEST) What happened, the Dr. explained, was that every little cold, etc. manifested itself in an ear infection which was alot tougher to get cleared up. She was on amoxicillin almost every other week and soon enough, she built up resistance to it and she had to be put on augmentin, which was much stronger. When that wasn't helping much after a while, the Dr. suggested I considered putting the tubes in her ears. Supposedly, most children outgrew severe and chronic ear infections by around age 3, but my daughter was almost four and she was miserable. So I had her get the surgery and she got MUCH better. She only got an ear infection once or twice during the next year. (the deal was that before, there was too much fluid in the ear caused by simple colds. This fluid lingered in her ear too long, thus prolonging the whole illness..the tubes, however, allowed her to drain her ears of this fluid.) All kids are different and you should really check with your doctor, but if the doctor thinks that it may help, you should consider it. I didn't want to do the surgery for a long time because I didn't want to put her through something I thought was too drastic. I also hoped she would outgrow it..but she was so miserable. In the end, I'm glad I did it and only wish I would have done it sooner. Ask your doctor and take it from there. Good luck.

I went through the same thing. Constantly sick I was having to take time off of work every week. My daughter had to get antibiotic shots to get one ear infection to clear up when it stuck around for over a month. As soon as one went away with in a day or two she was on to her next ear infection or virus and I got everything too.

Anyway being in DC is the first issue, however when I switched daycares she got sick less often. Not that the daycare caused the ear infection they just were not as clean and the kids always had colds that would never clear up. We actually moved DC because of the teacher but my daughter at 18 mo now just got her first ear infection in over a month! That was a record. I wish you the best and you may want to ask the doctor about an anitbiotic Zithromax (z-pak) It tastes good like amox but it would knock out a ear infection in 1-3 days instead of 10 for my daughter.

Hi J.,

Well, Ihate to say it, but expect him to be sick for at a least a year. That's what I was told and it pretty much proved to be true. My Daughter was never sick, not even diarreah, she never threw up as a baby. I started her full-time when she was threee which is when I started working again. It was horrible. She was at the doctor's office at least once a month. She was in the hospital with rotavirus, ear infections, a perforated ear drum, besides being a boogery mess. Now, howeverm she's fine. She gets the occasional cold/cough. She just turned five. It does depend on the setting, too though I think. The first place she went to was a madhouse. I'm mad at myself for keeping her there for so long. But, back to the point - the doctors told me that the first year is bad. If anything, just check out the center more, find out how often they clean not just the rooms and floors and bathrooms and all, but the toys as well. Rotavirus is something passed through feces, which means a child at that school didnt wash his hamds, touched a toy, my Daughter touched it, and put her hands in her mouth. She was in the hospital for almost a week because it was coming out of both ends - really bad and really gross when you think about it. Then, when you bring him home, bathe him, take those clothes off as soon as you get home and wash him down. I'm not trying to sound scary, but if I am I'm sorry. Just my experiences. Hope this helps!

Hi J.,

I feel for you, my son is sick with a bad cold, dirrahea and an ear infection right now too. It is MOST defiantly going around (because a few of my friends babies are sick as well) BUT they are so much more prone to picking up things at daycares... My neighbors have there sons in daycare and there kids are sick CONSTANTLY...No matter how many times throughout the day they "say" they wipe down toys,etc you can not keep up with every child touching everything, it's impossible...
I HIGHLY recommend looking into having someone come to your house and watch your son, that's what I do and I love it... I found someone on www.craigslist. com You can post an ad or respond to others. You will have to pick out the "perfect matches" for you and go through the "non" perfect too, I printed off online applications for them to fill out when I started doing interviews and once I narrowed it down, I did background checks on them.. Well worth it.. I would MUCH rather have my son at home than in a daycare.. A girl that I interviewed use to work at a daycare and said it was horrible.....( they wouldn't wash the sheets every night, they wouldn't follow parents instructions on there childs needs, they would double sometimes triple up a baby in a crib, etc)...I do realize not all daycares are like this and some people will say it builds up the childs immune system to have them sick BUT 3 months is a little to much..
Also, my son has acid reflux and goes to the gastroenterologist. He has me put this "natural" powder in my son's bottles twice per day for his dirrahea (within 48 hours, the dirrahea is gone).. It's called florastor... The website is www.florastor.com You can get it behind the counter at the pharmacy just ask the pharmacist, it's GREAT for there immune system...
Good luck!!!

Hey Jen, maybe you could find a nice way of bringing up to your daycare provider that you are concerned about your sons health and was wondering what steps they take in disenfecting the area. I know all kids get sick, but maybe if you bring it up, they will start spray lysol or wiping things like his crib, etc down better. Good luck.

hi jen,
(**Although I run a childcare in my home, i am NOT plugging for myself, because I am full right now till summer comes, BUT go to www.myflorida.com/childcare and you will get lead to the links of finding registered childcare.)

ANYWAYS:
While lots of kids go to DC and arent sick all the time, some are just prone to it...including my daughter. You have to INSIST that they are constantly washing hands and sanitizing. Pop in on them when you can. As the other response said you may look for an at homeprovider.

Also, I am adament about washing EVERYONES hands and i use clorox wipes on all the toys after the kids are gone AND while they are napping. My house is constantly clean and people ask me how, but i say that its been CLEANER since I had these kids here!!!lol)
i am so so so so sorry that you are going through this. I know 100% how you feel with him always being sick, its exhausting!!!!! Good luck taking care of your little one. It will work out.

Hi J. - first of all - my son's bday is 12/5 too! :) Okay - I had this discussion w/ my pediatrician just yesterday!!! if amox isn't working - try omnicept - the ped said to me - that it is normal for something like that to work one time, and not another - omnicept is stronger - my son didn't even respond to that - so they gave him an injection - I forgot the name of the actual med - he had a double ear infection, and w/in 24 hours of the first injections (they usually give two) he was like a new little boy... No side effects w/ him - however, we did the injection w/ my 19 month old and she did have really icky poops for a couple days - but that was the only reaction... other than the little black and blue on their hiney at the site of the injections... but ask your pediatrician - they know best! Good luck and I hope the little guy gets better soon.. Does he have a high fever? rash? anything of the sort?? Scarlet Fever is going around... and can be treated w/ antibiotics, but high fever, vomiting, rash and sore throat are all symptoms.

Another mom had same question a few weeks ago. I shared what was key for me, hope it helps!

Vitamins and Baby Shampoo!

It happened the same with my three when I put them in daycare. I took them to a nutritionist to help them build up their immune system. Now they take vitamins and he also suggested things like not eating heavy after dark, a fiber filled breakfast (oatmeal, granola cereal), cut out sweets/candy/etc. Also their pediatrician suggested getting baby shampoo since it kills germs as compared to regular soap(it can be no name brand- same thing) and use that to bath them, wash their face/ears/nose and whole body every night to wipe put any germs that might be trying to "get in". Between both of these, they have not been sick since.

Also do make sure the daycare is sanitizing and that they have strict rules of leaving children home when they are sick.

Good luck to you!
A.

Also, ask your doctor if your son needs to get tubes in his ears. After getting sick so often, my doctor suggested seeing and ENT. They put tubes in ears and he doesn't get sick as often anymore.

I agree with one of the moms that it sounds like your son has rotavirus. The amox won't help with that. You'll have to ride that out

Hi! I am sorry to hear you little one is so sick. My son was also born 12/05 and had multiple ear infections at day care as well (Though my niece had the same problem and was home with my sister everyday). We had tubes put in his ears last month and has been great ever since. I too did not like all the antibiotics (he was on 4 different ones to try to clear them). I know the daycare situation does not help with illness, but my doctor said some kids ,especially boys, have ear issues no matter what. As for the vomitting, this weekend my son had vomitting and diarrea too. The doctor believes this is rotovirus and has to run its course. He has had this stomach bug 4 times this year!! The doctor told me this is a really bad year for the bug. I hope your little man is feeling better. You can always e-mail if you need anything.