My son is 4 and a half months old. A couple of days ago a noticed he was sneezing and had a slight cough. But yesterday and today he has been having coughing fits. People keep asking me what I am giving him for his cold but I tell them there is nothing you can give him but Tylenol and that only helps with a fever which he really doesn't have. My husband sugested that we take him to the clinic to get him checked out. It being his first major cold he is worried that it might lead to phenomia. I told him its just a cold. Is my husband worring too much or should we just take him in. I don't want to be one of those parents who take their kids in everytime they have a sniffle.
Well we deicided to take him to the doctor but the soonest we could get in was this morning and boy am I glad we did! The doctor looked him over and because of his cough and his age she decided to put him on antibiotics being his first cold. But she wasn't 100% sure if she wanted to until she saw one of his ear canals were red. But she was worried if she let it go that it might turn bad. Plus she figured out what was going on with his skin. So now he has to take antibiotics twice a day for ten days and she wants us to come in in two weeks to see how he is doing. Thanks everyone for all your advice and tips!
he could have a viral infection or may need a breathing nebulizer treatment. I took my daughter in at that age and the nebulizer treatments open up their lungs so they can breath better. You should take him in. That is what they are there for. We shouldn't diagnose. You just never know what's going on. Also, you should use a humidifier in his room if you aren't already.
When in doubt, call the dr office and ask a nurse.
My policy, if me or my husband are worried, we take them in to at the very least ease our minds. Most likely it is just a virus and will pass---but calm your hubbys nerves and take him to the doctor.
M
I would take him in since he's so young and it's his first cold. Although it might very well be just an ordinary cold it could also be RSV which can be scary for young babies. Babies are also prone to developing secondary infections such as ear infections. The doctor will understand if it turns out to be an ordinary cold, your husband will feel better and better safe than sorry. There is a lot of stuff going around right now--my 11-year-old is recovering from pneumonia. (He had RSV at 5 months and it was kind of scary, although he did not need hospitalization. So maybe that's why I err on the side of bring him in.)
My friend lost her 5 week old grandson, who had been to the doc the afternoon before, to RSV, which in adults and children is like the common cold. Flu is going around, RSV can be going around and carried by any adult the baby comes in contact with because it is a common virus for adults to have, it could turn to pneumonia easily and be too late.
I am with the hubby on this one, take the baby in to be seen. It can't possibly hurt.
yes i think you have to have your baby checked... having colds it not easy for adult what more for a baby? babies doesnt know how to blow their noses.. have him checked at least the doctor could give him medicine to let the phlegm out of his lungs so he could breathe easily... you may not notice it but he may be having difficulty of breathing because of clogged nose...
You don't mention if he currently has a fever, what it is, method used, if he is acting miserable or not, or if he has a wet or dry cough. If he had pneumonia it's not so much about the cough but if he has shortness of breath.
Take him to the doctor. My baby had a "cold" and it turned into a cough. I took her back to the doctor and it ended up being RSV and pneumonia. Better safe than sorry!
If he was 4 years old, I would say no need for the dr. But at 4 months, I would definitely give a call and see what they say. Our pediatrician pretty much wants to see baby any time there is a concern before 6 months. Things can go downhill so fast with infants. Better to be safe than sorry.
If you are worried then I would take hime in, but you don't sound very concerned. I would trust your instincts.
Put a cool mist humidifier in his room while he sleeps and check out "Little Colds" products. They have the infant-safe version of vapo-rub which can help with the coughing and stuffy nose. I believe it is safe at 3 months old.
There are a few brands of natural cold remedies out there that you can find at your local grocery store that don't have the dangerous ingredients in them that got the infant cold stuff pulled, but I still get nervous!
I would say to not worry about it, but he is coughing. That could indicate something worse. It doesn't usually go immediately to pneumonia, but it could lead to bronchitis.
You described almost perfectly what happened with my 20 mo. old twins when they just recently got sick. Started out as a sniffle and a cough, then got worse, and by day four we were at the clinic and had bronchitis and ear infections.
I would take him in just to be safe. You sure don't want little guy to get worse, especially if it leads to an ear infection.
Actually there ARE things you can give him. It's just that these days you have to get an okay from a doctor instead of just being able to buy them over the counter.
Take him in.
IMHO it's better to be "one of those parents who comes in for every sniffle" than to be one of those parents who serves as a warning to others. <grinning> Just apologize to the doc when you go in "It's probably nothing/ new mom jitters/ etc." and you preserve your pride and your son's health in one fell swoop :D
We are all parents, not doctors, and even if we are doctors, we can still can't know for sure if a cough is just a cough of if it can be something more serious unless we get it looked at. If your not sure, take him in. So what if you do end up looking like one of those moms that take their kids in every time they have a sniffle. The only thing that matters is that they are alright.
