RSV/Pnemonia/Whooping Cough...Should We See a Respiratory Specialist?

Hi,

My son had RSV also when he was an infant. We were in the hospital for about 4 days. We went home with a nebulizer. He is now 2 1/2 and it seems that every cold he gets goes straight to his chest. My friends son had pnemonia as an infant and they have the same issues.

If you feel like seeing a specialist will help - then I say you should do it. I know that whenever I get a feeling about something - I am usually right. Better to be safe than sorry - right?

Good luck and hope you little man is feeling better soon.

It never hurts for a second opinion from a specialist. I would insist on it whether your doctor recomends it or not... just beware the insurance company might fight paying for it since your doctor said it isn't nessessary. My children had croup a lot when they were young, my daughter had pneumonia also and asthma to boot. My son because of all the allergies to different things wasn't able to get the pertissis part of the DPT thinking the chance of his getting it was a lot less then the reaction to the shot could be. Well right before his daughter was born he was having a hard time with his asthma and they kept changing his meds. When I heard this I told him to mention to the doctor he hasn't ever been vaccinated against Whooping cough. Sure enough, it came back positive just a few days after his daughter was born and we all, including his new born daughter, was exposed to whooping cough. Everyone who had come in contact with him had to go on antibodics for 10 days and isolated for 5 days. Had he been to a specialist, maybe they would have caught that much sooner knowing the symtoms better.

This said, maybe your son has a bit of asthma or something that needs checked out with his lungs, so take him to the specialist.

You need to see a specialist. My son was sick since he was born (10 months old) and told by our family practitioner that he'd outgrow his respitory problems, at 9 months I had had it and brought him into a specialist and it turns out he has acid reflux, enlarged tonsils and ASTHMA. Yes, see a specialist!

i would say yes to get a seciond opinion and to see a specialist. if you don't feel comfortable with what the dr said get another opinion!!!

Sounds like he's had bad luck.

Unless it's been a reoccurance of one of the above I don't see the need to see a specialist.

Kids have ear infections but they don't see a specialist ENT doctor for tubes until the problem is PERSISTANT and is a reoccurance over and over.

nothing wrong with a second opinion if that makes you feel more comfortable, but I don't think you really NEED it. My daughter had RSV at about 2 months, was susceptible to pneumonia once a season but is now a healthy active 10 year old.

My friend's little one had whooping cough and what she did to lessen the severity of it was high doses of sodium ascorbate (vitamin C). Basically you give it until the point of loose stools.

Good luck.

Both of my twins had pneumonia so bad that they had to be hospitalized for at least a week. They were babies one had it when she was 9 months old and the other one was 18 months old when she got it. Now they are going to be 4 in July and perfectly healthy, no breathing problems at all. My son is the total opposite, never had any of those problems when he was a baby but has asthma (genetics).

M.

D.,

If you think you need to be seen by a specialist, I would follow your gut instinct / "Mom sense". That way you won't be second guessing yourself later on, and it will make you feel better knowing that you went to the top to find out if everything possible is being done for your child.

You know your child better than ANY doctor ever will.
Good Luck!! I hope everything turns out to be just fine!!

A.

i would see a specialist. your little ones lungs are taking a real blow - that's not your average cough & colds. he's so young - i would def recommend seeing a specialist. God bless :)

Yes. My son got RSV at 10 weeks old and was hospitalized for two days. He was sent home with a nebulizer. We fought with his health until he was 15 mos old. As a result of repeated respiratory ilnesses he developed asthma. I wish we would have seen a respiratory therapist after leaving the hospital and hopefully prevented what we went through. He currently is a very healthy 6 year old. I hope your baby feels well soon!

My kids all got RSV in January, even my 5 year old (although very mild). My 7 month old got it the worst, obviously. The pediatrician told me that it makes them more susceptible to colds going right to their lungs until the age of 3, I think. Before 3, they call it wheezing, etc. If it continues after 3, they tend to believe that it has developed into asthma, but for some it will stop around that age.

I always say that if a mother is worried about something, get it checked. It will put your mind at ease a little and we have great intuition about things.

Good luck.

I would recommend seeing a pulmonologist. My younger son had RSV at 4 1/2 months and although he wasn't hospitalized he ended up with RAD (reactive airways disease). He ended up on asthma medications, but ultimately outgrew it at age 8. We do have asthma in the family, including our older son. Our older son had a lot of problems with the asthma, pneumonia and croup until we started seeing a pulmonologist at age 4. Although I respected my pediatrician, the pulmonologist made a world of difference in our son's health and our life. Good luck! P.S. Depending on where you are located and your insurance, I highly recommend Children's Respiratory at 3 locations in the Twin Cities.

Hi D.,

Our infant had RSV at the end of February when he was 1o weeks old. At that time the pediatrician warned me that it can take months for them to fully recover. It's almost as if the lung tissue was bruised, so they are much more receptable to other respiratory infections. Because of that we've been very conscious of where we bring our son and who holds him. Thankfully we've been lucky enough to keep him out of daycare, although his brothers bring home germs from daycare/school. If he would have had repeat infections I probably would have brough him to a resiratory therapist, however I don't know if there's anything they could do. If it will give you peace of mind, then go for it. Mother's intution is a powerful tool. Good luck!

Hi D.-
My 5-yo was like that. In his first couple of years he seemed to catch everything! Your son is so young, and it has been winter time with all of the germs, that I would think that it is just normal respiratory illnesses associated with daycare situations. I really have found that daycares can be the root of so many infections. A year ago, at one point, there were 20 different illnesses just in my 4-yo's (at the time) age group. And at a previous center when my 5-yo was only 4 mos old he kept catching odd things that you would only find if the area was not being kept clean. I wound up moving him to another center because it was just not right. My 11-mos old is going to a home daycare but even though it is a much smaller situation he still catches what the other kids have. And then gives it to me.
That said, it never hurts to get a 2nd opinion especially when you have questions. Better safe than sorry when you are dealing with your little ones! Hope this helps-
J.

If it were me, I would be headed to pulmonology, or, at very least, ask that a chest x-ray be ordered. Was your child premature? Yes, we have indeed dealt with this (pneunomia, RSV, Influenza) but our child was indeed premature, and was also diagnosed with Down syndrome at birth.