1. Ear Infection: Brody had his first ear infection at 3. Payton had hers at 6 months old and had four ear infections in four months. Needless to say, I got good at diagnosing these!
Signs and symptoms:
1. Your baby pulls or tugs at their ear. (Payton hardly ever does this, but I hear lots of babies do!)
2. Fever
3. Reduced appetite (The same bug that causes these can also cause an upset tummy.)
4. Along with #4, pulling away while eating.
5. Draining from the ear
6. Trouble sleeping (This is Payton's major sign!)
Below is a picture (from google) that shows a child with drainage from an ear infection.
What to do:
Take your baby to the doctor if you think they may have an ear infection. Ear infections need antibiotics and can get worse, even rupture an ear drum. Most antibiotics treatments are for 10 days.
2. Croup
Croup is a very common illness with little ones. Especially in cold months and especially if they attend day care or school. Croup happens more in children (peak age of 18-24 months) because they have smaller airways. It is a virus and so the actual croup is not treated. However, steroids are often given to help with the inflammation of the airway. This usually last 3-4 days.
Signs and symptoms:
1. "Barky" cough. This is the best way to diagnose croup. Brody had this a lot from about 8 - 15 months of age. The cough is very distinguished. You can go on YouTube and search for "Croup Cough" and hear what it sounds like. Here is an example.
2. The cough usually appears at night time. A doctors appointment can usually wait until the next day unless the child is having trouble breathing. If that is the case, call 911 or go straight to the ER.
3. Fever can be accompanied with this as well as a hoarse voice.
What to do:
Make an appointment with your child's pediatrician as soon as you can so it does not worsen unless they are having trouble breathing. If that is the case, call 911 or go to the ER.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
This virus usually appears between 4-6 days after exposure. The symptoms are usually "cold-like" symptoms but could be worse. This is a virus and cannot be treated with medicine for the actual virus.
Mild signs and symptoms:
*Runny nose
*Dry cough
*Low fever
Severe signs and symptoms:
*Fever
*Severe cough
*Wheezing
*Rapid/difficulty breathing
*Bluish color
What to do:
Make an appointment with your doctor when signs appear. If your child is having trouble breathing, call 911 or go to the ER immediately. In some cases, children need oxygen and a hospital stay to get breathing and airways under control. In mild cases, children can recover within a few days to weeks with Tylenol to help them be comfortable.
Fevers
If your child is under 3 months of age, call your doctor immediately if they have a temperature of 100.4 or greater. (Rectal temperatures this young are very accurate.)
If they are over 3 months, call your doctor and watch your child and assess them, as long as their fever is below 104. Always trust your intuition. If you think your child needs to be seen, take them. Its always better to be safe.
If their fever is 104 or greater, call your doctor immediately to see what steps need to be taken.
Hope this helps with common illnesses little ones face. Until next time!
**I am not a medical doctor or nurse and have zero medical background. Please see a certified medical physician/professional if you are concerned with the health of your child in any way. I am just a mommy blogging from my own experience. Do not take my advice or information over your medical professionals or medical recommendations. Always use the advice, diagnosis, and treatment of your medical professionals over mine.
